The Snell Memorial Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to provide a high quality standard of safety for helmets.

Snell Standards significantly surpass those set by the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ASTM International (ASTM) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's 16 CFR Part 1203.

Snell Standards are voluntary and call for premium level of protection in headgear while satisfying the minimum requirements set for different jurisdictions.

As such, and in addition to other factors such as typical use wear and tear, Snell recommends that helmets be replaced approximately every five years to ensure good safety.

The most essential part of the testing is an assessment of the helmet’s total impact energy management capability.