9 best bike helmets for kids that they’ll actually want to wear

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.

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.

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.

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.