Stiftung Warentest Deficiencies in bicycle helmets

Stiftung Warentest has checked the quality of cycling helmets and found some frightening deficiencies

04/27/2012

Cycling helmets protect your health, but not all products provide the safety you need. The Stiftung Warentest has taken a closer look at 34 cycling helmets in a recent study and found some frightening deficiencies.

According to Stiftung Warentest, the highest criterion in the assessment of the helmets was the accident protection, but also factors such as ventilation or wearing comfort were taken into account in the investigation. For several helmets, the shock absorption was so bad that the Stiftung Warentest advised against the purchase. Another helmet failed due to its lack of attachment to the testers. A relatively large number of helmets also threaten a heat accumulation, since the ventilation is not guaranteed accordingly, according to the statement of the Stiftung Warentest.

Without a bicycle helmet, a skull fracture threatens accidents
In a fall risk cyclists without a helmet according to the Stiftung Warentest a skull fracture, which is why urgent attention to a corresponding head protection. However, the bicycle helmets also enjoy due to their often inadequate design only extremely limited popularity. While teens are increasingly willing to wear helmets in other trend sports (such as snowboarding or skating), this attitude has not really materialized in cycling. However, this could possibly change with the new designs of modern cycling helmets.

Safety and ventilation as evaluation criteria of bicycle helmets
According to the Stiftung Warentest, a good bicycle helmet must, in principle, guarantee sufficient accident protection and, at the same time, reasonable ventilation. However, not all of the 34 tested helmets fulfill these criteria. For some helmets, the shock absorption was so poor that at an impact of "probe-filled helmets" from a height of 1.5 meters on a flat and angular pedestal acceleration values ​​were measured, the higher altitude than the KO-hit of a professional boxer reports the Stiftung Warentest. Despite the helmet, a concussion would be threatening here. The Stiftung Warentest therefore claims to have devalued the helmets "KED Sky Two, MET Camaleonte Executive, Cratoni C-Air youth and Profex Vega Prinzess."

Two helmets do not meet the intended standard of shock absorption
However, the claims of the Stiftung Warentest were above the statutory standard, in which a corresponding fall test from only 1.1 meters in height is provided. The failed models were therefore "tested according to standard standards", with the result that the helmets MET Camaleonte Executive and Profex Vega Prinzess also failed here. For this reason, the Stiftung Warentest advises against the purchase of the two products. "Who owns such a helmet, should replace it", so the statement of the testers. The children's bike helmet Cratoni C-Kid was also not recommended because of its insufficient security on the head, because here in the test the lock was torn apart and thus the helmet could slip in an accident from the head. Of the 34 helmets tested, the adult helmets KED Sky Two with "adequate" and MET Cameleonte executive rated "poor" because they did not provide the necessary protection in an accident. Among the children's helmets, the Cratoni C-Kid and the Profex Vega Prinzess FZ 008 received a "poor" rating from the testers because they did not live up to the requirements of accident prevention.

Threatening heat accumulation: Ventilation in bicycle helmets often inadequate
The ventilating characteristics of the bicycle helmets were a less weighted criterion than accident safety in the tests, but again the testers found significant deficiencies. Each "second adult helmet and four children's helmets" did not allow adequate ventilation, so that especially during sports cycling heat accumulation under the helm threatens, the testers explained. "For brisk cycling the fresh air is missing on the head," the Stiftung Warentest continues ... However, according to the Stiftung Warentest in the article "Protection for cool heads" "a bad helmet better than no helmet."

Cheap bicycle helmets also offer good accident protection
As is often the case in comparable product tests, a number of favorable articles also achieved very positive results with bicycle helmets. Although the test winner in helmets for adults (Casco Activ-TC) costs a whopping 60 euros, but the Profex City FZ-006 for only 18 euros earned the rating "good" according to the testers. Among the bicycle helmets for children was the Limar 515 front (price 40 euros), but the only half as expensive Prophet TX-08 (price 20 euros) similarly good section. Furthermore, the helmets Abus MountX, Abus Scraper Kid, Bell Alibi, Alpina FB Junior L.E., Casco Fun Generation, Giro Flume, KED Gekko, MET Crackersack, Uvex Hero with the grade "good" were the test of the children's helmets. The Stiftung Warentest advises in general to wear helmets when cycling, because "a bicycle helmet does not protect against accidents, but he can significantly reduce the consequences of accidents," the conclusion of the tester. (Fp)

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