Which helmet to choose for your electric bike?

Are you looking for a helmet for your electric bike or for your speedbike ? Discover all the advice from Max And The City to choose a helmet that is resistant, comfortable and perfectly adapted to your needs.

What are the different types of electric bikes?

First of all, you should know that there are two types of electrically assisted bicycles (VAE):

electric bicycles whose speed cannot exceed 25 km/h (in other words, the power of the motor, also called nominal electric power, cannot exceed 250 W);

fast electric bikes, also called speed bikes (or speedelec ) whose speed can reach 45 km/h.

Discover the Speedbike helmets available at Max And The City.

Depending on the type of electric bike, the regulations concerning the wearing of a helmet will be different.

Is wearing a helmet compulsory on an electric bike?

As a reminder, wearing a bicycle helmet is compulsory for all children under 12, whether passengers or drivers, on a classic bike, a “slow” electric bike or a speedbike.

→ Discover the bicycle helmets for children offered by Max And The City.

After 12 years, wearing a helmet is not mandatory on a traditional bike and on a slow electric bike (non-speedbike), but it is still strongly recommended.

On the other hand, wearing a helmet is compulsory on a speedbike, which is assimilated to a moped. The helmet must also be moped-approved.

In addition, the driver of a speedbike must have an A, B or AM driving license, moped insurance and license plate, among other things.

In the event of non-compliance with this obligation, the cyclist (or the adult accompanying the child under 12) is liable to a fine of 135 euros .

You can find all the regulations related to the use of an electrically assisted bicycle on the Economie.gouv.fr website .

→ Attention, whatever type of bike you use, wearing a helmet is highly recommended . Indeed, the risk of being injured is 8 times higher by bike than by car. However, wearing a helmet greatly reduces the risk of serious injury in the event of an accident.

Which helmet to choose for an electric bike?

Choosing a helmet for a VAE < 25 km/h

If you ride a "slow" electric bike (the speed of which the electric assistance cannot exceed 25 km/h), then an urban bike helmet will do the job perfectly.

Max And The City offers a whole range of high quality urban bike helmets, suitable for electric bike use:

Choosing a helmet for a speedbike

As explained above, if you drive a speedbike (an electric bicycle whose speed can reach 45 km/h), you will have to wear a moped or motorcycle helmet.

Many brands offer helmets for speed-bikes, such as: CGM with the CGM ZED model

Choosing your electric bike helmet: the criteria to take into account

When choosing your bike helmet , whether it's a VAE <25km / h or a speedbike, be sure to take the following criteria into account :

Approval (to ensure compliance with European standards):

a speedbike helmet must be ECE2205 approved;
an e-bike helmet <25 km/h must be CE-EN1078 approved.

The size of the helmet : you can use a measuring tape to find out your head circumference.
Manufacturing technology and level of protection: in-mold manufacturing and MIPS technology are particularly effective.
Accessories and features , the choice of which depends on the preferences of each cyclist:

The visor : it can be very useful to protect yourself from the sun, wind, rain, dust and other eye splashes when using an electric bike;
Lighting to be more visible to other road users;
An anti-theft system
An adjustment wheel to adjust the helmet to perfection
A bicycle helmet connected to a mobile application
A foldable bicycle helmet
A bicycle helmet with lighting
A Bluetooth connection
A rain cover in case of bad weather
A chin strap
earbuds for the winter

The design (urban, vintage, refined…), the color and the quality of the finishes.
The level of comfort : the helmet must be the right size, must not be too heavy and must have a minimum of ventilation to guarantee sufficient airflow.
The quality of the materials : favor helmets designed with top-of-the-range materials (antibacterial lining, vegan leather chin straps, polycarbonate layer, Alcantara interior foam, etc.).
The ventilation system (check the number of vents on the outer shell).
The weight of the helmet : a bicycle helmet generally weighs between 300 and 450 g. Be careful not to opt for a helmet that is too heavy, which could cause pain and discomfort in the neck and back.
Budget :

It takes, on average, 200 euros for the purchase of a speedbike helmet.
For an electric bicycle helmet (not speedbike), the prices of the products offered on the market vary from 30 to 300 €. For a sufficient level of protection and minimum comfort, count a hundred euros minimum.

Good to know : whatever bike helmet you use, it will be necessary to change it regularly, every 3 to 5 years , but also after an impact, a crack or a fall.

→ To find out more, see our article "When to change your bicycle helmet?" » .