Specialized by name, specialised by nature. You can tell straight away that this helmet’s been made by folks who are really into cycling. It feels like it has everything you’d want for yourself as an adult, but downsized by kids. First up, it’s a MIPS helmet, so it’s got that extra layer of peace of mind should an accident befall your kid. Second, it’s got the best integrated LED light of any we saw. It’s positioned lengthways on the back so there’s no chance of it getting tucked into a hood and being completely redundant.
With an auto-fit feature, we loved that we didn’t have to worry about adjusting this helmet for our kids. And it also seemed easier for them to put it on than some others in testing, too. Lazer have positioned the straps so that the buckle rests on their cheek rather than under the chin which stopped any painful pinching when we were doing up their helmets.
Our tester absolutely loved this helmet, and despite being a reluctant helmet wearer, they were happy to walk about in this even when they weren’t on a bike or scooter. Whether this is because it’s so comfy, or because they were drawn in by the brightly coloured dinosaurs we’re not sure – but whatever works!
Micro Scooters children’s deluxe 3D helmet, unicorn
We defy any kid under the age of nine to not gasp when they see this helmet. Our six-year-old tester fell hook, line and sinker for it. Maybe it’s the hot pink unicorn horn atop it, or the rainbow ribbon tail – but it definitely matches most younger kids’ aesthetics. Handily, it also makes it easy to pick your child out from a crowd of scooting kids on the school run.
If you’re after an eco-friendly helmet, this is a great option. The foam is recycled, while the straps are made from recycled plastic bottles. The lining is sustainable bamboo (which is also very breathable) and the whole thing is painted in water-based paint.
We liked the retro, subtle vibes of this helmet. The pillar box red with white writing made it easy to spot our kids in the skate park. Although Janod has produced this to be used in conjunction with its balance bike, it is perfectly good for scooting and biking too.
Our kids enjoyed that this helmet has an actual scene of dinosaurs on it. From a T-rex playing baseball with an asteroid to a Plesiosaur chasing a shoal of fish, there’s something new to look at every time on this lid. Print design aside, there’s lots of great features in this Hornit helmet. And if dinos aren’t your thing then Hornit does a vast range of other kid-friendly designs.
This incredibly lightweight helmet has the most air vents of any we tested, so is great for kids who are super active and work up a bit of a sweat. The sporty red (other colours are available) is complemented by a black visor to keep the sun out of little one’s eyes. We might be biased, but we also appreciated the stamp inside that reads “Listen to your mom”. Full testing disclosure, it didn’t make an iota of difference but it’s good to know someone’s on your side, right?
This bowl helmet is pretty straight up, but always tests well. Older kids will appreciate that it’s more pared back, in a plain colourway. And it looks more like a cool skate helmet really. Our tester was happy to strap it on, and it seemed to be a hit. The sizing is adjustable using a one-hand turn dial. There’s a reflective inner sticker on the dial for a little extra safety in low light.
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Picking the best helmet for your child or teen can be tricky. The rush of propelling themselves forward on a bike or scooter for a kid is often made slightly less appealing if they’re wearing a helmet. But these helmets are sure to win them over…
There’s no law in the UK that states kids have to wear helmets when on a bike or scooter, but wearing one is very much for the best. Chances are your little thrill seeker is going to take a tumble at one time or another and a helmet can prevent a minor scrape being something significantly worse.
When choosing a helmet, safety is of the utmost importance. Not only do they need to meet strict safety standards – you can read more on the specifics in our FAQs later – but the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accident (RoSPA) has given us some advice on what to look out for before your little one rides off.
“It’s of paramount importance that the helmet fits well,” says the RoSPA. “If a helmet is too small, it will sit too high and fail to protect the lower part of the head. If it is too big, the helmet will not be securely fitted to the cyclist’s head and could shift during a collision.”
They added that, “The helmet should fit snugly around the head, but it should not feel tight and should not move more than an inch in any direction. The straps should form a ‘V’ under the earlobes and the cyclist should not be able to fit more than two fingers between their chin strap and chin.” You should get a helmet that fits your child’s head now – don’t look for one with growing room.
But while you might be convinced on the idea of a helmet, your child may not be. To avoid any arguments, get your child involved in choosing their helmet. There are so many colours and designs to choose from and the more excited they are about it, the more likely they are to wear it. Many also have LED lights – mainly for safety, but they’re fun too – while vents will keep their heads from getting sweaty (delightful) and some have easy-fasten buckles so kids can feel independent in getting their helmets on and off themselves.
We recruited toddlers up to primary-school kids to try our top picks
(Zoe Phillimore)
How we tested
We recruited kid testers from toddlers up to primary-school aged kids to put the helmets through their paces. We scooted and biked our way through pretty much every helmet design under the sun. The helmets that made the final cut are the ones that offer comfort and protection – this was something we didn’t compromise on.
They also were ones our kids were happy to wear and in fact, enjoyed wearing. Elements such as LED lights, adjustable sizing, weight and easy-to-use clasps also factored into our decision.
The best kids’ bike helmets for 2023 are:
Best overall – Specialized shuffle LED: £50, Specialized.com
Best for easy fitting – Lazer nutz kineticore kids helmet: £39.99, Freewheel.co.uk
Best for babies – Lazer pnut kineticore kids helmet: £39.99, Freewheel.co.uk
Best for wow factor – Micro Scooters children’s deluxe 3D helmet, unicorn: £39.95, Micro-scooters.co.uk
Specialized by name, specialised by nature. You can tell straight away that this helmet’s been made by folks who are really into cycling. It feels like it has everything you’d want for yourself as an adult, but downsized by kids. First up, it’s a MIPS helmet, so it’s got that extra layer of peace of mind should an accident befall your kid. Second, it’s got the best integrated LED light of any we saw. It’s positioned lengthways on the back so there’s no chance of it getting tucked into a hood and being completely redundant.
From a comfort point of view, it’s got huge air vents and is lightweight. Even after wearing it scooting around the playground, our testers remained cool. The shuffle also has a visor to keep sunlight out of their eyes. The straps are super soft, and didn’t chafe at all – plus there’s hi-vis reflective strips woven into them for extra safety.
Visibility : Compatible with the Universal Lazer LED
With an auto-fit feature, we loved that we didn’t have to worry about adjusting this helmet for our kids. And it also seemed easier for them to put it on than some others in testing, too. Lazer have positioned the straps so that the buckle rests on their cheek rather than under the chin which stopped any painful pinching when we were doing up their helmets.
There are plenty of vents to keep air circulating, and mesh to stop bugs flying in. There are thick “controlled crumple zones” at the front and back of the helmet, which don’t make it seem blocky but provide extra protection in an accident. There’s also temple coverage. The nutz is incredibly lightweight too, which meant our kids were unphased by wearing it. We tested a helmet with a green dragon design, but there are 10 design options to suit children’s different tastes and interests.
Visibility : Compatible with the Universal Lazer LED
Our tester absolutely loved this helmet, and despite being a reluctant helmet wearer, they were happy to walk about in this even when they weren’t on a bike or scooter. Whether this is because it’s so comfy, or because they were drawn in by the brightly coloured dinosaurs we’re not sure – but whatever works!
The helmet feels comfy because it’s well padded and fitted with Lazer’s EZ fit fitting system – essentially it auto adjusts to the child. There’s also loads of ventilation and mesh over the ones where bugs might fly in. A thicker brim should help in an accident to stop your child hurting their face too much, and it also slightly shades their eyes. This helmet also has a slightly flatter back, which will allow your little one to sit back fully in their bike seat if they’re a passenger on an adult’s bike.
Micro Scooters children’s deluxe 3D helmet, unicorn
Best: For wow factor
Size: 48cm - 54cm or 55cm - 58cm
Design: One
Air vents : Yes
Visibility : LED rear light
We defy any kid under the age of nine to not gasp when they see this helmet. Our six-year-old tester fell hook, line and sinker for it. Maybe it’s the hot pink unicorn horn atop it, or the rainbow ribbon tail – but it definitely matches most younger kids’ aesthetics. Handily, it also makes it easy to pick your child out from a crowd of scooting kids on the school run.
The helmet is easy to adjust with one hand, the LED light on the back doubles up as an adjustable dial and there are plenty of vent holes, although mesh. However, these vent holes are smaller than on some other helmets, so bugs might not fly in quite as easily. Our tester liked the clasp on this helmet as it draws itself together with magnets, and there’s no pinching clasp.
If you’re after an eco-friendly helmet, this is a great option. The foam is recycled, while the straps are made from recycled plastic bottles. The lining is sustainable bamboo (which is also very breathable) and the whole thing is painted in water-based paint.
As on other micro helmets, there’s an LED light/adjustable dial combo at the back. There’s also a magnetic clasp under the chin to prevent pinching. Our testers were drawn to all the whales on this design, and we felt like it was a good compromise between style and being appealing to kids (often the two factors don’t marry).
We liked the retro, subtle vibes of this helmet. The pillar box red with white writing made it easy to spot our kids in the skate park. Although Janod has produced this to be used in conjunction with its balance bike, it is perfectly good for scooting and biking too.
The adjustable click dial at the back is easy enough to use one handed, and it’s well padded at the back and front. There are similar vents to Micro’s range of helmets – that’s to say they’re small and unmeshed, but there’s plenty of ‘em. Our tester seemed happy with this helmet. They weren’t sweaty, even after a long scoot, nor were they itching to take it off.
It is sold out at the moment in this red colourway, but is still available in pink (£20.69, Smallkins.com).
Our kids enjoyed that this helmet has an actual scene of dinosaurs on it. From a T-rex playing baseball with an asteroid to a Plesiosaur chasing a shoal of fish, there’s something new to look at every time on this lid. Print design aside, there’s lots of great features in this Hornit helmet. And if dinos aren’t your thing then Hornit does a vast range of other kid-friendly designs.
The adjustable dial doubles up as an LED light, and can be altered using one hand. There are plenty of air vents, and plenty of padding inside. Our testers seemed to find this helmet really comfortable. It’s not the most lightweight in the line up, but nor is it the clunkiest.
This incredibly lightweight helmet has the most air vents of any we tested, so is great for kids who are super active and work up a bit of a sweat. The sporty red (other colours are available) is complemented by a black visor to keep the sun out of little one’s eyes. We might be biased, but we also appreciated the stamp inside that reads “Listen to your mom”. Full testing disclosure, it didn’t make an iota of difference but it’s good to know someone’s on your side, right?
The Woom also comes with two different thicknesses of pads which are interchangeable. For further adjustment there’s a one-handed click dial at the back. Other elements that our tester liked were the cord straps around the ears, while we liked the temple protection the helmet offered. There’s a quick-release magnetic fastening, allowing for added independence and the chin pad was fantastic for added comfort.
This bowl helmet is pretty straight up, but always tests well. Older kids will appreciate that it’s more pared back, in a plain colourway. And it looks more like a cool skate helmet really. Our tester was happy to strap it on, and it seemed to be a hit. The sizing is adjustable using a one-hand turn dial. There’s a reflective inner sticker on the dial for a little extra safety in low light.
The chin strap gets top marks – it buckles at the cheek so no chins were pinched in the testing of this helmet, and there’s a really nice sweat-resistant chin pad too. Inside, the padding is pretty simple but it is thick. Plenty of air holes (but no mesh) also kept things comfortable for our mini tester.
What are the safety standards kids’ helmets need to meet?
Children’s helmets need to meet strict safety standards, and if they do they should carry a sticker that mentions EN1080 or EN1078 inside. The EN1080 standard indicates it’s a specific children’s helmet, which carry straps that are designed to quick release during a collision to prevent the child from choking.
Some helmets also come with MIPS (multidirectional-impact protection system). Essentially MIPS’ patented technology is the gold standard of helmet safety. It’s a lining inside the helmet that allows the helmet to move slightly on impact to help prevent head injury.
The verdict: Kids’ bike helmets
We cannot fault the Specialized helmet. It’s clearly well made, with thoughtful design elements and an absolute focus on safety and comfort. It’s lightweight, and has plenty of air holes. And the fact it has MIPS provides that extra bit of peace of mind for us.
If you’re after something less bike-y, then the Woom is sporty, fun and incredibly comfortable. Even though the design is simple, kid testers seemed to be really drawn to this helmet.