"The surprise for us was that all six helmets performed virtually identically in all the tests," the institute reported.
What this means: Consumers don’t need to spend a lot to get a bicycle helmet that does its job. So find one that fits well so that it will be positioned correctly when you hit and then choose based on what you can afford to pay. (See our tips for “How to get a good fit.") Oh, and these results do not translate to motorcycle helmets.
—Desiree Ferenczi
There is a partial fallacy in this report. For best safety, a helmet has to fit properly. But, cheap helmets are one-size-fits-all, so people with larger or smaller heads may have a very hard time getting a good fit. Your article on helmet fitting does recommend trying different sizes, but that automatically takes you out of the cheapest price range.
This is no big secret if you have shopped at a reputable place that sells these helmets. I work in an independent bicycle store, and when helping a customer shopping for a bike helmet, we tell them this right up front. What you get when you pay more is more ventilation, more comfort, and more style.
I think that good looking helmets really help people to adopt them. I like the bike helmets that look more like skate helmets. A couple of brands that I like include bern and triple 8. You can see them at http://zoobom.com
It's true that a helmet has to fit right to really protect you, but there's a lot of other important factors like weight and construction. The best cheap bike helmets are in anyone's price range. A couple good ones I found were the Giro Transfer and the Razor V-17.
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