Just like fastening your seatbelt every time you climb into the car, you really should clip on your bicycle helmet every single time you ride your bike. Bicycle helmets do come in a variety of makes, models and prices, and to be honest, the more expensive ones won’t necessarily keep you safer, just maybe a little more comfortable. Anyway, in helmet talk, it’s the fit that counts the most. Here are a few things to remember and bear in mind when you buy a new bicycle helmet.

How to Buy a Bicycle Helmet

• Where? – You can buy bicycle helmets at sports stores, or cheaper options are often available in discount stores.  You can expect to pay from around $10 at a discount store and from about $30 at the sports store. Fitting is very important, so if you’re not very confident about how to fit it properly (you will be in a minute if you keep reading) then go to a sports store where the assistant ought to be knowledgeable enough to help you and keep you on the right lines.
• Which? - there are loads of different makes and models to choose from. After you have seen a style which you particularly like, take a look inside and make sure it has a CPSC sticker – this will show you that it has met the required quality standards and regulations. If your chosen helmet doesn’t have a sticker, put it back and chose another.
• Color – the color of your chosen bicycle helmet is very important, not for fashion reasons but for very practical safety reasons – bright colors are easier to see for other road users – some bicycle helmets these days even have reflectors on the back of the straps which make you much more visible to approaching cars. It’s very important that you are easy to see, since bicycles are only about one quarter of the width of a car you need to make yourself as visible as possible. Be safe – be seen.
• Fitting – the most important thing is that your helmet fits your head properly. Even a cheaper helmet will give you good protection, if it fits well. Many helmets have removable foam pads on the inside to help with the fitting. Adjust the straps so that they form a kind of triangle around your ears. The helmet should fit snugly and touch your head all over, without pressing and causing red marks in any particular area. Once it is fitted you need to shake your head around and make sure that the helmet doesn’t move. If it does, either you haven’t fitted the straps properly or the helmet is simply the wrong size for you so it’s time to start again. You also need to be sure that your helmet won’t come off in an accident – to check for this try pushing your helmet up from the front over your forehead, and then pushing the rear up at the back of your head. If the helmet moves at all you need to find another size.
• Comfort – many helmets are fitted with vents which are designed to keep your head cool and comfortable. One thing to remember is that the more vents you have, the less padding you have to protect your head. It needs to be a kind of trade off really.
• Ease of use - many bicycle helmets are designed so that you can undo the buckles with one hand. Try to find which is the easiest to use, you should be able to manage easily after just a couple of practice goes! If you pick a helmet that’s comfortable and easy to fasten, you’re more likely to be encouraged to use it.
• Replacing Helmets – another important topic which many people don’t realize is how often you should replace your bicycle helmet. Firstly, if you have any kind of accident at all, replace your helmet immediately, even if there are no signs of visible damage. The impact will have crushed some of the internal foam rendering it unsafe. Many manufacturers recommend that a helmet will last at least five years if it is looked after properly (and not involved in any accidents). You must, however, replace  the buckle or straps if they become worn, cracked or broken.

Don’t wait until you’ve had a crash before buying a bicycle helmet, you don’t even have to wait for the sales, they are available at very reasonable prices to start with. What price do you put on your head? I reckon it’s worth at least $10, don’t you? You only get one head so look after it with a well fitting helmet, every time you get on your bike.

Read how to find the cheapest cost for a helmet.