A photo of a different Basecamp helmet sold on Amazon. This one retails for $37

How much are you willing to spend on a helmet? Or maybe a better question is: how much should you pay for a helmet? Generally, a higher-priced helmet has more safety features, making it safer overall.

​But all that technology comes at a price, and it can make some of us turn to big-box online retailers like Amazon. And while you might find a Smith, Fox, Troy Lee, or other known mountain bike helmet on Amazon, there are a lot of brands that you likely don’t know. Singletracks monitors product recall data and, needless to say, the list of recalled helmets sold on Amazon is long and rather concerning.

Basecamp HT-10 recently recalled. Screenshot: CPSC

Have you heard of these brands? We certainly haven’t…

In September alone, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recalled two helmets sold on Amazon. The first was added to the recall list roughly a week ago. The helmet is manufactured by Tongyang Cycling and is sold under the brand “Basecamp,” with the “HT-10” as the specific model in question.

​The CPSC says the HT-10 helmets “violate the mandatory safety standard for bicycle helmets because the helmets do not comply with the impact attenuation, positional stability, and certification requirements. The helmets can fail to protect the user in the event of a crash, posing a serious risk of injury or death due to head injury.”

​In addition, the commission mentions that the helmets have a “button cell battery” but lack warning labels. The recall goes on to say that if “button cell or coin batteries are swallowed, the ingested batteries can cause serious injuries, including internal chemical burns, and death.”

​These Basecamp HT-10 helmets retailed for $34.

​Another helmet was recalled just a few days ago. The FiveColor Children’s Bike Helmet (also knee and elbow pads) sees a similar recall for violating “the mandatory safety standard.” Again, the CPSC says the helmets “do not comply with the impact attenuation, retention system, positional stability, labeling and certification requirements,” a theme that is common amongst the Amazon listings.

​This helmet (along with the pads) sold for $25.

Recalled Gudook helmet. Photo: CPSC

Remember, those are just from this month

As I stated before, Singletracks does its best to track cycling-related recalls. The helmets mentioned above are just two from September sold on Amazon. There are plenty more from earlier in the year.

​A $23 Gudook adult helmet was recalled in June. In May, a Favoto helmet, the H-1, which was sold on Amazon for anywhere from $20 to $27, was also recalled. In February, a company called “Samit” recalled its “Youth Multi-Purpose” helmet, which averaged about $30 on Amazon.

​The CPSC said it recalled all the helmets for the same reason. “[The helmets] violate the mandatory safety standard for bicycle helmets because the helmets do not comply with the positional stability and certification requirements.”

​The same as the Basecamp and FiveColor helmets pulled this month. And to be clear, these are not the only helmets sold on Amazon in 2026 that were recalled, just the ones that made my shortlist.

Amazon isn’t the only seller

Other big-box stores are also seeing their helmets recalled — namely, Walmart. While the retail giant has certainly done quite a bit to expand trails in places like Bentonville, Arkansas, their website has had its share of recalled helmets.

​Earlier this month, Victgoal helmets, $22-$36, were pulled from Walmart’s website due to a safety recall. A Todson helmet, which retailed for $30, was recalled in February, and Semfri, another kid’s helmet in the $24 range, was also pulled the same month.

​Temu also got in the action, with a “Multi-Purpose Helmet” that sells for $9.

​All of these helmets, whether sold on Amazon, Temu, or Walmart, have a few things in common. First, they are all recalled for not meeting the mandatory safety standards. Secondly, I don’t know about you, but they are certainly brands I’ve never heard of. Finally, they are all priced less than $50. In fact, $36 was the most expensive helmet, but Walmart also sold that helmet for $22 at certain times.

Even the big brands have recalls

To be fair, it isn’t just the cheap, no-name brands that have recalls — big brands have them too.

​The Giro Merit was recalled for not meeting safety standards, and it had a price tag north of $200. Sweet Protection also recalled its Ripper helmet, both adult and junior, though these helmets cost significantly less than the Merit.

​Even a Specialized helmet was on the list. That said, the Specialized helmet recall was in 2007. Now the Sweet Protection and Giro recalls were much more recent — 2020 and 2023, respectively.

​That said, the “big brands” show up on the CPSC recall list far less than the “no name” manufacturers selling on Amazon or at Walmart.

​My evidence? I only mentioned some of what Singletracks tracked for Amazon and Walmart in 2026. The list goes on, and it goes deep. I quickly counted 10 extra recalls (there are more) on our list for helmets sold on Amazon, and the data only goes back three or four years.

​Walmart had a similar story. What’s really concerning is that a significant number of these are kids’ helmets.

Here are some takeaways: 1.) Know the helmet brand. 2.) Look for safety features/safety technology. 3.) Expect to pay at least $50 for a safe helmet.

I know it is a cliched saying, but you only have one brain.

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