Helmets should be replaced after five or more years because sweat, sun and heat cause deterioration to the protective materials. It may not be possible to determine a helmet's rating from a catalog listing or photo. To find out the safety ratings for a model that interests you, call the manufacturer and ask for customer service. Check out the inline models made by cycling leaders Bell , Specialized and Giro as well as helmets made by Bauer , K2 and Rollerblade. Some companies such as Giro have an upgrade policy to reduce the cost of protecting growing heads.
Aggressive skaters require multi-impact protection and extra coverage for the entire head.
The classic to beat is Pro-tec's helmet line, adopted by the vert crowd. The smooth, hard-shell exterior makes a great billboard for sponsors' stickers. These are made by Mosa Extreme Sports . Away is almost as popular. While helmet technology is improving, prices have actually dropped over the years due to price wars and improved manufacturing materials and processes.