I have a Charles Owen AYR8 that was purchased in 2015. It’s been used very lightly since then- trail rides, hunter paces, but not more than 7-8 times a year. No falls. It’s been kept in the house at all times in its protective bag. I’m looking to pick up more seriously again and assume replacing the helmet would be a good idea since it’s over 5 years old now- but what sayeth the experts? It looks new but I know material degrades regardless of use and all the guidance I can find says replacing at the 5 year mark is a good idea.
I wouldn’t chance something as serious as a helmet. Cheaper brands are coming out with stylish options as well, if finances are playing a part in weighing your options.
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Replace it. Mine are always replaced every 5 years, even if they’re only lightly used.
You only have one head and riding is a risky activity. Replace your helmet as materials will degrade with time. Also have a look at a helmet with MIPS technology as that will give additional protection.
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Another vote for replace. I replace mine about every 3 years now - both because they just get gross, and because I’d rather be safe than sorry.
There’s more and more cute helmets from lower-priced brands if that is a concern - the new Tipperarys are really cute and around $200, and I love my OneK. You’ll probably be glad to have one with a removable, washable liner, which I don’t think CO of that era did. And I would definitely look into MIPS, too.
Charles Owen says 5 years from date of purchase (I have an AYR8 and the card that came inside the box says that materials don’t significantly degrade when sitting in a bag on a shelf, which I presume means waiting in the store for you to buy it). Also of course after an impact.
If you can afford to replace it go for and it worries you go for it. I’ve had my AYR8 since 2011 and it still fits like the day I bought And I haven’t had any serious falls on it so just don’t feel the need to replace mine. I know the manufacturer says to replace it but I really don’t see how it could really lose effectiveness if it’s stored well and still fits but I could be wrong. It would be really interesting to see what the inside of an older one looks like though. Or to run an experiment to see how protective an older helmet is versus a brand new one. I guess I’d need to see the science to be convinced to buy a new one but that’s just me.
I would replace it as well. I had a Charles Owen Hampton for about 8 years and it was always stored well, looked brand new and I used it about 4-5 times a week. I was putting it on late last year and noticed some black flakes on my face as soon as I put the helmet on. It looked totally fine, but I took it off and looked under the “flap” that covers the padding and there was pretty much nothing left to it! It was falling apart and disintegrating and I never even knew it. It still was comfortable and I never noticed anything out of the ordinary.
So I did replace it ASAP and I will make sure I replace them every 5 years. Who knows how long it was really falling apart as I never really looked up underneath to check on the padding.
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Better safe than sorry. I replace my schooling helmets after every fall (no matter if I hit my head or not) and every 3 years. I replace my show helmets after ever fall or every 5 years because I store them inside, clean them religiously and I don’t use them nearly as often.
Extreme heat, cold, exposure to the elements and leaving your helmets dirty will shorten the life of your helmet. If you want to keep your helmets longer and nicer, clean them according to the manufacturers instructions, keep them in a bag and keep them in a climate controlled environment. Not in your tack room at the barn, not in a bag in your car.
I’d really urge you to replace this helmet - you’re at nearly twice its recommended lifespan and even if it still has SOME protective ability, it is not going to protect you nearly as well as a newer helmet in the case of a fall. The materials in the helmet naturally degrade/disintegrate over time, which is accelerated by temperature changes due to storage or climate as well as dirt and sweat. I am sure CO would go into more detail about this if you contacted them about it; there is some information on their website as well.
You can also internally damage a helmet and not know it via a minor fall or simply dropping it accidentally on a hard surface, and helmets are only meant to take a single impact. So between normal changes to the helmet materials due to summer heat and winter cold, plus a drop or two on a tack trunk over ten years if you’re anything like me, your helmet is probably pretty much shot.
I ran a tack shop for five years and when folks came in who were getting back into the sport and wanted to use their 10+ year old helmet, we told them they might as well not wear a helmet at all. I don’t mean to sound scolding, I just feel so strongly about this! An ASTM approved helmet can be had for $50 these days but your brain is priceless, and a head injury can change your life forever.
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I know material will degrade over time but I honestly couldn’t even tell you what’s in the helmet so I really just don’t have a visual for how much it’s “degrading.” I’m not just going to take the manufacturer’s word because they’re incentivized to have people buy new helmets more frequently. Also if I buy a new one there’s no way to tell when it was made anyway. If it was seriously an issue they’d list the date the helmet was manufactured and give you an expiration date.
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I’ve had my helmets show a manufacturing date on them (on the inside, sometime under the padding or on a tag. And they do tell you the expiration date - it’s 5 years from date of purchase (I linked to the CO website above with that info too).
CO helmets definitely have a tag stating month/year they were manufactured. The expiration date is 5 years. The fact that you can’t see inside the helmet is all the more reason to replace it when it gets old. You don’t have any idea if there’s any foam left to offer protection or if you’re basically wearing a baseball cap.
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Here’s another vote to buy a new helmet. Back on track was having a sale on their MIPS helmets for $170 I think. I ordered one a couple weeks ago, it also had free shipping, and was delivered really quickly. There is only one of you and you are priceless. It’s just not worth the risk.
I still would need to see the science behind it. I’m personally not going to spend 400+ dollars on a new helmet every few years just because the helmet seller said to.
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The training I received for my work in a tack shop (aka very basic, nothing expert) is that helmets “expire” 5 years after the date of purchase, not from the date of manufacture. This is because your sweat, dust, barn dirt, etc. etc. can all have possible negative effects on the helmet itself, which can accelerate degradation overtime. When the helmet is sitting in a factory bay or in a store’s overstock, it has not yet been exposed to these factors and therefore is unaffected by time. It is also being stored in a temperature-controlled area as opposed to being exposed to extreme heat or cold. Oftentimes, when customers are feeling unsure about replacing an “expired” helmet, we walk them through the breakdown of how often they plan to ride over the next 5 years. At one ride per week, you would use your helmet 260 times in a 5 year period. If you chose a $400 helmet, you would be spending $1.54 per ride to protect your noggin. Most helmet companies offer a crash replacement warranty as well, with some companies offering up to 50% off a new helmet if you were to have an impact in the first 3 years and others offering a prorated price over the 5-year lifespan of your helmet. All this said, my vote is to buy the new helmet!
Actually about half the price you quoted.
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Thanks, all! Am following the 5 year guidance and just bought a TraumaVoid!
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