That stomp test on the counterfeit was kinda terrifying. How cheap were the materials within that thing if a $13 helmet can outpace it? No testing, no knowledge of materials, and there'd definitely be no QC on it. Despicable that sort of thing even exists

Seth, I'm not a mountain biker but have been watching your videos for years. This video is, by far, the most important and informative video you have released. The information you have shared applies to so many other sports that everyone, especially parents need to be aware of. Thank you.

My lack of concussion wearing the Specialized Tactic 4 from a 15mph OTB into a tree trunk with the top of my head is one practical test that validates the VT MIPS rating. I had bought the Tactic after learning about the VT testing from online research and boy am I glad I bought the best rated MTB helmet. I hopped an obstacle, struck front tire on different obstacle that turned it and inertia threw me over and straight for the tree. I ducked my chin down taking impact to the top of the head. I was in shock that I didn't see stars, or worse after impact. Very, very lucky but also believe the Tactic absorbed the blow so no TBI. Thanks for sharing the VT lab testing which is serving all of us. Go Hokies!! (yes, i bought another Specialized Tactic 4 to re-protect my not so perfect brain to begin with)

This video dropped right on time. My son has been on me for awhile as to why I do not wear a helmet when we go out. I was researching them yesterday and even came across the Virginia tech rating website. I learned about MIPS technology. Excellent content. This video deserves a like from everyone who watches.

Love how the site is basically down (or just always dog slow) after this upload.

I like to get more expensive helmets when they're on clearance

wow that counterfeit helmet failure was scary! Thanks for doing this video. Great to be able to check out if my helmet is well rated.

Seth is so much more creative and delivers such better content than any other MTB KZfaqr. They're all out of ideas, all of em, and here's Seth just pumping out fresh content every single week. And when he does revisit a topic, he always adds something else either insightful or entertaining (usually both). Unbelievable he's still doing it after all these years.

I used to work on the shop floor selling trek and kask helmets- these scores were a big part of the safety discussion. Great to get a deeper look into them!

This was eye opening and downright scary. Your videos never disappoint. Thanks for the headsup.

One of the claims with externally mounted cameras, or anything else for that matter is, the helmet was not tested with that device on there, so there’s an unknown. But the other claim I’ve heard (and it’s why helmet cameras are banned in Supercross and Ski racing ) is the smoother the helmet is the better it will slide on the ground in a crash. If there are protrusions that might catch, it can increase potential injury to the neck. Difficult to test.

I highly recommend buying the specialized camber, it has a 5 star rating in Virginia tech, and it usually goes for sale, I picked up mine two days ago for less tan 50 bucks. Also specialized has some sort of promotion where you can leave your old helmet (brand does not matter) and get around 20% discount. Align 2 is a great option as well for road cycling. Both helmets have a 5 star rating

Seth! Seriously one of your best videos in a year. Your content is always great and entertaining but this was really really good.

You can currently get the Specialized Tactic helmet for £40 in the UK. You can even pick up the pricier Ambush for £60.

I will be transferring to VT this fall from a local community college to study mechanical engineering. Seeing them participate in research and tests like this assures me I picked a fantastic school to go to.

This is great. You really need to hand it to Seth. The biggest MTB youtuber, been doing it for years, and he is not phoning it in at all. Informative, clear, not something I've seen- remotely- from any other channel.

Dr. Miller and everybody at VT, thank you for your work. I never buy a helmet without checking your results first. Seth, thank you for putting a spotlight in this resource. CPSC and even Snell standards are fairly rudimentary, and they don't tell us more about a helmet beyond "passed". To reiterate Seths point about pricing. For a while, specialized had a top two or three helmet in their s-works version. They came out with a cheaper model that cost 55 dollars and it almost outperofrmed their fancy model! I do wonder if the fancy model works better for 55mph crashes on a Alpine descent like the pros do, but for my purposes as tested by VT, it was an absolute steal for a road helmet. Just gotta do your research.

Great video Seth! When you stomped on that helmet and it was destroyed my jaw hit the floor! Very informative; again, great job!

Fascinating content, Seth! Started watching your channel watching you cram a dozen bikes in a storage shed in southern California. I've loved the direction you've taken the content in over the years to keep things fresh!

Thank you, Seth. This vid was much needed. I’ll be sharing it to all the bike dads I know

as a cyclist and motorcyclist I would absolutely LOVE if they would get a rating system like this for motorcycle helmets, especially those that are only DOT rated, no Snell or ECE. This is especially important considering the speeds and impacts there are when riding motorcycles. I would love to know how well a $150 dot helmet stands up against a $700 one, especially considering how easy it is to get a DOT rating on a motorcycle helmet, think your average v-twin rider thats more concerned with looks rather than function and gets one of those $100 pudding bowl helmets that have nothing more than some soft foam inside for comfort, yet has a DOT sticker on it and is supposed to protect my noggin from an 80mph highway impact (yes I know those helmets are absolute BS but thats kinda my point). And going back to the Snell/ECE ratings, I know these are much much better and if you can afford one thats definitely the better way to go, but certain creature comforts (IE internal visors) dont allow for those ratings, so knowing that my DOT only helmet is ACTUALLY up to standards would be awesome.

That stomp test was horrifying 😮

Most eye opening video of yours I’ve ever seen. Powerful storytelling! Incredible work! Thank you Seth!

I’m really glad you posted this video. I had never heard of the VT Helmet lab. This is probably the most informative cycling video I’ve watched in months. No sponsored content, no agenda, just clear factual information. I’m part of a dad group on FB and plan to share this video there! My current helmet (POC Axiom) is about 3.5 years old and while I like it it’s never really interfaced with my glasses very well and I’ve ended up with hot spots on my temples from it. I’ve made do but with the deals out there right now it seemed like the right time to look for a helmet. The Tactic 4 is on sale for $60 right now so I plan to swing by local Specialized LBS to try and it on and see how it feels since I know what I’m looking for and it was the #3 rated helmet that VT has tested.

It’s always a good day when Berm Peak posts.

Thank you Seth, for once again shedding light on yet another insanely important subject!

This kind of videos is what we want. An insight of the biking industry and the performance of the equipment. I don't need another " how to video" of the same stuff, because the other big biking channel is full of those. Please keep this up. I could watch this kind of content non stop.

Great video! I work in safety and injury prevention and am grateful for you providing an honest and insightful look at this important topic with input from some of the top experts. Practical safety knowledge to help people make informed decisions is my jam.

Really great information! Thank you for continuing to do this type of investigation.

Fantastic video, that footage of the counterfeit stomp made me sick. Probably my favorite video from the channel ever.

This was awesome to watch. Your videos like this and the one of the Suntour budget forks are seriously high quality and invaluable. We would all love to see more of these!

Super informative vlog. I can't tell you how much I respect and admire what you do on you tube.

Again, on that 2nd cheap helmet you gave the stomp: Too little deformation can kill you just as much as total disintegration. The helmets are designed to absorb a VERY specific amount of energy and if its just transferred to your head because the helmet it too rigid it can actually have adverse effects.

Thank you for posing the question about mounting peripherals on a helmet. In light of anecdotes about the danger this is great information to have. Even if the response is not conclusive.

Incredible information in this video. I'm thankful that VT has this information publicly available. It helps make my next helmet purchase much more informed. Thanks for sharing!

Very well done. Great you got a tour of the VT facility - that was cool to see. Advice on buying a mid-priced helmet is spot on, especially when trying to avoid counterfeits.

Seth, thanks for sharing your Public Service Announcement video... Prior to your video, I did my due diligence for my noggins sake. VT was my source of info. And yes, I now own a Tactic 4 helmet. BTW The Tactic 4 meets the Dutch Technical Agreement (NTA) 8776, a standard of safety for class 3 e-bikes. That translates into protection up to 28MPH. Many of us ride on the road and at night. Having a front and tail light on your helmet allow you to be seen easier by motorist. Some bike companies understand this. Xnito is an example of helmet with a front and taillight built in. They also meet the CPSC & NTA-8776 standards. This helmet may not be for everyone, because it's more of an Urban helmet, that has less venting. I feel it's perfect for e-bike riders or those on e-skate boards, electric scooters, etc.

And the VT helmet lab website has the Berm Peak hug of death....

One if the best cycling related videos available on line. Great job. Thank you for all your hard work

This has got to be one of the most helpful videos ive seen in awhile! Thanks Seth!

Thanks for this video, from now on ONLY buying helmets after checking the website and buying on official sellers sites or in the shops!

A concussion is the last thing I am worried about when I crash. I want a bike helmet to keep my melon from getting cracked open as the first thing. Now that stomp test is SCARY!!!

Wow, one of the most important videos I’ve ever watched if not the most important. Thank you so much for taking the time.

This was a great Seth! I always love your content but this just stepped it up a notch! Thank you.

This is, I think, the single most important MTB video on KZfaq. And the fact Seth performed his usual magic and made a potentially very dry topic extremely captivating just goes to show how great he is at his craft. Seth, thank you!

Blacksburg Virginia has awesome trails! McDonald valley trails and poverty trails are great! Very interesting video Seth 🤟

So glad you did a video about this, I wish this was referenced more

Because of you I ride my bike in Brooklyn New York I want to thank you. one of your covid video did that. Please stay safe.

This was very educational and entertaining! Very very well done!

I bought a Sweet Protection Trailblazer after reviewing the VT ratings and comparing it to my prior Leatt. Appreciate the effort they put in to this research!

Lazer Chiru user here!. Considered and preferred the Scott Argo Plus but their site was malfunctioning when I tried buying it and ended up with the Lazer one. Great purchase! And Seth, thanks for the great video!

That was one of my favourite videos. I really appreciate the detail you went into. I had a bleed on the brain from a massive MTB accident. My helmet saved me.

Such great content. Thank you for doing this

this helmet lab is amazing! Will defenitely use that website when shopping for my next helmet

Great tour of the VT lab. I've had one crash where the helmet had small external damage to the shell, but on closer examination the foam had broken clear through. Yes, these are single use and if you have a crash throw it out, but please first make it nonservicable by cutting the straps. I'd hate to think someone found a free helmet that was worth nothing.

The counterfeit helmet stomp explosion literally gave me chills. Thanks for all the info and knowledge you share!!

Helmets are personal pain for me, because only like 5% of helmets actually fit my head since the strap in the back needs to go further down than is "normal", otherwise the helmet just slips off of my head like badly fitted fedora. In that way I'm lucky and unlucky since I always need to go to my local bike store to check if the helmet actually fits. On the ordering side, thanks btw that you included that bit at the end, I have stopped trying to get anything safety critical off of AliExpress or Amazon a while ago, because I kept getting fakes even when buying from official seller accounts, and even for the most stupid stuff like shoelaces and run-of-the-mill shoes. The only reason I can come up with for that, is that either the brand shops are not all official and amazon does not take care to verify that, or that amazon just dumps pallets of products in their warehouses and does not concern themselves with mixing them per seller. The saddest bit is that it is becoming less and less rare that I can just go to the original manufacturers site/shop and order something direct from them and it will be cheaper.

I’d listen to the mtb podcast episode with the owner of Kali helmets. Some of what he says explains these tests and how they can be flawed. I don’t own a kali but what the guy says makes sense.

As always a great story teller! This is informative, funny and cover a critical equipment of mountain biking. Keep up the great work!

Thanks for the video. Watched your video on why you started wearing a helmet. Got me thinking. Didn't know about VT. Doing a great job on the channel.

Virginia tech web page collapsing due to high traffic now at a 1 hour mark of video released 😅

That Bikeroo is essentially what was On-One enduro helmet, now Carnac enduro helmet on Planet-X. Which in turn is essentially a clone of old O'Neal or Smith (can't remember which one for sure). Bought one on sale back in 2018 for laughable 15 USD(after conversion), they also come in awesome orange color (though the paint quality is lacking and burns out in the sun really fast). I'm guessing that it's a catalogue helmet which is getting branded by multiple companies, maybe patent expired some time ago or something, not sure.

Seth this video is why I totally respect your knowledge and expertise. You are so impartial and accurate!! Keep them coming Thanks DK

Fantastic! What a great video and very informative, Seth. That counterfeit helmet example was horrific. With online sales and consumer confidence increasing in that sales channel, it’s going to be really important for sellers to verify authenticity of products before selling. Even the certification labels need to be questioned.

That helmet looks a lot like a poc axion

Lol you probably took their site down

Great video! I work at a bike shop (in Switzerland) and we sell lots of helmets I just recently saw the virginia tech logo on a new specialized road helmet, now I know a lot more about it! Fun fact, the specialized tactic 4 really does not sell, we have it heavily discounted, yet still nobody wants it because it looks "special" haha. Not sure how many of our customers watch this channel, but maybe we will be sold out of that model pretty soon, seems like a great option if your main concern is safety. At the moment it's literally half the price of your second least expensive mtb helmet...

That VT website is a cool piece of info! I’ll be using this when explaining helmets to people!

That fake helmet is actually terrifying, wow! Spend the money guys, its clearly worth it!!

Having witnessed a couple of serious crashes resulting in major damage to riders teeth and jaws I’m a big advocate of full face helmets for mountain biking. Would you like to consider doing a video on this?

What a great service you’ve provided! Thank you thank you!

Regarding the concussion statements, you cannot prevent a concussion with a helmet. A concussion is caused by the brain hitting the skull. So if your head stops, starts, changes direction quickly, there is a risk of concussion (you could shake your head to hard and get one). MIPS and other similar technologies will help reduce the risk and they are FANTASTIC and do save lives, I wouldn't buy a helmet without it, but you can still get a concussion with them. That being said, I love that someone like Seth is doing these videos on helmets. More people need to wear them when riding and I hope this helps people make a good helmet choice.

Came across your channel as I have been looking for a dual suspension mountain bike. Thanks for all the info. Your flip videos gave me confidence to buy a used bike and I purchased a Specialized Rhyme today. It has an upgraded drive train which I'm happy about. Gonna drop it by my local shop for a tune up/shock service and can't wait to get out riding.

This is really important news, thank you for covering this Seth

This is a really great episode, one of the best you posted in a long time. I have been a long time subscriber to your KZfaq channel. Keep up the great work you are doing.

Great deep dive into helmets. I worked in the protective helmet space for several years. Nice to see some light shed on the testing.

This is easily one of my favorite videos you've done. This was extremely interesting and I have now learned some very beneficial information. This will probably influence which helmets I buy and recommend in the future. Thank you

Great video, Seth! Hadn't seen the VT helmet test database, so thanks for helping me make better decisions with my $!

THIS is a video we all needed to see. Thank you for this. That counterfeit helmet had me instantly checking where I bought my helmet from.

Thanks for the video. Was just in the market for a new ski helmet so this was perfect timing!

Awesome that you went to Virginia Tech. I've been using their ratings for hockey helmets for years. Didn't realize they were doing bicycles (and recently found out they're doing snow sports too!)

This is one of the best bicycling videos I've watched in a long time. Well done!

Thank you for this video. The idea of counterfiet helmets is scary. Since I am mostly a commuter, the information on the Bikeroo helmet is very helpful. Only took me a few seconds to find it on Amazon. Thanks again for this information.

GREAT VIDEO. I have been wearing hard shell bicycle helmets since the mid 1970's when I was ridiculed for wearing something not required in the races. Others said, "Good cyclists don't need helmets, they know how to crash." I had an accident in 1985. I suffered a bi-lateral sub-dural hematoma and was in a coma for 31 days. On the Glasgow Scale I was a 4. The first 10 days they made no solid prediction that I would survive. Without the outdated helmet, far below Virginia Tech's current standards, my Triage level would have been zero....dead. I stay away from the how much is your brain worth debate. I tell my customers how the better helmets protect better and let them decide. One important point, how comfortable is your choice. More comfortable is worth every penny. This way you avoid asking, " why should I suffer wearing the helmet? I've never had an accident and I have more fun without the helmet." When my customers seem very tense when trying on a helmet I jokingly ask, "Want me to get the sledge hammer to test the helmet?" They all decline the offer with a smile on their face and start asking real questions.

Congrats Seth - your subs have slashdotted the Va Tech website!!! Great video. Since I'm currently in the market for a new helmet, I'm looking forward to review their findings.

Great work man. Very informative and entertaining as always

Hey Seth - this was a really excellent video. Thanks again for blazing this trail and getting the information out. One of the helmets my significant other has been using is... less than stellar. So I really appreciate you bringing this to my attention - we found a nice Tactic 4 on sale from Specialized for about half price. Bought it and feel better for it. Thanks!

this is like a school trip but its fun! these videos teach you in a fun way keep up the good work

I wasn't aware of these resources. Great video, thanks!

Great work Seth!! Thanks for the intel and the great video.

I bought the tactic 4 when they were half off during the Christmas sale because of the price vs rating. I am filled with gratitude that you did this video and that you just gave the world a good cheap safe helmet option.

Awesome video and I knew about Va. Tech being involved in helmet testing but I had no idea they also were testing bike helmets. As a lifelong motorcyclist both on and off road I do realize the importance of a good brain bucket. Now as a senior in the process of building an e-bike for general use on general bike trails and so forth I was definitely interested in a bike helmet but had no clue as to what to buy in a not break the bank more reasonable cost option that was still good at its intended mission. Well thanks to your video and Va. Tech for their work testing I ordered one of the linked Tactic bike helmets and will be able to feel confident that at bicycle types of speeds that I will have a helmet that is reasonably capable of doing its job in the case of a spill. Thanks again!

Such an important topic, covered so well! Fwiw I have a Smith Engage 2 and I've had a pretty gnarly crash with it and it no doubt saved my life or at least ensured I wouldn't be paralyzed. I replaced it with a new one immediately after I recovered.

Great video Seth. Answers alot of good questions. Thanks for that.

Thanks for the really useful video Seth. It made me think really carefully about the old helmet I've been running with for years. Then I saw that Specialised had a major sale on, including the Tactic and I decided to go for it. I have a large head (yes, my friends think it's hilarious) and finding good helmets has been difficult, but I have to agree - it's so incredibly comfortable and a great fit - and it feels great knowing it's been subject to such thorough testing :)

I absolutely love these honest videos about bike tech, Ive been trying to ditch the brand loyalty lately and just get the best products for me and these videos are so helpful.

I went otb around the time this video dropped. It's very sobering and a reminder to not go budget where safety is concerned. My IXS helmet sacrificed itself and saved my life. While I have several fractures, including T11 and T12, I am in no doubt that my helmet saved me from more severe spine and brain injuries. I am so grateful to IXS.

Thanks for the content! You really made my homework on helmets! This answers a lot of questions!

Another excellent vid. Keep em coming, information like this really does save lives

This video is a prime example of why this channel is so good. Almost any other channel would push some lazy and obnoxious message about needing to spend big money on a helmet or die.