Helmets - Sharp ratings

[dimmers]

I've tried to do a search on this but not really come up with anything, so if anyone knows of an old post discussing this already then please can you post the link - thanks.

anyway, i'm looking to buy a helmet for my girlfriend, and have come across quite a few of the more 'budget' helmets getting a better Sharp star rating than my Arai helmet.

What's going on here? Am i missing something? The Nitro Aikido helmet for example gets a 5/5 star Sharp rating and only costs around £70

Why are the cheaper brands getting higher ratings than some of the leading (and much more expensive) brands?

cheers

[sparkeh9]

I dont know, maybe price has nothing to do with it, afterall they've got to follow the same regulations as the expensive ones. Probably just paying for the name =/

[Northern monkey]

I would suggest that its mostly the name you buy. However, I wouldnt pay attention to the sharp ratings until you've found a few different models or brands that are a good fit. Then you can use the ratings to narrow it down to the safest one. Just dont buy it based on the rating alone, because it might not fit very well, rendering it pretty useless.

[dimmers]

i've been searching around on Google, and have come across some information that says a similar thing, in that the fit is probably the most important thing. Also, that some of the cheaper helmets are just designing their helmets to do very well in the Sharp tests, but don't actually consider things like visibility whilst wearing the helmet, or comfort, or noise levels.

I'm still a bit confused, i always though Arai were one of the top brands for bike helmets, and a lot of people swear by them. I've never heard of anyone saying that i should buy a Nitro helmet before!?!? Yet it got a 5 star Sharp rating!

[Ingah]

Also, that some of the cheaper helmets are just designing their helmets to do very well in the Sharp tests, but don't actually consider things like visibility whilst wearing the helmet, or comfort, or noise levels.

 

Considering that many of the 5* cheap helmets were around before the SHARP test results were released, i think if you're worried about that you should go with one of those that was released before the SHARP tests came out. For protection that is.

I think it all comes back to trying it on and seeing what fits, maybe checking reviews for things like fogging and noise (not that it should matter, as you all wear ear plugs, right? ) - Then again - it's always been like that really.

Personally, i'll try helmets from multiple shops on, and then once i've found the one helmet that fits me, i'll check the SHARP, but i don't feel i have much choice

(Did once refuse to buy the girlfriend the helmet that fitted her and insisted we keep looking once though - it was a 1* CS-R1 so i thought, no chance!)

[Decor58]

With the more expensive helmets you are usually paying extra for things like anti-fog visors, better noise dampening, sun visors, better quality plastics and mechanisms, maybe a little lighter etc.

Though for the most part you are paying entirely for the name.

As already said, find a few helmets that you like the sound off, read some reviews, do a google search and you will find a great review site that has done a lot of helmets and has a good unbias outlook.

Once you found some you like check the sharp rating then find out which ones fit, by that point you should have it down to a very narrow range.

You could do them three in a different order but thats just the way I'd do it.

[Guest]

might pay you to look at the site

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/content/helmet-safety-scheme

Absorb the info. Pay particular attention to way the tests reflect or do not reflect the liklihood of 'real world' accidents and damage.

Personally speaking, I look at SHARP ratings last. Fit, comfort, noise levels and stuff all comes first. But then I started buying helmets before any of this malarky. It has its merits but personally I am concerned that some of the cheaper helmets can be made to peform well in the test and not perform so well in the real world. For that reason I will continue to buy established brands and listen to people and motorcycling articles rather than results from a 'test'.

[dimmers]

might pay you to look at the site

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/content/helmet-safety-scheme

Absorb the info. Pay particular attention to way the tests reflect or do not reflect the liklihood of 'real world' accidents and damage.

Personally speaking, I look at SHARP ratings last. Fit, comfort, noise levels and stuff all comes first. But then I started buying helmets before any of this malarky. It has its merits but personally I am concerned that some of the cheaper helmets can be made to peform well in the test and not perform so well in the real world. For that reason I will continue to buy established brands and listen to people and motorcycling articles rather than results from a 'test'.

 

I agree with you on this, and it seems a lot of other people are of the same opinion (different forums).

I just found another helmet (by Box) which cost £54, and has the same Sharp rating as mine. Now this may sound stupid, but i just don't know if i could wear a helmet which cost so little, even if it does perform well in these Sharp tests.

Maybe i'm wrong, and it's a great helmet, and i've been tricked to think all these years that really good quality products should automatically come with a high price tag?

[Guest]

I suppose to get an idea of what really performs well, is to look at what racers wear.

Some of them helmets do not perform well in Sharp tests yet racers trust them over helmets which have good Sharp ratings.

This is purely my opinion you understand.

I have used cheaper helmets in the past, as has TheWife, but we both prefer the quality of our current helmets. Manufactured by more established brands.

It is a personal thing like a lot of stuff, but if people trust their life in a 50 quid lid that has 5 stars .... then they will keep selling. Unfortunately we need some real world accidents to see whether or not the ratings are doing their job.

Me? I'll stick with my current choices