Ask The Editors: What Makes a Helmet Worth $800?
You are presumably referring to the ATR-1 from relative newcomer to the helmet game 6D Helmets out of Brea, CA. With an MSRP of $745, you’re right, it certainly isn’t for the faint of heart or light of wallet as the case may be but let’s take a moment to break down some of the hard facts as to what makes the product so expensive.
For starters, materials. 6D goes the extra mile to integrate a whole plethora of cutting edge materials in the manufacture process. The shell alone is constructed of advanced aerospace carbon fiber, composite fiberglass and Kevlar. The more it costs the company in materials, the higher the MSRP just to break even. Factor in other perks like anti-bacterial fabric, sternum padding and shear-away visor screws and the price is going to keep climbing.
Then there is the real deal-maker, the ODS suspension technology. It gets complicated in a hurry but to simplify it, the helmet’s interior consists of two liners separated by an array of elastomeric isolation dampers creating an air-gap. These dampers compress when your skull makes contact with the liner in the event of impact, as they say “to protect your head over a broader range of energy transfer; especially angular acceleration in low and high velocity impacts, than traditional helmet designs”.
They also claim that in independent testing, ODS was shown to significantly reduce the energy transferred to the head/ reduce the likelihood of a concussion or brain injury over a traditional helmet.
Whether or not all of these magnificent claims are true, we cannot say for certain but like with any new technology, early adopters are going to pay a premium to cover intense R&D costs. Do keep in mind that even the most expensive helmets on the market are generally much more reasonable than a trip to the hospital, however.
