How much should I spend on my helmet? I'm finally going to buy a bike next month.  And a helmet.  I'm wondering how much I should budget for buying a helmet.

I'll be riding around New York City, so I want good visibility around me.  And safety is a big concern for me as well.
Testing of helmets shows that there is little difference in impact protection. A better quality helmet, defined in this case as one that fits your head, is well ventilated, and looks good. 

A well ventilated helmet prevents you from overheating while riding, especially at high speeds. A helmet that fits stays put on your head during a crash. And one that is comfortable and lightweight is less noticeable while you ride. 

From a pure safety standpoint, buy a DOT/ANSI certified helmet, and you'll be fine. If you want to enjoy riding, and not mind wearing the helmet, be willing to spend more. $300 dollars is not out of line for a really high quality helmet, but that doesn't mean you need to spend that. 

Find one that fits, ask your LBS to explain the ventilation differences between it and its more expensive cousins, and find one that fits in your budget. Looks good can be important, too, but that's personal and subjective.  




  The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
  submitted samples of six helmet models
  to a leading U.S. test lab: three in
  the $150+ range and three under $20.
  The impact test results were virtually
  identical. There were very few
  differences in performance among the
  helmets. Our conclusion: when you pay
  more for a helmet you may get an
  easier fit, more vents and snazzier
  graphics. But the basic impact
  protection of the cheap helmets we
  tested equaled the expensive ones.
  
  The results are a testimony to the
  effectiveness of our legally-required
  CPSC helmet standard. Although our
  sample was small, the testing
  indicates that the consumer can shop
  for a bicycle helmet in the US market
  without undue concern about the impact
  performance of the various models on
  sale, whatever the price level. The
  most important advice is to find a
  helmet that fits you well so that it
  will be positioned correctly when you
  hit. We have a page up with details of
  the testing.