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 F1492 Skateboard helmet standard.
We have discovered that a loophole in the ASTM standard's wording enables some manufacturers to put the F1492 on the box and not on a sticker in the helmet. ASTM recommends that the number be there, but one manufacturer in particular has ignored the recommendation contained in ASTM's Labeling Guide. We are hoping to close that loophole, but any ASTM change takes about a year.
If the manufacturer claims to meet F1492 on the helmet packaging or in the user manual there must be a permanent sticker inside proclaiming that the helmet is "for skateboarding or trick rollerskating”"
Unfortunately, as of June, 2010, we are not finding many helmets on the market with both CPSC bicycle and ASTM F1492 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 usually certifying to anything but the CPSC bicycle standard.
Consumers have to take special care when selecting a skateboard helmet. Some "skate style" helmets are not actually certified to a skateboard standard. If they meet the CPSC bicycle helmet standard they can legally be sold for bicycling and roller skating. Some manufacturers label their helmets for skateboarding and extreme or trick roller skating as well, but do not use the ASTM F1492 designation, so you do not know what you are getting. The ASTM skateboard standard requires a multi-impact helmet.
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 law is unique to bicycle helmets, and there is no US law that says a helmet being marketed only for skateboarding 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 skateboard helmet as long as they don't market it for bicycling. So for skateboard use look for the ASTM F1492 sticker. The ASTM standard has a loophole that permits the manufacturer to leave out the F1492 on the helmet sticker if they state that the helmet is "for skateboarding or trick rollerskating." We don't know why they would deliberately leave out the ASTM designation, something that the ASTM subcommittee that drafted the standard would never have anticipated. We hope to close the loophole soon.
Note that some helmet models may be certified only to F1492 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.
We 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 are still finding helmets with "ASTM F1492" on the packaging (which they know you throw away), but not inside the helmet. Packaging and helmet models can be mismatched at the factory, and you don't know what you are buying if you rely only on the box. The manufacturer may have changed the helmet, degrading its performance, but still be using up some old packaging. We do not accept any manufacturer's statement that the lack of a sticker inside is just an oversight, and despite the ASTM loophole we would rely on any sticker that does not have ASTM F1492 on it.
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 F1492 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. 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???
Bell
- 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 was said by Bell to have dual certification to both the CPSC bicycle helmet standard and the ASTM F 1492 multi impact skateboard standard, but only for the larger sizes. If so, it must at a minimum have F1492 on the box and a sticker that says it is "for skateboarding or trick rollerskating”" It retails for $30. For 2009 Bell has added an extra small size called the Fraction.
- Backlash, Rage, Mirra, Wicked: Three skate models in Bell's low-priced series, sold in big box stores and discount retailers. Their packaging says they are dual certified to the CPSC bicycle and ASTM F1492 skateboard standards, and they may be if they have "for skateboarding or trick rollerskating" on the internal sticker. 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 CPSC and We found the Backlash at Wal-Mart in the $19 to $22 range.
Pro-Tec
Formerly a producer of dual-certified helmets, Pro-Tec now has a statement on their Web page that indicates that none of their skate helmets is ASTM F1492 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.
In December of 2008 Pro-Tec informed us that the F1492 certification had been dropped by administrative error. They said that for 2009 the Classic, Ace Skate SXP and B2 Skate SXP models would have stickers attesting that they are certified to F1492 in the helmets. We have not checked them since then. You will have to check for that sticker in the helmet to be sure. And write down the F1492 skateboard number--Pro-Tec's Web page lists ASTM F1447, but that is just the ASTM bicycle helmet standard, identical to the CPSC standard.
This page was last revised on: June 12, 2010.
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