Ensuring your child wears a helmet every time they hop on a bike is a non-negotiable aspect of responsible parenting. Luckily, gone are the days of bulky, uncomfortable helmets. Today’s Youth Bike Helmets are designed with advanced technology, prioritizing safety, comfort, and even style to make them appealing for kids to wear.
Many modern helmets now incorporate rotational impact protection systems like Mips, adding an extra layer of safety. However, rest assured that all helmets sold in the US must meet the stringent safety standards set by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). These standards differentiate between helmets for toddlers (ages 1 to 4) and older kids (ages 5 and up), ensuring age-appropriate protection.
After rigorous testing of 13 different helmets on children aged 2 to 7, we’ve identified standout models. We highly recommend the Giro Tremor Child Helmet as the best overall youth bike helmet for most kids, and the Giro Scamp II Helmet as the premier choice for toddlers.
Regardless of your final selection, a proper fit is paramount for helmet effectiveness. We’ll guide you through essential tips to achieve the perfect fit later in this article.
Our Recommended Youth Bike Helmets
Top Pick
Giro Tremor Child Helmet
The Best Bike Helmet for Young Riders
The Giro Tremor Child Helmet stands out as an excellent youth bike helmet choice due to its breathability and high-quality construction. It features a universal size that comfortably fits a wide range of head sizes. While it’s available in four solid colors, its performance and comfort are unmatched.
Buying Options
$55 from Amazon
$55 from Giro
Giro Tremor Mips Child Helmet
Enhanced Protection with Mips Technology for Youth
For parents seeking an extra layer of safety, the Giro Tremor Mips Child Helmet is the same top-rated youth bike helmet but with integrated Mips technology. This added feature provides enhanced rotational impact protection, giving you greater peace of mind.
Buying Options
$70 from Amazon
Buy from BackcountryMay be out of stock
Budget Pick
Joovy Noodle Kids Toddler Bike Helmet S-M
Affordable and Comfortable Youth Helmet Option
The Joovy Noodle Kids Toddler Bike Helmet S-M offers a budget-friendly alternative without compromising on comfort and breathability. This youth bike helmet is a great value, although its construction with exposed foam and a less robust plastic shell may mean it’s not as durable over time compared to higher-end models.
Buying Options
$35 from Amazon
$30 from JoovyMay be out of stock
Top Toddler Pick
Giro Scamp II Helmet XS
The Best Toddler Bike Helmet for Safety Seats and Trailers
For toddlers, the Giro Scamp II Helmet XS is our top recommendation. Its design is particularly suitable for children riding in bike trailers or child seats due to its flatter back. This youth bike helmet, designed for younger children, is slightly harder to adjust but provides excellent protection.
Buying Options
$55 from Amazon
$55 from Dick’s Sporting Goods
Giro Scamp Mips II Helmet XS
Toddler Helmet with Added Mips Rotational Protection
Similar to its adult youth bike helmet counterpart, the Giro Scamp Mips II Helmet XS offers the same excellent toddler-specific design with the added benefit of Mips technology. This provides extra rotational impact safety for the youngest riders.
Buying Options
$75 from REI
$55 from GiroMay be out of stock
Key Features of Top Youth Bike Helmets
When selecting the best youth bike helmet, several factors contribute to safety and user satisfaction. Our selection process prioritized these features:
- Adjustability: A quality helmet should adapt as your child grows, offering an adjustable fit for several years. Easy adjustment mechanisms are crucial for dialing in the perfect and secure fit.
- Breathability: Well-designed ventilation is essential to keep children cool and comfortable, especially during warmer weather. Thoughtfully placed vents promote airflow and prevent overheating.
- Kid-Friendly Design: Making helmets appealing to kids is key to encouraging consistent wear. Attractive colors and designs can significantly increase a child’s willingness to wear their youth bike helmet.
- Certified Safety: We exclusively evaluated helmets that meet or exceed the safety standards established by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), ensuring they provide reliable protection.
Top Pick
Giro Tremor Child Helmet
The Best Overall Youth Bike Helmet for Most Children
The Giro Tremor Child Helmet stands out as the best overall youth bike helmet for children aged 5 and older. It boasts the widest fit range among tested helmets (47–54 centimeters) and features an intuitive dial-adjust system, allowing it to grow with your child for extended use. The fixed side straps simplify adjustments and fit most head shapes effectively. Giro also offers free returns with a prepaid shipping label should the fixed straps not suit your child’s head shape.
The buckle is designed for easy operation by kids themselves, and a removable visor provides effective sun protection. The helmet’s in-mold construction, fusing the foam interior and plastic outer shell, enhances durability while maintaining a lightweight feel. Eighteen vents ensure excellent airflow, keeping kids cool even on hot days.
Parents have the option to upgrade to the Giro Tremor Mips, which incorporates rotational impact protection (as discussed in “Key Features of Top Youth Bike Helmets“). While our young testers didn’t notice a difference between the Mips and non-Mips versions, some online reviews mention that the Mips liner can sometimes snag hair.
Budget Pick
Joovy Noodle Kids Toddler Bike Helmet S-M
A More Affordable, Yet Comfortable Youth Bike Helmet
The Joovy Noodle Kids Toddler Bike Helmet S-M offers a more affordable youth bike helmet choice that doesn’t sacrifice comfort or breathability. We found it particularly easy to adjust and appreciated its thoughtful, kid-friendly details, such as a color-coded buckle and a high-quality, single-piece internal pad, especially given its lower price point.
The Joovy’s affordability is likely due to its hardshell construction, where the solid foam helmet is adhered to a thinner plastic outer shell. This construction might make it less durable than in-mold helmets, although it still meets the same CPSC impact safety standards.
The S-M size, which we recommend, meets CPSC safety standards for children aged 5 and up and fits head sizes from 52–56 centimeters. While it offers less adjustability than our top pick, it’s still a solid choice. The XS-S size, designed for toddlers aged 1 and up, is also a decent toddler helmet, but its pointed back might be less comfortable for use with trailers or bike seats. (Note: Amazon lists the S-M as “Medium” and the XS-S as “Small.”)
Top Toddler Pick
Giro Scamp II Helmet XS
The Best Toddler-Specific Youth Bike Helmet
The Giro Scamp II Helmet is as well-constructed as the Giro Tremor, featuring the same in-mold construction and optional Mips technology (see “Key Features of Top Youth Bike Helmets“). It comes in XS and S sizes, but only the XS model meets CPSC safety standards for toddlers aged 1 and up. We recommend the XS model as the best youth bike helmet specifically for toddlers.
The Giro Scamp II XS offers the necessary extended rear coverage required for toddler helmets to meet CPSC safety regulations. It is one of the shallower helmets we tested, making it ideal for children with smaller heads. With a fit range of 45–49 centimeters, this helmet is our favorite for the youngest cyclists. Its flat back also enhances comfort when used with bike trailers or child bike seats.
This youth bike helmet includes kid-friendly features like a pinch-proof ratcheting buckle, one of the easiest to use we tested, and comes in bright, fun designs. Thirteen well-placed vents provide ample cooling airflow. However, adjusting the Giro Scamp II to achieve a perfect fit can be slightly more challenging due to the placement of the dial-adjust knob and adjustable side straps.
Alt text for images:
Giro Tremor Child Helmet: Top pick youth bike helmet, Giro Tremor in solid blue color, showcasing its sleek design.Giro Tremor Mips Child Helmet: Giro Tremor youth bike helmet with Mips, highlighting the rotational impact protection feature.Joovy Noodle Kids Toddler Bike Helmet S-M: Budget-friendly youth bike helmet, Joovy Noodle in green, emphasizing its affordability and comfort.Giro Scamp II Helmet XS: Best toddler youth bike helmet, Giro Scamp II in vibrant pattern, illustrating its toddler-specific design.Giro Scamp Mips II Helmet XS: Giro Scamp II toddler youth bike helmet with Mips, promoting enhanced safety for toddlers.
