The Certification on Your Helmet Was Designed in 1999

By Henry R. Shoemaker

Written with the assistance of AI

April 22, 2026

The Certification on Your Helmet Was Designed in 1999

Every helmet sold in the US carries a safety certification. Most riders assume that means their helmet has been tested for concussion protection. It hasn't.

The standard is pass/fail — built around catastrophic injury prevention, not concussion risk. The test hasn't meaningfully changed in 25 years.

Virginia Tech Built a Better Test

The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, in partnership with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, developed an independent rating system that actually measures concussion risk. They run 24 real-world impact tests — different locations, different speeds — and publish every result publicly. No manufacturer funding. No influence.

They call it the STAR rating. Lower score means less concussion risk. Five stars is the top.

Most helmets people are riding in right now have never been tested by them. Go look yours up: helmet.beam.vt.edu

Your Helmet Is Probably Expired and Unsafe

Foam degrades from UV exposure, sweat, and age — often invisibly. The rule is simple: replace every 3-5 years, and immediately after any crash, even a minor one.

If you can't remember when you bought your helmet, that's your answer.

Why We Carry Lazer

We coach athletes, including our own kids. We wouldn't sell a helmet we won't put on our own athletes.

Lazer has earned more Virginia Tech 5-star ratings than any other manufacturer tested — and their KinetiCore technology builds rotational impact protection directly into the helmet structure rather than adding it as an afterthought.

That's why they're on our wall.