Expensive helmet fails
Cheap part from Lidl shines in bike helmet test
People have been cycling more again for a long time, especially the number of electrically assisted bicycles is increasing. And with it the number of accidents and seriously injured cyclists. Many people are overwhelmed by the speeds possible with e-bikes. You should at least wear a helmet, and preferably one that provides good protection. A total of 14 have now been tested.
"Apart from the expansion of safe infrastructure and mutual consideration in road traffic, a helmet is the simplest and best way to protect yourself. And we know from accident research that even the weakest models are better than not wearing a helmet at all," explains ÖAMTC technician Stefan Kerbl.
The club and its partners have not only identified clear test winners, but also a price-performance winner. It also showed that a high price does not necessarily mean that a helmet is any good.
In the test: Eleven and three special cases
Two categories of helmets were tested, eleven normal bicycle helmets and three special S-pedelec helmets, which represent a special case: S-pedelecs are e-bikes with a particularly powerful motor that supports pedaling up to a speed of 45 km/h. In contrast to the classic e-bike, they are therefore considered a moped in Austria, which obliges users to wear a motorcycle helmet, among other things.
"This is not the case in other countries, which has led to the development of special S-pedelec helmets. In Austria, you can only wear them on a bicycle or 'normal' e-bike, but you could take advantage of the supposedly better protection there," says Kerbl. However, these helmets are not necessarily worth the higher price: a test with three models showed that they are only in the midfield in terms of accident protection - and therefore sometimes weaker than simple bicycle helmets. So it's no good, as these helmets are particularly expensive, but no better than simple cycle helmets.
Recommendation for the Billigsdorfer
Even the cheapest candidate by far, the Crivit from Lidl, clearly trumps the three special helmets in terms of safety - at 15 euros, it only costs around a third. And it even has its own rear light.
The best impression among the bicycle helmets was made by the Urban Planet LED, a model from Uvex. Kerbl: "This helmet outperforms the other products both in terms of accident protection and handling and is also free from harmful substances. The fact that it still only achieved a 'good' rating is mainly due to the workmanship in the area of the straps, the ends of which are not sewn around, which means that fasteners can come loose." Alpina Gent MIPS and Limar Torino were only slightly weaker - and also achieved an overall rating of "good".
Expensive helmet failed the test
At the lower end of the table is the E.Motion 2 from Casco, a helmet from the higher price segment. Its problem: the buckle broke in two different tests. "It's a shame, because the E.Motion 2 is actually a solidly made, comfortable helmet that protects the head well in the event of an accident - but it's no good if the buckle breaks and you can lose the helmet in a fall," says the expert. "Without this flaw, it would have been enough for a 'satisfactory'."
For most of the helmets that received a "satisfactory" rating, Kerbl sees potential for improvement, particularly in terms of shock absorption properties, but also in the protection of the temple area.
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