1. Quick list
2. Cold weather
3. Mountain bike
4. Creative styles
5. Long hair
6. Integrated light
7. Skate style for long hair
8. Small children
9. Folding
10. How to choose
Anyone looking for the best kids’ bike helmet probably has a love for cycling and is looking to pass that along. As a parent myself I know that one of the most rewarding things is passing on my own interests to my children and seeing what they do with it. My son was in a bike trailer long before he could walk and he had his own first balance bike not long after. He's always been an enthusiastic helper testing the best kids’ bikes and sharing his thoughts with readers.
As he's grown and changed, his interests have changed and he's taken to riding different kinds of bikes. You'll rarely catch me on a flat bar bike but he's had a lot of fun on many of them over the years. One thing has never changed though and that is my family's commitment to safety.
My son has always worn a helmet on every ride. Making that a reality has meant finding helmets that weren't a punishment to wear. Just like the best road bike helmet for you, a kids' bike helmet should be comfortable and fit securely. A good kids' bike helmet should also be stylish and even more than an adult helmet it should be able to take the wear and tear of life. Keep reading to see the helmet's that I've found work best for kids.
Quick list
Cold weather
A good quality skate style helmet with an optional cold weather kit to keep little heads warm and toasty.
Mountain bike
The same style and protection as one of the best adult mountain bike helmets available but sized for a kid.
Integrated light
Add safety with a blinking light integrated into the rear of the helmet.
Small children
One of the smallest helmets available on the market and it includes MIPS technology.
My son is 12 and he’s ridden a bike since the time he’s been able to lift a balance bike. Together we’ve tested bike helmets for kids for over a decade while I've also tested all manner of adult helmets, from aero road to those made for riding an ebike. I know what it’s like to be a father helping a child with a helmet and I know what it’s like to use a helmet.
Best kids' bike helmets
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Best in cold weather
One challenge with skate style helmets is the weight and lack of ventilation. With the Nino 2.0 Bern has taken a look at exactly those issues. You can still expect the greater coverage of a skate style helmet but they've lightened it and there is more venting than some of the competitors.
Part of that drive for a light and durable helmet is something Bern calls. Zip Mold+ foam technology. The outer layer of the helmet uses a durable PVC that’s tough enough to minimise its weight. Inside of that is a proprietary Zip Mold+ liquid injected foam that allows the brand to use just enough foam and not more. The effect is a helmet that’s both tough enough for everyday bumps when off the head as well as light enough to remain safe and comfortable on the head.
The feature that really sets the Bern Nino apart though is the accessories available. Specifically Bern offers a cold weather liner that allows kids to stay warm while riding when it’s chilly. You could use a hat in any helmet but this way the fit isn’t compromised and it’s one less ting to worry about keeping track of. What would be really nice is if Bern also added a magnetic buckle to the mix as standard buckles can be difficult for kids and require adults to take care not to pinch any skin.
If you kid rides when it’s cold out the Bern Nino is a good choice.
Best mountain bike helmet
Fox racing is one of the biggest and best known brands in mountain biking. The brand offers a wide range of products for mountain biking including helmets. Among that offering is the Speedframe as a general purpose mountain bike helmet. To make sure kids are covered with the same great quality, the Fox Racing Youth Mainframe takes the same iconic design of the Speedframe and sizes it down.
Adult or kid, helmets designed for use on a mountain bike have a couple of differences. Like skate style helmets they come down a bit farther in the back and on the sides. They also use a much bigger visor to help shield the sun as you sit more upright on a mountain bike. On top of functional reasons, there's some amount of style involved as well. The Fox Youth Mainframe MIPS brings those advantages to a kid in a helmet that at 337 grams feels quite light and certainly looks the part.
There are some disadvantages carried over from the adult helmet as well. MIPS is a great technology to have on a helmet but MIPS technology has been updated over the years. Both the adult Speedframe and the youth Mainframe still use the older style MIPS though. For many it won’t matter but it can catch long hair. There’s also no vertical adjustment in the rear cradle limiting overall adjustment.
Although there are some small details that could use massaging, the Fox Racing youth Mainframe does a great job of mimicking an adult mountain bike helmet. It’s light and airy with a quality visor. If your kid is on a mountain bike this is a great option.
The most fun you can have with a helmet
My kiddo has the opportunity to give his opinion on a lot of helmets. His general attitude is resignation and apathy. He checks them out, gives an opinion and moves on. When the Nutcase little nutty arrived, it was a totally different experience. He opened up the Watermelon w/MIPS and his eyes lit up. He thought it was hilarious and wanted to go for a ride right away. That helmet is gone now but the brand is constantly rotating in new styles. When it comes to helmets, fashion matters and Nutcase makes great looking helmets that are fun to wear.
Even with the emphasis on style though, there's plenty of safety on board. The skateboard style means extra coverage on the sides and back and while many helmets need replacement in the event of a drop Nutcase helmets hold up to kids a bit better. The thick plastic exterior means light bangs and drops don't turn a nice helmet into trash. There's also MIPS on board. Unfortunately all that does add up to a helmet that is on the heavy side.
When it comes to fit, the Little Nutty Youth is on the large size and works for kids who could move into an adult small. The Little Nutty in toddler size will work for smaller kids and for the smallest riders, there's also the baby nutty.
Best kids bike helmet for long hair
Most of the helmets on this list use MIPS. MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System and is a technology that allows for rotation of a helmet, around the skull, in a crash. Part of the early generation of MIPS technology is a liner and not everyone loves the feel of that liner and long hair can catch in it. At the same time, MIPS is also a specific brand and there are other options.
One of the options is what Lazer uses and it’s called KinetiCore. Kineticore doesn’t use a liner but instead builds what are essentially crumple zones right into the foam of the helmet. You can’t feel them but you still get the benefit of rotational impact protection without any chance of long hair catching.
The Lazer Nutz Kineticore and Lazer Pnut Kineticore are the Kineticore options that Lazer makes available for younger riders. Along with Kineticore the Lazer Nutz also increases rear and side coverage as well as offering eight different designs. For the adults who have to buckle helmets, Lazer has moved the placement of the buckle to the cheek to minimise pinching issues. Unfortunately the buckle used is still a standard, non-magnetic, design.
If your kid has long hair the Lazer Kineticore helmets are an excellent option.
Best kids bike helmet with an integrated light
Day or night, one of the best ways to increase visibility on a bike is with a light. I also handle our guide to the best bike lights and I’m a big proponent of putting tons of lights on everyone's bikes but especially urban bikes and bikes for kids. My son has pedals with lights and there’s normally a front and rear light on his bike. At the same time, I know all that stuff is kind of a hassle and not everyone is going to use it. Including an integrated light on a helmet makes adding visibility easy.
The Specialized Shuffle Youth LED is a mountain bike style helmet that addresses the need without costing a fortune. In the rear of the helmet, you will find an integrated light that turns on with only a press of the lens. It is a little tough to actually press so, at least first, it’s probably a good idea to press it before putting the helmet on a head.
The light isn’t the only feature worth noting either. There’s also extended side and rear coverage as well as a visor. The side straps don’t have an adjustable Y-connector which could limit adjustability but, since Specialized got them in the right spot, also means there’s no need to bother kids while you fix it for them. For older kids, who might be off on their own, the Specialized ANGi Crash Sensor is compatible with this helmet for even greater parental peace of mind.
Just a note about sizing on this one. There is actually more than one size available but the name is different. If you need a smaller size look for the Shuffle Child LED and for the smallest size you can turn to the Mio MIPS although it does lack the integrated light of the larger two.
Best skate style helmet for long hair
Skate style helmets are both a style choice and a protection choice. On one hand, the thicker outer and extended coverage that a skate style helmet provides means more coverage and the ability to stand up to every day abuses that kids put a helmet through. On the other hand, there’s a pure style element that some kids prefer. If both of those are what you are looking for, then the Bontrager Jet WaveCel provides.
The other thing that this Bontrager helmet provides is rotational impact protection, like what MIPS provides, but without the MIPS liner that can snag long hair. In this case the technology in use is called WaveCel. It's a material made up of an open cell structure that looks a little like a bunch of straws held next to each other. It replaces EPS foam in the construction and it does double duty as a replacement for a slip plain technology as well.
Bontrager also puts one of my favourite kid specific technologies into this helmet, the magnetic buckle. You can also find the Fidlock magnetic buckle in some adult helmets but either way, it uses magnets to attach instead of a buckle. That makes it impossible to pinch skin and very easy for hands with less strength to get open.
The only downside to the Jet helmet is that, as with other skate style helmets, it’s a bit heavy.
Best for the smallest children
Parents know that sizing for kids is overly complicated and confusing. Actually, maybe not all parents know this but I’m sure I’m not alone. There are multiple different size scales and it can be difficult to figure out what scale we are using and when. Plus, especially in bike helmets, there seems to be a rather limited range of time you need specific kids sizing. Bottom line, kids need bike helmets from the time they are old enough to go in a trailer all the way up when they move to adult sizing but it’s difficult to find helmets for the littlest kids.
I wanted to make sure to include a quality helmet for the smallest kids using balance bikes or riding with an adult. Predictably though, it’s not a simple thing. The very first helmet you might need is going to be the Giro Scamp MIPS. As the name suggests there is MIPS but there’s also a pinch guard buckle and perhaps useful, there’s an integrated visor. Given that the visor is structural, it’s enough to protect the upper forehead even when they trip. There’s also a bunch of fun colour options.
Now while the Giro Scamp MIPS starts at a 45cm head size, the Giro Dime MIPS is only a little bigger at 47cm for the XS. Both are great helmets but the skate style Giro Dime MIPS is likely a more usable range for most kids plus the skate style design should hold up better given the heavy plastic outer. You’ll have to do some measuring but for my child, the time he was actually on a bike aligned better with the slightly bigger Dime. Just be prepared to get down low and make sure you aren’t pinching your kids neck because there’s no magnetic buckle in this helmet.
The best folding bike helmet for kids
Closca is a high design folding helmet with gorgeous detailing and a beautiful feel. More than that though, it’s a folding helmet. If your kid needs to pack their helmet away, there’s nothing else like it on the market. For kids Closca offers the same great design but with a unique colour, stickers packaged with the helmet, and in their two smallest sizes. It’s worth noting that the single colour option is a bit of positive and negative since it’s white and likely to show marks over time. As it comes out of the package though, it’s gorgeous.
Aside from the colour, all the features of the adult helmets are still there. You get an NFC chip for storing emergency information in an easy-to- read format, or for renting bikes, as well as choices for visors. There is no specific rotational impact protection however as the helmet moves in ways a non-folding helmet does not Closca claims "the impact is optimally dissipated thanks to micro-movements that are better distributed over the entire surface."
If your child has to carry a helmet in a backpack regularly, Closca is a unique solution.
How to choose the right bike helmet for a kid?
How do I make sure the fit is right?
Everybody buys clothes big and lets their kids grow into them. When I sat down and chatted with Isla Rowntree, founder of Isla Bikes, she relayed that bikes for children typically last three years but are only optimally sized for one. The first year they are too small for the bike and the last year the bike is too small for them. Only during the middle year does the bike fit a child perfectly. All that is to say everything your kid owns only fits for a short time but a helmet has to be right all the time. Don't buy a helmet too big and let them grow into it. Also don't let it stick around too long when it's small.
The helmet should sit low on a child's head in the front and should be stable once properly adjusted. If it sits too far back or flops around, it's not the right size. It should also be comfortable and if it’s too tight it’s not the right helmet. There's a good amount of adjustability in a helmet so you should be able to find one that will last for a while. But never buy one that doesn't fit. A helmet that doesn't fit isn't safe.
Some helmets come with multiple pad sets with different thicknesses, so you can alter the fit as your child's head grows. All will have a rear cradle that lets you adjust the fit for the circumference and depth of their head.
Does your child's helmet need MIPS?
Helmets are really good at keeping you from a head injury in the event of a crash. At one point in time, saying that would have been a big deal, but at this point, it's kind of the baseline requirement. Any helmet on the market will meet a variety of minimum requirements in order to be sold in a particular country. But it turns out there's a lot more to keeping you safe than that baseline.
When an impact occurs at an angle, which it almost always does, if your head stops moving very abruptly it can cause your brain to move or stretch within your skull. Your child can experience a traumatic brain injury, more often referred to as a concussion, from the brain moving inside the skull. The current thinking is that the best way to solve this is to allow for some movement between the helmet and the skull.
MIPS is a brand name that stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. It is one brand's solution to the problem and the technology is licensed by various helmet brands, but there are other solutions to the same problem with other brand names applied. On our list of the best kids' cycling helmets there is MIPS, Lazer's Kineticore, and Bontrager's Wavecel technology represented but there are others as well.
If you are purchasing a helmet for your child, or for you, it’s a good idea to have some form of technology designed to allow for angular rotation. It is not a guarantee that the wearer has complete protection against concussion, but right now, the general consensus of research suggests that this type of technology is helpful. That’s not to say that a helmet without rotational impact protection technology is unsafe. All helmets have to meet required safety standards before being sold. Even if a helmet doesn’t have rotational impact protection it’s safe.
Instead of considering the choice binary, I prefer to look at it as a consideration. There is a helmet for every size kid that includes some type of rotational impact protection. There’s no drawback so it makes sense to include it in the helmet you buy.
Does your kid's helmet need a visor?
A visor on a helmet is both a fashion choice and a functional choice. If your child has a very upright bike, a visor makes sense to help keep the sun out of their eyes. Bikes that keep the head lower mean that a visor will get in the way of visibility. A visor may also help stop branches and other obstacles hitting them in the face.
In practical terms that means road bike helmets don't have visors and mountain bike helmets sometimes do. If the bike your child has, as well as the style you and your child are going for, match up with a visor then they are helpful depending on the design. Many kids think the visor looks cool too.
Does the buckle style matter?
The short of it is that a good buckle is worth shopping for. No parent wants to hurt their kid and it's easy to hurt them with the wrong buckle. When you help a child buckle their helmet you are often above them making the area under their chin difficult to see. Even if you get down on a knee it can be hard to judge where the buckle is in comparison to the skin. Not only that but it's a sensitive area and skin pinched in the buckle will hurt!
As a parent you'll go through a lot to make sure you don't catch your kiddos skin in the buckle. That might mean lots of extra time being careful but it can also mean making the strap looser so it's less of an issue. A strap that's too loose means the helmet is less effective and all the extra time isn't fun for anyone. Instead, look for a buckle that makes life easier with some kind of no catch system.
How do we test the best kids’ bike helmets?
My son is 11 now, going on 12. He started riding when he was just big enough to lift a balance bike. He has always worn a helmet on every ride, no matter how long or short. Through the years he's had lots of helmets and many of those are here in this list. When he was young, he had a Giro Dime and as he's gotten older he's worn the Specialized Shuffle Youth as well as the Bontrager Jet Wavecel. These days he's absolutely loving the options from Nutcase and the larger size fits him well. If we hadn't tried a helmet prior to this article, he tried them on and we both checked how it worked from his perspective and from mine as a parent. He's too old for some of the options now and in those cases I relied on my past experience. This is a collaborative article and a list of options we both feel represent the best on the market.
