 Poster: A snowHead
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Not a thread about whether the 'helmet debate ' has reached its shelf life'.
My Rossignol helmet should be replaced after 3 years - according to the manufacturer. there is no obvious sign of when it was made - but perhaps the 'shelf life' give some leeway for that.
I can find little authoritative on ski helmet shelf life. I came across this on a an ATV page
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Is An "Old" Helmet Okay?
There are three things to keep in mind, regarding the shelf life of a helmet:
* Since helmets are made of materials which deteriorate with age, they have a limited life span and must be replaced after five years (less if the manufacturer recommends).
* Glues, resins and other materials used to make the helmet eventually break down, affecting the interior liner. The inside liner will also start to deteriorate when it comes in contact with hair oils, body fluids and/or cosmetics over time. All this is, in addition to normal wear and tear, leads to helmet degradation.
* A helmet is good for only one impact. If you should ever dent or crack your helmet, you must get a replacement helmet right away. All of the safety features become obsolete once a helmet has become distressed in some way. Helmets are constructed so that the energy of a blow is managed by the helmet, causing its partial destruction (which may not necessarily be visible to the eye). |
I also found this on a women's skiing forum
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Well, DH isn't a plastics engineer either, but he is an engineer in a heavy industrial/manufacturing facility. He told me to look up the ANSI standards, but first I thought I'd post that at his facility, any safety helmet exposed to UV is to be replaced annually (and many do work outdoors at this plant) - this is due to the fact that ultraviolet rays make the plastic in the helmets more brittle. In an indoor setting, it's generally 5+- years in the absence of impact.
That UV stuff really got me thinking about skiing helmets, since we're obviously outdoors in them. I've retired one of mine (due to impact - it's not damaged but it's "cursed") but I think I'm going to start paying closer attention to how many seasons I wear any helmet now....and 5 is going to be max for mine, based on my average number of days per season. |
What life do you plan for your helmets?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A long shell life. I'm not planning to buy a ski helmet.
I replace my cycle helmet every time I lose it.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
| A long shell life. I'm not planning to buy a ski helmet............. |
No, I would not expect you to, David
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ordhan, it was the obvious comment - and to be fair, I assume that DG was seeking such a response when he wrote his post.
Back to shelf life -nope, I wasn't before I bought one, either. The climbing world is hot on the shelf-life of ropes, slings, and the like - odd that helmet life has not had more publicity for skiers. OK and for boarders, too. 
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David Goldsmith, How many cycle helmets have you got through then? I'd have thought they were a large enough object to not lose easily.
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This is one reason why we bought the Fridglets their own helmets, not sure what care or inspection criteria some of the hire shops have regarding the kids helmet.
Need to look into this as my own has had a couple of bumps getting on the chair whilst trying to load Fridge the younger. Always someone in a panic trying to lower the saftey bar before youve even sat down it seams
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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achilles,
Good point, worth bringing up. Even the plastic hard-hats they use in the building industry have surprisingly short shelf lives, just a few years. They have a "use by" code moulded into the plastic. Do snow-sports ones have one?
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Motorcycle helmets have a recommendation of 5 year life cycle, and replaced after an accident.
So ski helmets should be about the same, possibly less depending on the material of manufacture.
I know UV affects Fibre Glass helmets, higher range M/C helmets are kevlar type materials, off the shelf ski helmets probably aren't
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| kermit wrote: |
| .....higher range M/C helmets are kevlar type materials, off the shelf ski helmets probably aren't |
Yours from snowhead.co.uk (yes I did a double-take at the name) for £275.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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It's only really relevant to Helmets that rely on a hard outer shell to give the protection. Most ski helmets rely on a polystyrene interior to give the protection. I'd only replace this type of helmet when there were obvious signs of degradation or damage.
The ones that would need replacing are the likes of Sweet, POC and other FIS Race aproved helmets, which are made in pretty much the same way as motorspots helmets, thereby offering much higher protection, but with more limited use lifespan.
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MRs Ordhan is changing hers but it has more to do with the fashion shelf life I have hidden my Credit Card 
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You know it makes sense.
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Spyderman, that doesn't seem to add up from what I have seen. Both my Rossignol and my Scott helmets have similar advice; both just have a very thin plastic shell outer.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Just come across the Rossignol helmet insructions (found them whilst packing for the MSB).
The helmet model is 'Toxic' (honestly). Model no RK7CD45. Here's the life poop:
"The helmet should be changed, in any case, after 3 years as its protection could be reduced because of ageing of the material." There is a year of manufacture on the helmet labels.
From the Rossignol site, the construction is: Outer shell - ABS. Inner EPS. So ther you have it. Fairly bog-standard helmet - 3years life, tops (impact and so forth can reduce it).
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Poster: A snowHead
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The overpricing of the things is bad enough. The short life just adds insult to extortion.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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David Goldsmith, I agree 
I hope to replace the thing at Lidl when it is life-ex.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Replace my helmet every 3 years?? You're having a laugh - no chance!
Surely if the deterioration is down to UV, storing them in the dark for 50 weeks of the year (in a bag in the loft/under the bed) should extend their shelf-life...... 
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| achilles wrote: |
| Spyderman, that doesn't seem to add up from what I have seen. Both my Rossignol and my Scott helmets have similar advice; both just have a very thin plastic shell outer. |
That's by the book. Good to keep them cool in the dark when not in use, as it will slow down the decay caused by Plasticiser migration.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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the ice perv, I would think so. UV and light generally are the worst enemies of ABS, I think. Even with suitable stabilisers in the plastic, UV can do a lot of harm. All that said, if you believe in safety equipment, its usual to follow the manufacturer's advice.
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achilles, EPS = expanded polystyrene aka Styrofoam. Not just UV but ozone & oxidizer attack (made worse by the high internal surface area) + random compression/collapse of internal cell walls + whatever effect water and salt (sweat) have on it. It's like keeping the same Styrofoam cup for 5 years.
The ABS I'm not even remotely worried about, or we'd be replacing air dams and assorted body kit on our cars every 3 years.
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comprex, yes - though a lot of car body kit is painted - and the black unpainted stuff does deteriorate, despite whatever UV stabilisation has been thrown at it - and it is a whole bunch thicker than what my helmet is made from. But I guess the styrofoam is the biggest worry.
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achilles, that's fair.
One thing that makes me truly paranoid about EPS helmets is that damage seems cumulative.
I've stopped packing heavy or sharp-edged objects inside of mine for travel.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Soooo, if UV is gonna break my helmet - if I smother it in sunblock every day it should last for ages right?
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It would have to be at least factor 15 for Fair skin helmets and factor 5 for darker helmets:-D
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Spyderman wrote: |
| The ones that would need replacing are the likes of Sweet, POC and other FIS Race aproved helmets, which are made in pretty much the same way as motorspots helmets, thereby offering much higher protection, but with more limited use lifespan. |
I've just dropped Sweet an email and this is their reply:
| Sweet wrote: |
Thanks for the mail.
Well, 3-5years is LONG! We normally recommend that one should consider replacing a helmet after 2 years. This is, if you use the helmet quite often. The problem is that there’s no way any helmet manufacturer can say how the helmet has been treaded, or what ”damage” the helmet has been suffering. This is also why we say 2 years. |
I can, in all honesty, say that my helmet has more than earned its keep. Besides, the smell was starting to drive me to the conclusion that it needed replacing anyway...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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If you have to catch your helmet before putting it on it is time to get a new one
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FAQ
Intresteng thread though I was not aware helmets had a shelf life
