SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — The in-house test lab for Bell Helmets and Giro, called The Dome, has launched a helmet education website called HelmetFacts.com.
The company said the website serves as an educational resource for consumers and helmet brands alike and includes videos as well as a library of detailed information regarding materials, standards and testing protocols for helmets and head protection.
"We saw unmet needs for more information related to head protection," said Thom Parks, the senior director of product safety at Bell Sports. "Now, more than ever, we're seeing a lot of confusion and misinformation in the marketplace. The Dome and its engineering staff have taken a leadership role in this arena for more than six decades, so we thought it appropriate to invest the time and energy into educating consumers."
The website is intended to be "an unbiased resource," the company said. "Head protection is serious business and we all benefit from learning. A trip to HelmetFacts.com can reveal the differences between materials like expanded polypropylene and expanded polystyrene, and addresses common questions like 'When should a helmet be replaced?' The website also sheds light on the dozens of current helmet standards across the globe and includes videos showcasing helmet testing for power sports, cycling and snow sports."
The Dome's resources include more than 50 test fixtures as well as 3D printers, injection molding and thermal molding equipment, an in-house wind tunnel, CNC machines and other equipment required to design, develop, and evaluate new ideas in head protection.
The test lab and its engineering staff began in 1954 to support Bell Helmets. In the following decades these resources have served many helmet categories (including tactical, military, hockey, football, baseball and equestrian) and supported many brands, including Bell, Easton, Giro, MIPS and Riddell. The facility was officially named the Dome in 2011. Today, the Dome is focused on testing and R&D in powersports, cycling and snow sports and serves as the in-house test lab for Bell and Giro.
