Kids DOT Motorcycle Helmet

As you likely wouldn't send your child out on their bicycle without a helmet, making sure that your child has a great motorcycle helmet is extremely important. Kids motorcycle helmets are essential to matter what size bike they are riding. Whether you have purchased your child their first dirtbike or you are planning on bringing them along with you on your motorcycle, you need to take proper consideration in purchasing the right kids motorcycle helmets that will fit well and serve their purpose in the worst-case scenario.

A kids motorcycle helmet needs to be picked with the same level of scrutiny that you would choose a helmet for yourself. They need to fall under the correct certification for the road if you plan on taking your child on a road bike and should likely follow the same certification even for motocross or off-road helmet. A safe quality helmet that fits your child currently is essential. Unlike skates, a helmet really isn't something that you grow into. Giving a child a kids motorcycle helmet that is too big for them could potentially put them at risk in the event of an accident.

Keep in mind that children can often run into problems while operating a motorcycle or while in the event of a crash. A helmet could likely be one of the only lines of defense against a dangerous accident as a child that has less experience with writing will not know how to react in the event of a crash or how to control their bike to prevent a crash. With the right type of helmet that is designed to fit a child you can prevent serious injuries which can impact their development or potentially risk their health and well-being for the future. Here are some top considerations when picking up kids motorcycle helmets:

Padding:

Padding and support is a really big aspect of what makes up an adequate kids motorcycle helmet. If a child doesn't have enough of the interior padding to make their helmet fit or to make sure that their head and neck area is supported they can often run into issues with comfort as well as serious injury in the event of a crash. The neck and the head are two of the main considerations in any type of motorcycle crash so it's important to check on the padding and make sure that the helmet fits snugly with the inner liner, cheek pads, neck support and any other type of padding that included. Be sure to check into the thickness of the padding and that it feels quite rigid and strong. As a child continues to wear the helmet the padding can go down as much as 15 to 20% over time so the helmet should fit quite snugly at the beginning. Remember that with more padding your child can have a much easier time during any type of accident and with head trauma. Many kids are more interested in the way that their helmet actually looks rather than how much protection a helmet can provide. Be sure to consider sacrificing the look of the helmet in favor of one that can feel more comfortable and protect more accordingly.

Fullface helmet:

A full Face helmet is definitely one of the biggest considerations when picking a kids motorcycle helmet. A motorcycle helmet that covers the entire facial area as well as the neck and head will be a great way to offer more protection to your child. It doesn't necessarily have to match the rest of their motorcycle gear but make sure that your child is well outfitted with a helmet that covers their entire face of that they can be prepared for any type of emergency or accident. There are some half helmets available for children but most experts especially in off-road would recommend a full helmet as it can prevent scrapes and serious damage.

Full certification:

Just as you would not pick out a motorcycle helmet that isn't safe for the road make sure that your kids motorcycle helmet also has the same certification. DOT does offer certifications to kids motorcycle helmets under the new standard and this means that any of the helmets that you purchase for your children could be safe to use on the road if they are a passenger on your bike as well. This can not only improve the value of the helmet that you purchase but it can make sure the kids are wearing the most protective safety gear possible no matter what type of motorcycle activity that they are planning on trying out.

Never buy used:

Buying a used kids helmet is never a good idea while some of the most expensive kids helmets can go upwards of $400, is well worth paying the extra money to make sure that your child is well protected in the event of the worst-case scenario. When a helmet becomes modified, cracked or even involved in several accidents it can start to wear down the durability of the helmet and the protective qualities that it can offer. As weak spots continue to wear into the helmet it could be just a matter of time before the next crash does real damage to the rider. If your child is involved in a major crash with a helmet you have purchased and it damages the components or the helmet looks visibly damaged, replace it before they go back out so that they can be protected for many types of falls and accidents.

Fit helmets regularly:

With kids helmets it's important to make sure that your kids have the full protection that they deserve. As a parent or guardian it's very important that you regularly inspect the helmet for defects, problems with padding, changes to material as well as make sure that the straps fit correctly too. By regularly checking helmet fit you will know exactly when it's time to buy a new kids helmet as a child is likely going to continue growing throughout their motorcycle hobby!