Like everything today where there’s the possibility of injury and compensation claims, when it comes to cycle helmets there are safety standards that need to be met. In this case, it will be one of two European standards, either EN 1078:1997 or EN 1080:1997.

Given that all helmets on sale in the UK have to meet these standards you would think that the price of helmets would be fairly standardised, too. Of course, this isn’t the case, so what do you get for your money when paying more?

Well, like most thing cycle-related the more you pay, the less you get. Simply put, lighter and better ventilated helmets cost more. While this may seem counter-intuitive, it comes down to the fact that manufacturers have to recoup the development costs of creating every lighter and better ventilated helmets that offer the correct levels of protection.

It’s worth pointing out, when considering safety, that some manufacturers offer the option of a crash replacement policy. If course, no-one wants to or tries to case but, in the case of Giro, as one example, if you send the importer a picture of the damaged helmet along with proof of purchase you can get a healthy discount on a replacement.