How to choose a bike helmet for your child ?
In France, bike riders up to the age of 12 must wear a helmet
A bike helmet should sit firmly and comfortably on top of the head and shouldn’t move from side to side when your child shakes their head. Too big helmet can move in case of a fall and will no longer protect their head.
Your child should easily handle the adjustment dial on the back of the helmet that allows to tighten the inner fleece and if he can adjust, attach the chin strap.
You can choose a model dedicated to his activity :
- for leisure ride, prefer a ventilated helmet for more comfort
- If your child is riding a mountain bike or a BMX, choose an helmet-type bowl, the protective surface is more important. Mountain biking helmets and many multi-purpose helmets have a detachable peak, which can be handy to keep the sun or rain out of your eyes.
- on a baby seat, look at the compatibility between the back of the helmet and the shape of the seat to avoid any inconvenience
Comfort is an important point to encourage its use. Ventilation matters more the further and faster your child ride. Ventilation will limit excess sweating. A fleece protection under the chin, at the clip of the straps, is recommended to avoid friction with the skin.
Some helmets also come with MIPS, which stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. This is designed to act as additional protection, reducing the effect of rotational forces on the head in the case of an impact rather than simply the direct forces traditionally tested for.
It is important to ensure that the helmet complies with the relevant safety ratings. For bicycle use, the helmet must be marked EN1078. Some helmets have a double homologation, road and ski (EN1077).
Style is important in a helmet, in that a lack of style may be a barrier to your child wearing the helmet at all. There is a wide variety of colors with or without patterns.
The head of a child changes quickly. Check regularly if the helmet is still at the correct size. If this is no longer the case, change it. Any helmet that has been damaged (falling on the ground or falling on a bike) must be replaced.
Specialized Child Bike Helmet Size Guide :
- Mio : 46 - 51 cm
- Small Fry Toddler : 44 - 52 cm
- Small Fry Child : 47 - 55 cm
- Shuffle child : 50 - 55 cm
- Shuffle youth : 52 - 57 cm
- Covert : XS (47 - 53 cm)
Scott child bike helmet size guide :
- Spunto Junior : 50 - 56 cm
- Spunto Kid : 46 - 52 cm
- Chomp 2 : 46 - 52 cm
