Best of the Best

Kids need to wear helmets! As an instructor, I insist that all the children ages three to about fifteen wear a helmet or I just won’t teach them. A properly-fitted helmet is the best insurance against head injuries, particularly at the slower speeds children tend to ski. Helmets are lightweight, pretty comfortable, keep the ears warm, and a good helmet usually has a ventilation system to keep things cool, even on warmer days. So far, I have not had one child in my lessons complaining about having to wear a helmet.

Fit is extremely important, and choosing the right helmet size is imperative to ensuring the helmet’s effectiveness. It is also very important that your child’s helmet be easily and effectively adjusted because a loose-fitting helmet may not provide the same protection as a well-fitted one. If your child already has a pair of goggles, be sure to bring them along when choosing a helmet so you can test how they’ll fit into helmet’s face opening. I would suggest buying the helmet only at a specialized ski or sports store where there are knowledgeable sales persons who can help you measure head size and determine which model will provide the optimal fit.

The helmet you chose should have been tested according to the safety standards of American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM), Common European Norm (CEN), or Snell, the three main standard organizations.

The helmets reviewed here have all been tested according to at least one of these three agency’s standards. They are all safe, lightweight, and generally comfortable (which, of course, depends a lot on the individual) and the best thing about them is, that they are all pretty cool!

Note: There really does not appear to be any difference between snowboard and ski helmets, except that you may find that each target market may prefer different colors and decorative designs.