FEATURE Current top helmets (left)
And how can brands benefit from this? We know brands will conduct their own testing to make sure a helmet is fit for purpose before being released for sale – that’s just common sense, to make sure the product will do what it is designed to do. But having an independent lab come to the same conclusion as a brand, and offer an easy-to-understand rating system, can be invaluable for brand awareness and customer perception. And as it is impartial, the lab rarely
accepts voluntary submissions from companies – instead, choosing products based on “popularity, usage data, and relevance to any ongoing
That’s where the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab comes in. The lab has been around for over 10 years, but released its first set of ratings for bicycle helmets in 2018. Since then, it has rated almost 300 helmets between 1 and 5 stars (5 being the highest score a helmet can attain). The lab uses its own impact rigs, customised for cycling
to recreate the more common head impact situations riders face on the road or trail. As part of Virginia Tech University in the US, the lab is independent from manufacturers and thus provides consumers with the ability to make informed decisions about their helmet purchases. According to the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab website, the
helmets are tested as follows: “We rate each bike helmet based on the results of 24 impact tests in our laboratory. A drop tower designed to match helmet-to-ground characteristics in cycling is used to test the helmets. We measure linear acceleration and rotational velocity for each impact, which are correlated to concussion risk. “We test 6 locations that are dispersed around the helmet at medium and high impact energies. Velocities were selected to reflect common cyclist head impact velocities based on helmet damage replication studies. “Each lab impact is weighted based on how often a cyclist might experience a similar impact. We compute concussion risk from measured peak linear acceleration and rotational velocity for each test. Each risk is multiplied by its weighting factor and then summed together to compute an overall score. The overall score estimates the number of concussions the average person would see if they experienced identical impacts at rates matching their weightings while cycling. A lower score indicates better helmet performance.” But why is having an independent testing lab important?
22 | June 2026
injury biomechanics studies.” That being said, there is a registration form you can complete to propose your helmet to be added to the next batch of testing. So, while it isn’t the most extensive catalogue, it is growing year on year, with 295 helmets now part of the test. And brands are catching on to the importance of independent review, citing the results in marketing copy – and having a 5-star rating carries plenty of weight for the general consumer, too. As it stands, the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab splits the
bicycle helmets into mountain, road, urban, multi-sport, full-face and e-bike (NTA). In each listing, the results of the independent testing are presented in a way that makes it easy for consumers to read and deepen their understanding of why the helmet was given a certain star rating, if they so wish. At the end of the day, it boils down to letting customers
know which helmets are most effective for their use case. If they’re a commuter, they’re not going to care if a full-face helmet is ‘safer’ on the trails – of course it is – instead, which helmet is going to be best for them to ride to work with? And that’s what tools like the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab do.
They create a conversation within brands about the safety and effectiveness of their products, whilst being transparent with the public. And in an age where there is so much choice, having a
ranking system like this could be deemed overly simplistic, but for the informed consumer, it’s another resource they can draw upon to help make purchase decisions. No, safety isn’t the only thing that drives sales. Style, comfort, and fit are all incredibly important and can make or break a sale. But the importance of transparency should not be understated, and that’s why the Tech Lab rating system works so well. ●
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