Can Kids Wear Adult Motorcycle Helmets?

Whether your kid gets interested in biking, or you want to take your kid on your dirt bike for a ride, protection is one of the key factors to ensure a safe and fun experience. As you may already know, biking itself is a dangerous activity, especially for children.

Typically, children shouldn’t wear adult helmets since these products are specifically designed for adults. Thankfully, many manufacturers have created a youth helmet designed to fit a child’s head. These youth helmets tend to be more secure for a child since they ensure a tight fit according to their head.

In this post, we’re going to give you an overview of things to consider regarding getting a helmet for your child in your nearest shop.

Consider Your Children’s Age

Your child may or may not be able to wear an adult helmet, depending on their age. Generally speaking, kids aged from 11 to 14 years old may wear medium adult-sized helmets since they’re adjustable. However, younger kids may have to go for a youth motorcycle helmet to avoid problems.

Keep in mind these are approximate calculations. If you want to know specifically what helmet type suits your child, you may have to measure your kid’s head to know what they can use for safety while riding a motorcycle.

How Do You Size a Motorcycle Helmet for A Child?

Measuring your child’s head is fairly easy, and it may not take you more than a couple of minutes. Remember that if children are wearing helmets too big for their heads, they may not be able to adjust them, which is why it’s vital to get the right sizing.

In essence, you must measure the kid’s head circumference. You may use a ruler and a string or a cloth measuring tape. To begin, take the measuring tape and wrap it around the kid’s head, above their eyebrows. Once you get the size written down, you may compare it with a helmet manufacturer’s sizing chart. Most brands have these charts for both kids and adults, so they should be easy to find.

If you want to know how to choose the best helmet for your son or daughter, keep reading this post!

How to Choose the Right Helmet for Kids

There are several things to keep in mind before buying a youth helmet (or a helmet in general). Remember your main focus is to ensure safety for your kids while riding a bike, so make sure to follow the following guidelines in this post.

Bike Helmet Standards

First, you must ensure that your helmets are DOT, EPSC, ECE, or Snell-approved. These ensure the helmet can endure a crash and protect your kid’s head and neck properly. Most popular brands include their bike standards in the product’s name. Otherwise, you can ask directly to the brand.

Weight and Size

Many parents tend to buy adult-size helmets for their kids because they don’t want to keep buying a new helmet as the kid’s head grows. However, this is a huge mistake since helmets that are too big in size or weight may not offer enough protection for your kid, regardless of the model.

In some cases, you could wear a slightly bigger helmet but make up for the extra bit of space with liner and padding. Additionally, try not to purchase protective gear that feels too heavy for your kid; lighter gear can make the experience much more enjoyable for them.

Padding

A helmet’s padding is as important as its shell, weight, or size. If your child wears a light, tight-fitting helmet, they’re going to feel more comfortable and could also have better protection against crashes. Padding includes cheek pads (typically made from foam) that minimize any hard crashes or related accidents over the course of the bike ride.

Combining the helmet’s padding with the shell, you’re going to ensure much more safety for your child regardless of their age.

Coverage

When it comes to a youth helmet, it would be best if you buy a full-face model. Half-face is also popular, but it may not offer many safety measures for your son or daughter. Full-face coverage may have harder shells, making the helmet feel heavier for the child. However, that’s better in the long run.

Additionally, you must compliment your helmet with a bar that helps protect your children’s jaw and chin from any hits.

Responsibility

Even if your son or daughter wore the perfect BMX helmet for them, you must check it frequently to ensure everything is good to go. Children often try to play with the helmet, which may make it feel loose. In case you find any problem with the existing helmet, consider going to the nearest location that sells equipment and buy another one.

Can Adults Wear a Youth Helmet?

While children may not use an adult helmet since it could cause safety problems, an adult can use a youth helmet if it fits. Buying a helmet made for children can cost much less than buying an adult one. However, adult equipment may have extra accessories that parents may miss at the time of riding their bike with their children.

As long as the helmet has a hard shell and complies with at least DOT/Snell guidelines, it’s safe to go for anyone that can fir their head into it.

Conclusion

Finding a location with the right helmet for youth isn’t as hard as it may sound, especially if you already have their head measurements. Regardless of the brand you choose, make sure to search for one that can provide your children with every security measure possible.

Riding a bike with your family can be one of the most exciting activities to do, but you must do it responsibly if you want to avoid accidents. According to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in 2019, proper equipment can prevent motorcycle deaths up to 37% and significant brain injury up to 67%.

Keep in mind that wearing a helmet isn’t mandatory in many states, which is alarming. Regardless of the activity you’re going to do with your motorbike, you must ensure that both yourself and your kids are protected accordingly.