Buying Advice

Is It Safe to Buy a Used Motorcycle Helmet? The Honest Answer

A barely-worn premium helmet for a fraction of the new price is tempting. The trouble is that the part of a helmet that protects your head is the part you cannot inspect. Here is why most safety advice says don't, the narrow cases where the risk is lower, and better ways to save.

Why helmets are different from other used gear

You can buy a used jacket, a used pair of boots or a used bike and inspect them reasonably well. A helmet is different because of how it protects you.

Under the shell is a liner, usually expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. In an impact, the foam crushes to absorb energy. That is by design: it is a one-time crumple zone. Once compressed, it does not spring back, and it will not absorb the same energy again. Crucially, compressed EPS can be hidden under the comfort liner and behind an undamaged-looking shell.

So a helmet that was dropped onto concrete from a height, or worn in a minor crash, can look perfect and still be compromised. The seller may not even know. That is the core problem.

The specific risks

For more on counterfeits and recalls, see helmet recalls and counterfeits. For when a drop is serious enough to replace, see replacing a helmet after a minor drop.

How old is too old?

Many helmet makers and safety organizations recommend replacing a helmet after a certain number of years, even if it has not been damaged, because the liner, adhesives and padding degrade with time, sweat and UV. A commonly cited guideline exists, but the specific period varies by maker, and some count from first use while others count from manufacture. Check the manufacturer's own guidance for that model. Our guide when should you replace a motorcycle helmet covers this in more detail.

For a used helmet, this matters doubly: it has already used up part of that life, and you are relying on the seller's word about how it was stored.

If you are still considering one: the lower-risk scenario

We would not recommend a used helmet from a stranger online. If you are considering one from someone you know well, the risk is lower when all of these are true:

• You know and trust the owner, and they can tell you the helmet's full history: never dropped from height, never crashed.
• The manufacture date label inside is recent and well within the maker's recommended service life.
• Certification labels (such as DOT, ECE 22.06 or Snell) are present and intact, and the model is not recalled.
• The shell has no cracks, deep gouges, crazing, paint over the shell or signs of solvent damage.
• With the comfort liner removed, the EPS shows no dents, cracks or crushed areas.
• The chin strap, buckle or D-rings and the stitching are in perfect condition.
• The visor mechanism and any emergency cheek pad release work properly.
• It fits you correctly. A used helmet in the wrong size is the wrong helmet at any price.

Even then, you are taking someone's word for the history. That is the honest limit of any inspection.

How to inspect a helmet, step by step

1. Read every label. Find the manufacture date, size and certification labels. Missing or tampered labels are a stop sign.
2. Look at the shell under good light. Rotate it slowly. Look for cracks, deep scrapes, flat spots and fine crazing (a web of tiny cracks), especially on composite shells.
3. Remove the comfort liner and cheek pads if the design allows. Look at the EPS for dents, cracks and any area that looks squashed.
4. Press the EPS gently. It should feel uniform. Soft spots or crumbling are bad signs.
5. Check hardware. Strap, buckle, rivets, visor pivots, vents.
6. Smell and feel the padding. Worn, flattened pads change fit; replacements may be available from the maker.

When to walk away immediately

• The seller does not know or will not say whether it has been dropped or crashed.
• Labels are missing, peeled or look reprinted.
• The price seems far too low for the model, or the seller has many "new" helmets at strange prices.
• The shell has been painted, wrapped or drilled.
• Any crack in the shell or EPS.
• It was "only dropped once" onto a hard surface from head height or more. See replacing after a drop.

Better ways to save money

The good news: a new helmet that meets the relevant standards does not have to be expensive.

A quick word on certification labels

When you check any helmet, new or used, look for the labels relevant to where you ride. In general terms: in the US, DOT means the maker certifies the helmet meets the federal standard FMVSS 218. ECE 22.06 is the UN regulation used in Europe and many other countries, combining type-approval testing with checks on production. Snell is a voluntary standard from a private foundation, aimed at higher-energy impacts. Our guide to DOT, ECE and Snell explains the differences.

If you are selling a helmet

Be honest about its history and age. If it has been in a crash or dropped hard, do not sell it as a riding helmet; check whether the maker has a crash replacement program, and dispose of it so nobody else uses it. Some riders cut the strap so it cannot be worn.

Browse padded helmet bags on Amazon to keep a new helmet from getting knocked around in storage.

Bottom line

A helmet's most important feature is invisible: an intact, single-use foam liner. You can't verify that on a used helmet, so you are buying on trust. Spend the money on a new certified helmet that fits, and save on something else.

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