I didn’t replace my last helmet because I wanted a new one. I replaced it because I smashed it.
Not in a heroic way. No massive crash reel moment. Just a stupid, awkward fall where my head hit harder than I expected. The shell looked fine. No obvious cracks. If I’d wanted to convince myself it was okay, I easily could have.
But once I took it off, it didn’t feel right. The fit was different. The foam felt dead.
That sent me down the same rabbit hole most people end up in eventually. How long helmets actually last. Whether small hits matter. What counts as “real” damage and what you’re just supposed to ignore.
This is basically the stuff I wish I’d known before I stood in my kitchen holding a helmet, trying to talk myself out of replacing it.
Quick answer
Replace your ski or snowboard helmet immediately after a hard impact, even if it looks fine. If it hasn’t taken a hit, most helmets should still be replaced every five to seven years due to foam aging, sweat and general wear. Small knocks don’t usually matter. One proper slam does.
1. After a Crash
This is the part you’ll hate.
Helmets are one-hit protection. The foam inside is designed to crush and absorb energy. Once it does that, it doesn’t reset. It’s not a reusable safety device.
If you’ve had a slam where your head smacked hard enough that you stopped for a second and did a mental check, that helmet has done its work.
Even if:
The shell looks fine
You didn’t feel concussed
You kept riding the rest of the day
The damage you care about is inside. You can’t see it. That’s the point.
I rode a helmet longer than I should have because it “looked fine.” It wasn’t. I only stopped wearing it because I cracked it badly enough that I couldn’t lie to myself anymore.
2. The Small Stuff Counts Too
Not every helmet dies in one dramatic crash.
Years of chairlift bars clacking your head. Throwing it in the car. Falling backwards at low speed when you’re tired and sloppy. All of that slowly compresses the foam.
You don’t feel it happening. One day the helmet just isn’t what it used to be.
If your helmet has had a few seasons of regular use and a handful of knocks, it’s already degraded. That doesn’t mean it’s useless. It does mean it’s no longer giving you full protection.
3. Age Isn’t a Marketing Myth
ASTM and CE stickers don’t age with the helmet. They apply when it’s new. Sweat, heat, UV, time. They all break materials down. Liners pack out. Fit systems loosen. Foam hardens and loses its ability to absorb impact properly.
A five-year-old helmet that’s been crashed and cooked in the sun doesn’t magically meet the same standard it did out of the box, even if the sticker is still there. If you ride a lot and your helmet is pushing five seasons, you’re past the safe end of its life whether it looks good or not.
4. Fit Getting Worse
If a helmet that used to fit perfectly now needs cranking tighter, shifts more, or just feels a bit vague on your head, something has changed.
Sometimes it’s padding packing out. Sometimes it’s the structure underneath settling. Either way, a helmet that doesn’t sit securely isn’t doing you any favours.
A loose helmet in a crash is worse than no tech at all.
Buying a New One
This is the mental hurdle for a lot of riders. But you get one brain. Foam and plastic are cheap compared to that.
When I finally replaced mine, it wasn’t because I wanted something shiny. It was because I didn’t want to spend every fast run half-wondering if the thing on my head would actually help if it mattered.
Once that doubt creeps in, the helmet is already done.
What Matters When You Replace It
When you start looking for a new helmet, everything suddenly sounds important. New materials. New systems. Big safety claims.
Most of it doesn’t matter.
What matters is simple stuff. No pressure points. No sliding when you look around. No cranking the dial just to feel secure. If it’s annoying after an hour, it’s the wrong helmet.
The other thing is trust. Once you’ve smashed a helmet, you’re more aware of it. You don’t want to wonder if it still has your back. You want to put it on and stop thinking about it completely.
That’s what pushed me toward helmets like the Smith Nexus. Not because of the tech list, but because after a proper hit, I wanted something that felt unquestionably solid on my head again.
You don’t need the most expensive helmet on the wall. But you do need one you’re not second guessing.
The Bottom Line
If you’re asking yourself whether it’s time to replace your helmet, it probably is.
Not because a brand says so. Not because of a rule. But because something has changed. A crash. A fit issue. A moment that made you think twice.
You don’t need to panic. You don’t need the most expensive option on the wall.
You just need a helmet you trust enough to stop thinking about it while you ride.
That’s the whole point.
Great article. Also, screw you guys cos now I’ll have to buy a new helmet! ha
Whoops, sorry Tim!