Helmets Dual-Certified to Both
Bike and Skateboard Standards
Summary: A list of the helmets that we think are certified by the manufacturers to meet both the CPSC bicycle helmet standard and the ASTM F 1492 Skateboard helmet standard. There must be a sticker inside stating that the helmet is certified to both standards, no matter what you may read on this page or on the outside packaging! Unfortunately, as of January, 2008, we are not finding helmets on the market with both stickers, including most of the ones we list below. Something has changed in the marketplace, and even manufacturers who have helmets that would pass both standards are not certifying to anything but the CPSC bicycle standard.
Unfortunately, some "skate style" helmets are not actually certified to a skatboard standard. If they meet the CPSC bicycle helmet standard they can legally be sold for bicycling. But some manufacturers label their helmets for skateboarding or extreme or trick roller skating as well even though they are not certified to the ASTM standard for those sports, which requires a multi-impact helmet. And some models are certified to both standards only for certain sizes.
In-line skating is similar to bicycle riding--fewer crashes, and more violent ones when they occur. So our advice on skateboard helmets differs from that on inline skating helmets. Check our page on skate helmets for the difference. CPSC has a very useful chart of helmets matched to various activities on their Web site.
By law a bicycle helmet must meet the CPSC standard to be sold in the US market. But that is an unusual law, and there is no US law that says a helmet being sold for skateboarding or roller skating has to meet any standard whatsoever. The manufacturers and retailers are mostly afraid of lawsuits if they don't meet a skateboard standard, but in fact they can sell anything at all as a skate helmet as long as they don't claim it is for bicycling. So look for the ASTM F 1492 sticker or a Snell N-94 sticker inside the helmet if it is a "skate" helmet in addition to any CPSC sticker it may have. Note that some helmets may be certified to F 1492 only in some sizes, and not in others. If the manufacturer makes one shell size and just uses thinner foam inserts for larger size heads, for example, the large may not be certified. Or it may be the other way around and the small is not certified. That sticker in the helmet is the only thing you can rely on. It must be there, or all bets are off.
Never accept anyone's statement that the helmet passes without a sticker. That goes for whatever the manufacturer has put on the outside packaging. We have found helmets with "Meets ASTM F 1492" on the packaging, but not inside the helmet. The ASTM F 1492 skateboard helmet standard requires that there be a sticker inside the helmet. If there is no sticker, the helmet therefore does not meet at least the labeling requirements of the standard. Any statement just on the packaging (which they know you throw away) means nothing. Packaging and helmet models are often mismatched at the factory, and you don't know what you are buying if you rely on the box.
One of the significant advantages to a dual certified helmet is that the CPSC bicycle helmet standard test line is lower in front than the F 1492 Skateboard standard, even though the skateboard standard has a lower test line in the back. So the helmet has to protect in front to a lower point on your head. It only has to offer bicycle protection (single impact) in that area, but at least it is tested at the lower point for one hard hit.
Our page on helmets for the current season has information on the models.
The list is short:
Asctecs Bravo
Bravo is the house brand of Asctechs.com/El Sol Trading. They have a Signature Series skate-style helmet said to be certified for bicycling, skateboarding and snowboarding. If the Web site is to be believed, it is dual certified to bicycle and skateboard standards. The helmet has the classic skate shape. It also has "a special moldable inside to mold the shape of your head after just a few days of wearing." We don't know what that may be. Pricing is in the $25 to $35 range, and there are some bright colors including chrome along with the usual black and moss green.
Free Agent
Free Agent has one model, a very well-rounded classic skateboard-style helmet that comes in one shell size with three pad sets of different thickness. It has an EPP liner, good for multiple impacts. It is dual certified to meet the CPSC standard for bike helmets. It retails for $25 to $35 in standard colors, or $5 more with a chrome finish, and can be found on the Internet for as little as $20 plus shipping. It may fit larger heads better than most skate-style helmets.
Kong is an Italian climbing company. (Probably named for the King Kong gorilla movie character who climbed all over the New York skyscrapers.) They have one helmet called the Scarab that goes beyond dual certified to be certified to European standards for rock climbing, skateboarding, bicycling, horsback riding and whitewater. All of those standards are easier to meet than the US equivalent, and the Scarab can't be sold in the US as a bicycle helmet unless it meets the CPSC standard, but it is an interesting concept. The Scarab has a ring fit system with dial adjustment. It appears to have external strap anchors. It retails in the US for about $150.
Dual Certified???
- Faction: Bell's "skate-inspired" BMX/skate model is a 2004 hard shell design with a dual-density foam liner. In previous designs by LT back in 1991 this technique was used to take the sting out of lesser bumps with the softer layer, but backed up by a harder layer that could still perform on the big hits. In the Faction the technique is used to provide a different liner density in the front to meet the CPSC standard while avoiding a thicker helmet. The Faction has the admirably round, smooth exterior of the classic skate helmet, with small rectangular vents on top, front and rear. Curiously, the weight is the same as the Bellistic full face model, 32 oz. There is a nice selection of graphics featuring five different skateboard celebs and including visible white. This model has dual certification to both the CPSC bicycle helmet standard and the ASTM F 1492 multi impact skateboard standard, but only for the larger sizes. The small size samples we have seen do not have the dual certification sticker. In fact the large one may not either, so check for it. The Faction retails for $30.
- Backlash, Rage, Mirra: Three skate models in Bell's low-priced series, sold in big box stores and discount retailers. They are dual certified to the CPSC bicycle and ASTM F 1492 skateboard standards, and all are less expensive than the Faction. Model names change quickly in this series, so the best bet is to check inside the helmet you see in the store for a sticker saying it meets the CPSC bike helmet standard and the ASTM F 1492 skateboard helmet standard. If you don't see both, it is not a dual-certified helmet! We found the Backlash at Wal-Mart in the $19 to $22 range. But in October of 2006 we found another Bell model, the Wicked, in Wal-Mart with "Meets ASTM1492 Standard" on the packaging and no sticker in the helmet. Again, if the sticker is not there, the helmet does not meet the labeling requirements of the ASTM F 1492 standard for starters, so the Wicked we bought could not possibly meet the full standard, even if it meets the other requirements like impact performance. And the lack of a sticker in the helmet while the packaging still says that it meets the standard raises some sticky questions. Did Bell forget to sticker the helmet? Did they change the helmet, degrading its performance, and use up some old packaging? No way for the consumer--or us--to judge any of that, although Bell says that it was just an administrative oversight that they are correcting. We are still seeing these models with only CPSC stickers in our local stores in November of 2007, and a report from Oregon found the same thing in January of 2008.
ProTec
Once a producer of dual-certified helmets, ProTec now has a statment on their Web page that indicates that none of their skate helmets is ASTM F 1492 certified. Their statement even implies that certification is only for bicycle helmets, and skate helmets do not need to be certified to any standard. We don't know why anyone would want to buy a helmet for any sport that was not certified to the standard for that sport.
(Also known as W Helmets) had one unique BMX/skate helmet, but the manufacturer tells us it is no longer being produced. The Ripper 2 had the classic smooth skate shape with small round vents. The small or medium sizes were dual certified, not the large. You may see one around, but the company is no longer selling them on the Web.
This page was last revised on: January 20, 2008.
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