BHSI

Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute

The Helmet Update

Volume 44 – #3 – September 22, 2026

All issues index

EU testing fails shocking number of bike helmets

On September 16, 2026 the European Commission published a paper detailing results of helmet testing undertaken by member countries under a 2025 program. They highlighted compliant numbers, but upon examination of their data:

–19 of 70 bicycle helmets failed (14 in one category of tests and five in multiple categories). That’s 27% failing a standard that is much easier to meet than the US CPSC standard.

–When documentation and markings were considered, only 30% of the total of 100 bicycle and other helmets actually met all requirements.

In some cases the testing triggered recalls. Countries “rated 18 of the failures as serious risk and reported them on Safety Gate, the EU rapid alert system used to alert consumers about dangerous non-food products. Five products were withdrawn from the market, sales bans were imposed on 8 and 14 were recalled from consumers.”

You can read the study at:
https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/news/most-sport-helmets-pass-eu-safety-tests-formal-compliance-concern-2026-09-15_en

Addition: The report does not name brands or models, but here are some of the 2026 bike helmet alerts from the Safety Gate site:

  • WAG BIKE YJ-7 – “The strength and the effectiveness of the helmet are inadequate. In the event of an impact, users may suffer head injuries.” Withdrawal of the product from the market. Entry into force 05/08/2026
  • FORCE 90198 – “The strength and the effectiveness of the helmet are inadequate. In the event of an impact, users may suffer head injuries.” Withdrawal of the product from the market. Entry into force 05/08/2026.

    VICTGOAL KID BIKE HELMET – “The chin strap buckle can easily open, leaving the user unprotected in the event of an impact, causing injuries.” Removal of this product listing by the online marketplace. Entry into force 19/05/2026.

    MoMi MIMI – “The helmet fastener can easily open during a fall or accident, causing the helmet to slip off and potentially leading to head injuries.” Withdrawal of the product from the market. Entry into force 30/05/2026.

    Seven Bike Helmet Mickey – “The impact absorption capacity of the helmet is insufficient. In the event of an impact, users may suffer head injuries.” Removal of this product listing by the online marketplace. Entry into force 28/06/2026.

    Fahrradhelm Robust… Mädchen und Jungs HT-20 – “The strength and the effectiveness of the retention system of the helmet are inadequate. In the event of an impact, users may suffer head injuries.” Removal of this product listing by the online marketplace. Entry into force 28/06/2026.

    PJT W012TK001 – “The impact absorption capacity of the helmet is insufficient. In the event of an impact, users may suffer head injuries.” Removal of this product listing by the online marketplace. Entry into force 10/06/2026.

    WildSide Foldable bicycle helmet – “Because of the design of the folding mechanism, the ventilation openings are too wide. In the event of an impact, the helmet may not provide sufficient protection to the head and users may suffer head injuries.” Removal of this product listing by the online marketplace. Entry into force 17/06/2026.

    Happy People Sports Helmet – “The impact absorption capacity of the helmet is insufficient. Moreover, the strength and the effectiveness of the retention system are inadequate. In the event of an impact, users may suffer head injuries.” Removal of this product listing by the online marketplace. Entry into force 25/04/2026.
  • Rk 03 Kask biary S (52-56 cm) – “The chin strap buckle can easily open, leaving the user unprotected in the event of an impact, causing injuries.” Recall of the product from end users. Entry into force 28/05/2026.
  • Foldable bicycle helmet, brand unknown – “The impact absorption capacity of the helmet is insufficient. In the event of an impact, users may suffer head injuries.” Removal of this product listing by the online marketplace. Entry into force 28/04/2026.
  • Heemtle Mo-DE-Cairbull007-black – “The impact absorption capacity of the helmet is insufficient. In the event of an impact, users may suffer head injuries.” Removal of this product listing by the online marketplace. Entry into force 28/04/2026.
  • Here is the link for Safety Gate alerts for helmets. Just type helmet into the filter search box on the left.

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This page was last modified:

August 17, 2026