Anyone searching for the very best children’ bike helmet in all probability has a love for biking and is seeking to move that alongside. As a mum or dad myself I do know that one of the crucial rewarding issues is passing alone pursuits to my kids and seeing what they do with them. My son was in a motorbike trailer lengthy earlier than he might stroll and he had his personal first stability bike not lengthy after. He’s at all times been an enthusiastic helper testing the finest children’ bikes and sharing his ideas with readers.
As he is grown and altered, his pursuits have modified and he is taken to driving totally different sorts of bikes. You’ll not often catch me on a flat bar bike however he is had loads of enjoyable on lots of them through the years. One factor has by no means modified although and that’s my household’s dedication to security.
My son has at all times worn a helmet on each experience. Making {that a} actuality has meant discovering helmets that weren’t a punishment to put on. Just just like the finest highway bike helmet and finest gravel bike helmet for you, a children’ bike helmet must be comfy and match securely.
A superb children’ bike helmet must also be fashionable and much more than an grownup helmet it ought to be capable of take the damage and tear of life. Keep studying to see the helmets that I’ve discovered work finest for youths.
Quick listing
Cold weather
Cold climate
A superb high quality skate type helmet with an optionally available chilly climate equipment to maintain little heads heat and toasty.
Mountain bike
Fox Racing Youth Mainframe
Mountain bike
The identical type and safety as among the best grownup mountain bike helmets accessible however sized for a child.
My son is 12 and he’s ridden a motorbike for the reason that time he’s been capable of carry a stability bike. Together we’ve examined bike helmets for youths for over a decade whereas I’ve additionally examined all method of grownup helmets, from aero highway to these made for driving an ebike. I do know what it’s wish to be a father serving to a toddler with a helmet and I do know what it’s like to make use of a helmet.
Best children’ bike helmets
You can belief Cyclingnews
Our consultants spend numerous hours testing biking tech and can at all times share trustworthy, unbiased recommendation that will help you select. Find out extra about how we take a look at.
We repeatedly assessment our purchaser’s guides to guarantee that the merchandise talked about are nonetheless accessible and present fashions. This information was final reviewed in April 2024, when all the youngsters’ helmets right here have been nonetheless bought on-line.
Best in chilly climate
1. Bern Nino 2.0 MIPS youth bike helmet
The finest chilly climate children’ bike helmet
Specifications
Sizes Available: S (52 – 55.5cm), M (55.5 – 59cm)
Colours Available: Matte Black, Matte Lime, Matte Grapefruit, Matte Shark Bite, Metallic Space Splat, Matte Fun Fruits, Satin Galaxy Pearl
Visor: Removable smooth visor
Rotational Impact safety: MIPS
Reasons to purchase
Cool designs
+No want to regulate the rear cradle
+Winter equipment accessible
+Light accessible as an adjunct
One problem with skate type helmets is the burden and lack of air flow. With the Nino 2.0 Bern has taken a take a look at precisely these points. You can nonetheless count on the better protection of a skate type helmet however they’ve lightened it and there’s extra venting than among the rivals.
Part of that drive for a light-weight and sturdy helmet is one thing Bern calls. Zip Mold+ foam expertise. The outer layer of the helmet makes use of a sturdy PVC that’s robust sufficient to minimise its weight. Inside of that could be a proprietary Zip Mold+ liquid injected foam that enables the model to make use of simply sufficient foam and less. The impact is a helmet that’s each robust sufficient for on a regular basis bumps when off the pinnacle in addition to mild sufficient to stay secure and comfy on the pinnacle.
The characteristic that basically units the Bern Nino aside although is the equipment accessible. Specifically Bern affords a chilly climate liner that enables children to remain heat whereas driving when it’s chilly. You might use a hat in any helmet however this fashion the match isn’t compromised and it’s one much less factor to fret about protecting monitor of. What can be very nice is that if Bern additionally added a magnetic buckle to the combination, as normal buckles may be tough for youths and require adults to take care to not pinch any pores and skin.
If you child rides when it’s chilly out the Bern Nino is an efficient selection.
Best mountain bike helmet
2. Fox Racing Youth Mainframe Helmet
Best mountain bike helmet for youths
Specifications
Sizes Available: OS (48-52cm)
Colours Available: Slate blue, Flo Red, Tortoise/Bronze, Flo Yellow
Visor: built-in
Rotational Impact safety: MIPS
Reasons to purchase
Replaceable visor
+Adult type
+Lots of air flow
+Lightweight
Reasons to keep away from
Lacks vertical rear cradle adjustment
–Old type MIPS liner
Fox Racing is without doubt one of the greatest and finest identified manufacturers in mountain biking. The model affords a variety of merchandise for mountain biking together with helmets. Among that providing is the Speedframe as a normal objective mountain bike helmet. To ensure children are coated with the identical nice high quality, the Fox Racing Youth Mainframe takes the identical iconic design of the Speedframe and sizes it down.
Adult or child, helmets designed to be used on a mountain bike have a few variations. Like skate type helmets they arrive down a bit farther within the again and on the perimeters. They additionally use a a lot greater visor to assist protect the solar as you sit extra upright on a mountain bike. On prime of useful causes, there’s some quantity of fashion concerned as nicely. The Fox Youth Mainframe MIPS brings these benefits to a child in a helmet that at 337 grams feels fairly mild and positively appears to be like the half.
There are some disadvantages carried over from the grownup helmet as nicely. MIPS is a superb expertise to have on a helmet however MIPS expertise has been up to date through the years. Both the grownup Speedframe and the youth Mainframe nonetheless use the older type MIPS although. For many it received’t matter however it might probably catch lengthy hair. There’s additionally no vertical adjustment within the rear cradle limiting general adjustment.
Although there are some small particulars that might use massaging, the Fox Racing youth Mainframe does an awesome job of mimicking an grownup mountain bike helmet. It’s mild and ethereal with a top quality visor. If your child is on a mountain bike this can be a nice possibility.
The most enjoyable you may have with a helmet
3. Nutcase Helmets Little Nutty
Best children’ bike helmet if you’d like plenty of artistic kinds
Specifications
Sizes Available: Toddler (48-52mm), Youth – 52-56mm
Colours Available: Huge vary of rotating designs
Visor: Clip-on included
Rotational Impact safety: MIPS
Reasons to purchase
Plastic exterior protects in opposition to small drops and bumps
+Amazing designs
+Visor is included and optionally available
+Magnetic buckle that received’t pinch
Reasons to keep away from
A bit heavier than the competitors
My kiddo has the chance to provide his opinion on loads of helmets. His normal angle is resignation and apathy. He checks them out, offers an opinion and strikes on. When the Nutcase Little Nutty arrived, it was a very totally different expertise. He opened up the Watermelon w/MIPS and his eyes lit up. He thought it was hilarious and needed to go for a experience instantly. That helmet is gone now however the model is consistently rotating in new kinds. When it involves helmets, style issues and Nutcase makes nice wanting helmets which can be enjoyable to put on.
Even with the emphasis on type although, there’s loads of security on board. The skateboard type means additional protection on the perimeters and again and whereas many helmets want alternative within the occasion of a drop Nutcase helmets maintain as much as children a bit higher. The thick plastic exterior means mild bangs and drops do not flip a pleasant helmet into trash. There’s additionally MIPS on board. Unfortunately all that does add as much as a helmet that’s on the heavy aspect.
When it comes to suit, the Little Nutty Youth is on the big dimension and works for youths who might transfer into an grownup small. The Little Nutty in toddler dimension will work for smaller children and for the smallest riders, there’s additionally the Baby Nutty.
Best children bike helmet for lengthy hair
4. Lazer Nutz Kineticore
Best children helmet for lengthy hair
Specifications
Sizes Available: OS (50 – 56cm)
Colours Available: Space, Black, Black Flash Yellow, Dragons, Butterfly, Unicorns
Visor: None
Rotational Impact safety: Kineticore
Reasons to purchase
Great design choices
+Rotational Impact safety with no MIPS liner
+Extended rear and aspect safety
+Cheek buckle
Most of the helmets on this listing use MIPS. MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System and is a expertise that enables for rotation of a helmet, across the cranium, in a crash. Part of the early technology of MIPS expertise is a liner and never everybody loves the texture of that liner and lengthy hair can catch in it. At the identical time, MIPS can be a selected model and there are different choices.
One of the choices is what Lazer makes use of and it’s referred to as Kineticore. Kineticore doesn’t use a liner however as an alternative builds what are basically crumple zones proper into the froth of the helmet. You can’t really feel them however you continue to get the good thing about rotational influence safety with none probability of lengthy hair catching.
The Lazer Nutz Kineticore and Lazer Pnut Kineticore are the Kineticore choices that Lazer makes accessible for youthful riders. Along with Kineticore the Lazer Nutz additionally will increase rear and aspect protection in addition to providing eight totally different designs. For the adults who need to buckle helmets, Lazer has moved the location of the buckle to the cheek to minimise pinching points. Unfortunately the buckle used remains to be a typical, non-magnetic, design.
If your child has lengthy hair the Lazer Kineticore helmets are a superb possibility.
Best children bike helmet with an built-in mild
5. Specialized Shuffle Youth LED
Best children’ bike helmet if you’d like an built-in mild
Specifications
Sizes Available: Youth (7-10) – 52-57mm
Colours Available: Satin Redwood, Satin Smoke, Satin Clay/Cast Umber, Satin Cast Blue Metallic Wild
Visor: Clip-on
Rotational Impact safety: MIPS
Reasons to purchase
Integrated LED
+Specialized ANGi crash sensor compatibility
+Side straps don’t require adjustment
Reasons to keep away from
Light is tough to activate and non-rechargeable
Day or night time, among the best methods to extend visibility on a motorbike is with a light-weight. I additionally deal with our information to the finest bike lights and I’m a giant proponent of placing tons of lights on everybody’s bikes however particularly city bikes and bikes for youths. My son has pedals with lights and there’s usually a entrance and rear mild on his bike. At the identical time, I do know all that stuff is sort of a trouble and never everybody goes to make use of it. Including an built-in mild on a helmet makes including visibility straightforward.
The Specialized Shuffle Youth LED is a mountain bike type helmet that addresses the necessity with out costing a fortune. In the rear of the helmet, you will see that an built-in mild that activates with solely a press of the lens. It is a bit of robust to really press so, a minimum of at first, it’s in all probability a good suggestion to press it earlier than placing the helmet on a head.
The mild isn’t the one characteristic price noting both. There’s additionally prolonged aspect and rear protection in addition to a visor. The aspect straps don’t have an adjustable Y-connector which might restrict adjustability however, since Specialized obtained them in the proper spot, additionally means there’s no have to trouble children whilst you repair it for them. For older children, who may be off on their very own, the Specialized ANGi Crash Sensor is suitable with this helmet for even better parental peace of thoughts.
Just a be aware about sizing on this one. There is definitely a couple of dimension accessible however the title is totally different. If you want a smaller dimension search for the Shuffle Child LED and for the smallest dimension you may flip to the Mio MIPS though it does lack the built-in mild of the bigger two.
Best skate type helmet for lengthy hair
6. Bontrager Jet WaveCel
The finest skate type children’ bike helmet for lengthy hair
Specifications
Sizes Available: Kids (48-52cm)
Colours Available: White/Azure -Gloss, Black/Volt -Matte, Vis Green/Royal -Gloss, Magenta/UltraViolet -Gloss
Visor: Integrated
Rotational Impact safety: Wavecel
Reasons to purchase
Magnetic buckle
+Wavecel Technology
+Uncomplicated visible design
Skate type helmets are each a method selection and a safety selection. On one hand, the thicker outer and prolonged protection {that a} skate type helmet gives means extra protection and the flexibility to face as much as daily abuses that youngsters put a helmet by means of. On the opposite hand, there’s a pure type component that some children desire. If each of these are what you’re searching for, then the Bontrager Jet WaveCel gives.
The different factor that this Bontrager helmet gives is rotational influence safety, like what MIPS gives, however with out the MIPS liner that may snag lengthy hair. In this case the expertise in use is named WaveCel. It’s a cloth made up of an open cell construction that appears a bit of like a bunch of straws held subsequent to one another. It replaces EPS foam within the development and it does double obligation as a alternative for a slip airplane expertise as nicely.
Bontrager additionally places certainly one of my favorite child particular applied sciences into this helmet, the magnetic buckle. You also can discover the Fidlock magnetic buckle in some grownup helmets however both approach, it makes use of magnets to connect as an alternative of a buckle. That makes it unimaginable to pinch pores and skin and really straightforward for fingers with much less energy to get open.
The solely draw back to the Jet helmet is that, as with different skate type helmets, it’s a bit heavy.
Best for the smallest kids
7. Giro Dime MIPS
Best children’ bike helmet for the smallest children
Specifications
Sizes Available: XS (47-51cm), S (51-55cm)
Colours Available: Matte Black, Matte Blue, Matte Bright Red, Matte Purple, Matte Screaming Teal
Visor: None
Rotational Impact safety: MIPS
Reasons to purchase
Smaller dimension accessible
+Amazing designs
+Visor is included and optionally available
Reasons to keep away from
Lacks a magnetic buckle
Parents know that sizing for youths is overly sophisticated and complicated. Actually, perhaps not all mother and father know this however I’m certain I’m not alone. There are a number of totally different dimension scales and it may be tough to determine what scale we’re utilizing and when. Plus, particularly in bike helmets, there appears to be a reasonably restricted vary of time you want particular children’ sizing. Bottom line, children want bike helmets from the time they’re sufficiently old to go in a trailer all the way in which up after they transfer to grownup sizing but it surely’s tough to search out helmets for the littlest children.
I needed to verify to incorporate a top quality helmet for the smallest children utilizing stability bikes or driving with an grownup. Predictably although, it’s not a easy factor. The very first helmet you would possibly want goes to be the Giro Scamp MIPS. As the title suggests there’s MIPS however there’s additionally a pinch guard buckle and maybe helpful, there’s an built-in visor. Given that the visor is structural, it’s sufficient to guard the higher brow even after they journey. There’s additionally a bunch of enjoyable color choices.
Now whereas the Giro Scamp MIPS begins at a 45cm head dimension, the Giro Dime MIPS is barely a bit of greater at 47cm for the XS. Both are nice helmets, however the skate type Giro Dime MIPS is probably going a extra usable vary for most children, plus the skate type design ought to maintain up higher given the heavy plastic outer. You’ll need to do some measuring however for my little one, the time he was really on a motorbike aligned higher with the marginally greater Dime. Just be ready to get down low and ensure you aren’t pinching your child’s neck as a result of there’s no magnetic buckle on this helmet.
The finest folding bike helmet for youths
8. Closca Kids Folding Helmet
The finest folding bike helmet for youths
Specifications
Sizes Available: Small (54-56cm), Medium (57-59cm)
Colours Available: leaves
Visor: detachable smooth visor
Rotational Impact safety: none
Reasons to purchase
Folding design permits it to flatten out
+Gorgeous detailing
+Easy to regulate chin strap
+Lightweight
Reasons to keep away from
Only a single color possibility
Closca is a excessive design folding helmet with attractive detailing and a ravishing really feel. More than that although, it’s a folding helmet. If your child must pack their helmet away, there’s nothing else prefer it available on the market. For children, Closca affords the identical nice design however with a novel color, stickers packaged with the helmet, and of their two smallest sizes. It’s price noting that the only color possibility is a little bit of constructive and adverse because it’s white and prone to present marks over time. As it comes out of the bundle although, it’s attractive.
Aside from the color, all of the options of the grownup helmets are nonetheless there. You get an NFC chip for storing emergency data in an easy-to-read format, or for renting bikes, in addition to selections for visors. There isn’t any particular rotational influence safety nevertheless because the helmet strikes in methods a non-folding helmet doesn’t. Closca claims “the influence is optimally dissipated due to micro-movements which can be higher distributed over the complete floor.”
If your little one has to hold a helmet in a backpack repeatedly, Closca is a novel resolution.
How to decide on the proper bike helmet for a child
Here’s what you need to think about when selecting the very best kids’s bike helmet to your little one.
How do I measure my child’s head dimension?
Helmet sizes are normally measured in centimetres across the circumference of their heads. That’s true for grownup helmets in addition to children’ bike helmets.
The finest approach to measure your kid’s head dimension is to make use of both a material tape or a bit of string. If you utilize the string technique, simply use a ruler to measure the string’s size. Measure across the largest part of their head, horizontally simply above the ears, ensuring that you simply take within the forehead and the occipital lobe, the bump on the rear of the cranium.
How do I ensure the match is correct?
Everybody buys garments massive and lets their children develop into them. When I sat down and chatted with Isla Rowntree, founding father of Islabikes, she relayed that bikes for youngsters usually final three years however are solely optimally sized for one. The first yr they’re too small for the bike and the final yr the bike is simply too small for them. Only through the center yr does the bike match a toddler completely. All that’s to say every part your child owns solely suits for a short while however a helmet needs to be proper on a regular basis. Don’t purchase a helmet too massive and allow them to develop into it. Also do not let it stick round too lengthy when it is small.
The helmet ought to sit low on a toddler’s head within the entrance and must be secure as soon as correctly adjusted. If it sits too far again or flops round, it is not the proper dimension. It must also be comfy and if it’s too tight it’s not the proper helmet. There’s a great quantity of adjustability in a helmet so you need to be capable of discover one that can final for some time. But by no means purchase one that does not match. A helmet that does not match is not secure.
Some helmets include a number of pad units with totally different thicknesses, so you may alter the match as your kid’s head grows. All can have a rear cradle with a dial adjuster or slider that permits you to modify the match for the circumference and depth of their head.
When else ought to I exchange my kid’s helmet?
Besides changing a helmet that they’ve grown out of, you need to at all times exchange a helmet that is been in a crash which entails a head influence. The EPS foam and the shell could have been broken and they also’ll be much less protecting in a subsequent crash.
The identical is true of a helmet that has been dropped. Although children’ helmets are normally designed with an additional degree of abuse resistance over light-weight grownup helmets, if it is fallen down the steps, for instance, it could have been broken. A helmet must also be saved out of direct daylight and should not be left in a automotive on a sizzling day.
Most helmet makers say you need to exchange a helmet after a interval of use, typically 5 years, because the EPS foam will degrade over time. Your child will nearly definitely have grown out of their helmet by then, but it surely’s price protecting in thoughts for hand-me-downs.
Does your kid’s helmet want MIPS?
Helmets are actually good at protecting you from a head harm within the occasion of a crash. At one cut-off date, saying that will have been a giant deal, however at this level, it is sort of the baseline requirement. Any helmet available on the market will meet a wide range of minimal necessities in an effort to be bought in a selected nation. But it turns on the market’s much more to protecting you secure than that baseline.
When an influence happens at an angle, which it nearly at all times does, in case your head stops shifting very abruptly it might probably trigger your mind to maneuver or stretch inside your cranium. Your little one can expertise a traumatic mind harm, extra sometimes called a concussion, from the mind shifting contained in the cranium. The present considering is that one of the best ways to unravel that is to permit for some motion between the helmet and the cranium.
MIPS is a model title that stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. It is one model’s resolution to the issue and the expertise is licensed by numerous helmet manufacturers, however there are different options to the identical downside with different model names utilized. On our listing of the very best children’ biking helmets there’s MIPS, Lazer’s Kineticore, and Bontrager’s Wavecel expertise represented however there are others as nicely.
If you’re buying a helmet to your little one, or for you, it’s a good suggestion to have some type of expertise designed to permit for angular rotation. It just isn’t a assure that the wearer has full safety in opposition to concussion, however proper now, the final consensus of analysis means that such a expertise is useful. That’s to not say {that a} helmet with out rotational influence safety expertise is unsafe. All helmets have to fulfill required security requirements earlier than being bought. Even if a helmet doesn’t have rotational influence safety it’s secure.
Instead of contemplating the selection binary, I desire to take a look at it as a consideration. There is a helmet for each dimension child that features some kind of rotational influence safety. There’s no downside so it is sensible to incorporate it within the helmet you purchase.
Does your child’s helmet want a visor?
A visor on a helmet is each a style selection and a useful selection. If your little one has a really upright bike, a visor is sensible to assist preserve the solar out of their eyes. Bikes that preserve the pinnacle decrease imply {that a} visor will get in the way in which of visibility. A visor can also assist cease branches and different obstacles hitting them within the face.
In sensible phrases which means highway bike helmets do not have visors and mountain bike helmets generally do. If the bike your little one has, in addition to the type you and your little one are going for, match up with a visor then they’re useful relying on the design. Many children assume the visor appears to be like cool and it is typically removeable too.
Does the buckle type matter?
The wanting it’s {that a} good buckle is price purchasing for. No mum or dad needs to harm their child and it is easy to harm them with the improper buckle. When you assist a toddler buckle their helmet you’re typically above them, making the realm underneath their chin tough to see. Even when you get down on a knee it may be laborious to evaluate the place the buckle is compared to the pores and skin. Not solely that but it surely’s a delicate space and pores and skin pinched within the buckle will damage!
As a mum or dad you will undergo loads to ensure you do not catch your kiddo’s pores and skin within the buckle. That would possibly imply plenty of additional time being cautious however it might probably additionally imply making the strap looser so it is much less of a difficulty. A strap that is too unfastened means the helmet is much less efficient and all the additional time is not enjoyable for anybody. Instead, search for a buckle that makes life simpler with some sort of no-catch system.
Does my little one have to put on a helmet when biking?
In a lot of the world, there is no authorized requirement to put on a helmet for biking. Most adults do put on one these days although and it is wise to supply the additional safety {that a} helmet gives to your offspring when they’re biking.
Kids do not at all times decide the danger concerned in a manoeuvre in addition to an grownup, in order that they’re extra prone to take a tumble. It’s then {that a} helmet provides additional security, even when their driving pace is prone to be decrease than yours. Choose a cool helmet they usually’re much less prone to make a fuss about sporting it.
How can we take a look at the very best children’ bike helmets?
My son is 11 now, happening 12. He began driving when he was simply sufficiently big to carry a stability bike. He has at all times worn a helmet on each experience, irrespective of how lengthy or brief. Through the years he is had plenty of helmets and plenty of of these are right here on this listing. When he was younger, he had a Giro Dime and as he is gotten older he is worn the Specialized Shuffle Youth in addition to the Bontrager Jet Wavecel. These days he is completely loving the choices from Nutcase and the bigger dimension suits him nicely. If we hadn’t tried a helmet previous to this text, he tried them on and we each checked the way it labored from his perspective and from mine as a mum or dad. He’s too previous for among the choices now and in these instances I relied on my previous expertise. This is a collaborative article and an inventory of choices we each really feel symbolize the very best available on the market.