By Dennis Chung
Bell Sports is recalling its Pit Boss cruiser-style half helmets because they failed impact attenuation testing.
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall affects only medium sized helmets, though it’s unclear if that refers to the helmet size or the shell size. The Pit Boss is available in two shell sizes; small and medium sized helmets use the medium shell while large, XL and 2XL helmets use the large shell size.
The recall affects 400 helmets in the U.S. market, produced from Jan. 1, 2025, to Jan. 31, 2026. Any helmets produced after that date have been recertified by a third-party lab.
The Pit Boss uses a composite shell made of a blend of Kevlar, carbon and fiberglass. It comes with an internal sunshade, a removable neck curtain, and is supposed to be DOT approved. The helmet is produced by Strategic Sports in Dongguan City, China.
The problem was identified on March 31, 2026, following retail audit testing of Pit Boss helmets. The audit determined the helmets lack the proper impact protection to comply with federal safety standards.
Owners of recalled Pit Boss helmets are asked to either return or destroy their helmets. If they opt to destroy them, they are asked to send photographic evidence; simply cutting the chin strap and taking a picture of a severed strap with the sewn label will suffice. Consumers who choose to return the helmets will be given a choice of either a 100% refund or a replacement model.
