Helmets for Children
Summary: Current child helmets perform well. Research is lacking on the impact tolerance of a child’s brain, and some researchers believe that the impact foam may be too stiff. Toddlers may not be able to support the weight of a heavy helmet. If in doubt, take helmet and child to your pediatrician and ask. Nobody recommends taking a child less than one year old on a bicycle or trailer. We refer to “toddler” helmets for ages 1 to 5, and “child” helmets for 6 to teens, but head size determines what to use.
Here are our pages on child helmets
Helmets for low income kids
Factors affecting promotion in equity emphasis zones
Are helmets with animals or spikes OK for kids?
Cute, but we don’t recommend them.
Consumer Reports has a few ratings of Kid’s helmets
Most are rated Good for impact protection.
Taking your baby along?
We recommend waiting until one year old
Taking your kids with you
Trailers, childseats and cargo bikes
Very small toddler helmets
Helmets for toddlers with very small heads
Very large toddler helmets
Ignore age labels, find one that fits
Helmets for toddlers with hydrocephalus
Extra-large heads need extra-large helmets
What size is my child’s head?
How to measure.
Getting My Child to Wear A Helmet
Ten ideas for encouraging your kids to use helmets
Why kids don’t like to wear helmets.
Reasons the kids give when asked
Warning: No helmets on playgrounds!
Advice after deaths of two helmeted children
Hairstyles and helmet fit
Baseball caps, pony tails, beads, braids, “helmet hair”
Lice! Head lice can be a problem
Cleaning helmets or caps for rentals and schools
Kids in Dublin Ohio mount bike safety campaign
Lots of energy, new ideas as kids conduct their own program
Our pamphlet on child helmets
Advice on buying, fitting and wearing them
How to fit a child’s helmet
The best page we have seen on fitting
A kids tricycle pamphlet called First Wheels, First Helmets
From the Monroe, WI, Safe Kids Coalition
Teaching toddlers to wear helmets
An exchange of Internet messages
Smallest child helmets in our review of helmet brands for this year
Just search the page for XXS
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