Fiberglass vs. Thermoplastic Helmets

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As I'm helmet shopping, I'm seeing that the pricier helmets are using a fiberglass composite shell, while the cheaper helmets are using thermoplastic. Is fiberglass really better than thermoplastic? I don't see anything on the Snell website that addresses this issue. Whaddya think?

[Dennyz]

It is my opinion that fiberglass absorbs impact (crushes) better than thermoplastic (transmits shock to the inside).

[Bud Manley]

I got one of THESE it fits incredibly well, its thin, lightweight and feels a lot better then the original SNELL helmet my brother gave me. felt like wearing a pumpkin.

[Tracker]

I had read a lot about this topic years back, when I was trying to decide if I wanted to get into one of the new thermo-plastic types. At that time "Nava" had started to import a really sharp looking plastic helmet that met all DOT specs. What I learned was that the fiberglass, and now the Kevlar, based construction is a form of laminate. When it reaches it's stress tolerance, it begins to disburse the energy by "de-laminating". In other words, it starts to separate. The good thing about this is while it dissipates the energy, the shell integrity remains intact. The plastic helmets, when they reach their stress tolerances, crack and will even loose large pieces of th shell. I guess what this means overall is that both do their initial job, but the "glass" helmets give you the added security of the shell remaining to provide the extra protection if anything else happens after the initial impact. That's the part that sold me on the glass only perspective. I learned from experience that the "brain bucket" must be capable of multiple impacts to be effective. That's my 2 cents!

[strom]

I got me one of these. It's cool.
Check out the site for functions, but in general:
It's carbon/kevlar, got an extra sun visor integrated, you can pop out the clear visor just for a few mm for air to de-fog it quickly or just if it's REALLY hot, it hugs the chin nicely so virtually no draft can come from under there.
Nice touring thingie.
If I had to buy me another helmet, I'd take schuberth C2.

LP

PS: It aint cheap... bout the same as I paid for my 78E.

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Here's a response from Snell

I emailed the Snell Foundation asking about the differences in helmet shell materials and here's the reply I received from Steve Johnson.


Thanks to Steve Johnson and the Snell Foundation!

-Craig

As far as materials go, injection molded plastics have come a long way in the last decade. Helmet manufacturers can produce shells less epensively than using fiberglass and composite laminates which generally require more hand work. There are some trade offs though. Plastic shells perform differently than laminate shells. To achieve the same results, very often plastic shells need to be a bit thicker and also require a thicker, or denser foam liner. While the plastics are lighter, you need more material. Fiberglass helmets are very durable. They are generally not affected by petroleum products or most paints, things that can severely degrade most plastic helmets. The new laminate materials, Kevlar, carbon fiber and the compsites allow manufacturers to create lighter, stronger, thinner designs that work exceptionally well. The materials are generally more costly and they are more work intensive to construct. You probably noticed the cost differences.

Molded ABS or polycarbonate materials are also very sensitive to contamination during the molding process. The material used has to be of a very high grade or the integrity of the shell may be compromised. Manufacturers who produce Snell certified helmets must use very strict quality control guidelines especially those who make plastic helmets.

Any of these Snell certified helmet should serve you well, so all I can recommend is that you get the one best suited to the activities you participate in, fits the best, is most comfortable and is the one you like.

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After careful consideration, I've decided to go with the HJC AC-11. Fiberglass composite shell, light weight and excellent venting. The folks at Powersports4Less gave me a great deal! Check 'em out!

Powersports4Less