Yes, unless it's been beat up it's fine.

I typically hold onto a helmet 3 to 5 years depending on how much I use it.

AFAIK the certification doesn't expire. A few years ago someone tried to say that USAT wouldn't honor a helmet 3 years old but my messages to the board proved otherwise.

I replace a helmet after a large impact or when the foam cracks regardless of age. Luckily I haven't had to replace one due to a crash just cracking from accidental drops and bumps.

I probably get a new road/CX helmet every 4-5 years and keep the previous one if still useable as a spare. For MTB my helmet probably will last a little longer since it gets used much less, although I am more likely to crash on my MTB compared to my road bike.

When you say years ago how many years are we talking? 4-5 years I'd say its probably still good. If it has been a decade or more I'd consider buying a new one.

My helmet is now 3 years old since I was hit by a car in Sept 2017.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

I recently pulled up a helmet that I bought on a vacation 10 years ago that has been sitting in the basement. I noticed a crack in my current helmet (probably from a drop or it getting cracked during a trip in my luggage). Old 10 year old helmet looked brand new and last time I checked the styrofoam does not oxidize and deteriorate just by sitting around.

Helmet tech does continue to advance so todays lids are faster, lighter, safer and more comfortable. We also learn more about the mechanics of injury and technologies like MIPS have been developed to address injury caused by twisting forces. A helmet that is 5 years old of older isn't designed to address these types of injuries. I don't wear anything without a MIPS system now.

^^^^This. It's not the age, it's the mileage.

With use, the wear and tear make the helmet worth replacing (pads degrade, outer shells start to detach from the foam, plastic retention systems snap, etc.). Then there are the dents/dings/drops (obviously if your head hits during a crash the helmet is done). The shelf life of an unused helmet is effectively infinite.

I typically replace my helmets because better ones come out. More ventilation, MIPS, improved fit systems, more aero. I'm reasonably sure my Vetta from the '80s would still protect my head, but is otherwise inferior on every other dimension (other than the $30 price tag).


(no, that's not me....no way I could afford a Ciocc back then)

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Another vote for going with helmets that include MIPS (or POC's Spin) technology. That's going to mean replacing older helmets.

I keep two or three helmets for daily use (along with a "race day" aero helmet). None of the helmets are more than 2-3 years old. (Even good helmets don't cost that much.) I rotate between the daily use helmets from one ride to the next and I wash/rinse the sweat from the straps and pads after each ride. This lets everything dry out between rides and it seems to help keep the helmets from getting smelly.

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"Human existence is based upon two pillars: Compassion and knowledge. Compassion without knowledge is ineffective; Knowledge without compassion is inhuman." Victor Weisskopf.

I bought 2 helmets at the same time. One I used and the other I didn’t. The unused one is brand new, but 5 years old. The other helmet I have used for 5 years, but never crashed.

Both are fine (unless there is obvious damage to the one you've been using).

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

// plastics become brittle in light and oxygen .. helmets stored in the dark last longer .. if the plastic becomes porous, wavy and hard or if the shell gets loose, the helmet protects the brain worse & becomes a decoration .. [manufacturer recommend 5 years // tests say a little longer]

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___/\___/\___/\___ the s u r f b o a r d of the K u r p f a l z is the r o a d b i k e .. oSo >>

I bought a new one to replace my 6 year old Specialized Prevail last month. Nothing wrong with the helmet as far as I could tell, but given it's the second most important bit of my cycling kit*, thought it time to swap to be on safe side.

It's had a lot of hours out in the harsh NZ ozoneless sun, so I was starting to think it would have gotten to the point where I couldn't guarantee it would work as it did when I bought it.

*the most important being my front brake.

I expect storage conditions will be an important consideration important.
Aside from wear and tear, UV causing deterioration of the foam or other plastics/adhesives would be my main concern for helmet life. Hopefully wear and tear isn't happening to stored helmets and if it's kept somewhere away from sunlight, UV shouldn't be an issue either. There might be other causes of deterioration but I don't think any of them are likely to be very significant. I would broadly stick to manufacturer recommendations though.

For some reason this thread brings to mind the observation that while it's not the highest paid surgical specialty, at least urologists get to keep the tips.

My helmet was two years old and just replaced due to a slow crash but it did get banged up. I generally replace my helmets every two to three years. Cheap insurance and having had a serious head injury getting hit by a car so if new technology comes out this a safer helmet I want it. The accident has me using a Garmin RL515 even though I did not get hit from behind. Peace of mind is priceless.

I'm similar to the others who replied.
Providing I've not hit my head in a crash, then usually after 4 or 5 years...mainly as the interior and pads are a bit gross and can't get replacements by then.

The foam is UV stabilised (has to be to pass the standards - certainly the EU standards- and lots of previous info suggests USA requirements are generally tougher.

Providing you on't store on a hot radiator and don't leave it all summer to bake inside a hot car, there's not much age related problems.

I recall a number of years ago Met did some work and suggested 7 years, but even that didn't have a solid physics/chemistry limiter, more general wear and tear, from memory.

This is key. Both styrene (typical helmet shell) and polystyrene foam (EPS) can degrade in UV if not stabilized. Think about those sun-faded for sale or no trespassing signs, or the abandoned beer cooler where the foam is crumbling. You don't see the same issues with bike helmets because UV stabilizers (sunscreen for plastics) are added.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

I have a couple of 12 year old helmets, a 7 year old helmet and a 2 year old one. None of them have been in any sort of crackup or anything so I still use them all

My road helmet I replace every 3 years.
My TT helmets max 2 years old (due crashes :/)

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