Hi Billy 123, firstly what is important is that any helmet purchased carries the ECE 22.06 mark, the new standard came into force in January this year (2024), therefore this new standard has become mandatory for all retailers in the UK and Europe, it means that it is now illegal to sell any helmet unless it carries the ECE 22.06 mark. People who own and use pre the new standard can continue to use them, however if a person tries to sell you any helmet not showing the ECE 22.06 mark is breaking the law. Stickers are available on E bay to buy showing the ECE 22.06 mark, unscrupulous people are removing the old standard mark and replacing it with the new one, thus selling an old helmet illegally, this is especially true of fake Arai helmets at low prices, having brought this to Arai's attention they acted swiftly and these had been removed from E Bay, although others spring up, and also other well known sellers (think of rainforests), are showing substandard helmets for sale. There are many great helmets for sale that may not show up on the Sharp test, however these helmets have undergone very rigorous testing to qualify for the new ECE 22.06 mark. Good luck with whatever helmet you decide to purchase, we only have one head and we need to look after it as best we can.
