Whether your child rides a bike, scooter or skateboard, you need to ensure they have safe, effective headgear. A helmet is an essential piece of kit, and there are options out there to suit everyone, from toddlers to teenagers.
While it helps to buy a helmet that your child likes for the colour or design, by far the most important thing is that it fits well and will protect them if they fall. A good helmet should have adjustable straps, a snug-fitting chin cushion, and a dial at the back so the fit can be loosened or tightened. Some helmets come with visors or brims, too – these not only protect the forehead during impact but will also help shield your child’s face from the sun.
The best way to choose the right size helmet for your child is to measure the circumference of their head. Don’t be tempted to buy a larger helmet for your child to grow into, as it won’t fit properly at first and therefore won’t offer the right protection. When adjusting a chin strap, make sure you can only fit one or two fingers between the chin and strap. The helmet shouldn’t wobble or move when your child shakes their head, and the straps should form a V around their ears.
With all this in mind, I enlisted three young speedsters to test a range of kids’ bike helmets. Micro Scooter’s (£26.95, Micro-scooters.co.uk) helmet zoomed into first place. For a fair price, it’s comfortable and easy for kids to put on themselves, and it comes with an LED light for better visibility. For more of my top picks that cater to every age group and style preference, keep scrolling.
How I tested
I'm a parent of three boys, one aged eight and twins who are six, who all love to travel to and from school by bike or by scooter, so these helmets were put to the test during the school run and outings to the park. My testers have been using a helmet since they were toddlers, and so they know that there's no room for negotiation when it comes to whether or not they need to wear one. This makes them well-equipped to assess things like comfort and ease of use. Together, we assessed these helmets by the following criteria:
- Comfort: I made a note of foam padding and asked my testers whether they found the helmets comfortable to wear. This extended to whether the helmets were breathable, thanks to air vents and breathable foam.
- Adjustability: I acknowledged the range of adjustability with each helmet, noting the sizes available, dials, cross straps and chin straps, while assessing whether the fit was comfortable and secure.
- Quality: I paid attention to durability, how robust the helmets seemed, and the level of coverage they appeared to provide for my tester’s head.
- Extra features: I made a note of any safety features, such as LED lights or MIPS specifications.
- Appearance: You don’t want to have to bargain with your child to get them to put their helmet on, so to ensure that there’s a design they’ll actually want to wear, the more colour options and patterns there are, the better.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
IndyBest is The Independent’s product review section, where experts cut through marketing jargon to bring you products that actually work.
Kat Storr has been a writer for more than a decade, becoming especially interested in parenting after becoming a parent herself. She has tested remote control cars, football goals and water and sand play tables for IndyBest, each time prioritising the things that parents actually care about, such as quality, safety and affordability. Recruiting her own kids – following her shoes as tough critics – Kat has put these helmets through their paces in real-world conditions, so you can be confident that her verdict is based on hands-on experience and that her recommendations are fit for purpose.
The best kids’ helmets for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Micro Scooters helmet for bike and scooters: £26.95, Micro-scooters.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Decathlon teen MTB 500 fluo bike helmet: £14, Argos.co.uk
- Best for breathability – Rockrider kids' bike helmet expl 500: £29.99, Decathlon.co.uk
- Best for mountain biking – Lixada full face bike helmet: £45.98, Amazon.co.uk
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Micro Scooters helmet for bike and scooters
Best: Kids' helmet overall
Sizing: 46-50cm, 48-54cm, 55-58cm
Colours available : Plain blue, pink, black, red, purple, turquoise, and lots of patterns, including unicorns, dogs and cars
Features: Rear LED light, protective chin pad
Why we love it
- Lots of colours
- Good coverage
- Buckle is easy for kids to use
- Fair price
Micro Scooter wheels and accessories are a familiar sight at the gates of nurseries and schools, and that’s for good reason. The brand’s range is popular among kids for its vibrant designs, and with parents and carers because of its excellent safety features.
Its helmet for scooters and bikes provides really good coverage. Plus, it’s comfortable. Getting small children to wear a helmet can be a bit of a battle, but this one is so comfy and easy to put on that it minimised any conflict. The buckle was easy for my testers to close themselves, so they’ll feel grown-up and in control when using it. Parents will appreciate that the straps are easy to adjust, ensuring a snug fit, while the LED light at the back gives reassurance that kids will be seen if they’re travelling to and from nursery in the dark, too.
I went for the blue colourway, but the helmet is available in lots of designs; you can get a unicorn pattern with a unicorn horn and tail (£26.95, Amazon.co.uk) or a dinosaur design with dinosaur horns (£26.95, Amazon.co.uk)
Buy now £26.95, Micro-scooters.co.uk
Decathlon teen MTB 500 fluo bike helmet
Best: Budget kids' helmet
Sizing: 51-56cm
Colours available : Black and yellow
Features: Visor, chin pad
Why we love it
- Lightweight
- Great for off-road rides
- Low price
Take note
- Colour and pattern a little adult
While the name of this helmet suggests that it’s meant for teenagers, the brand says this is actually suitable for children aged from four years old and above. This is something I appreciate as a parent, as a helmet that will stay with your child as they grow is cost-effective, and is one less thing to buy.
The helmet is perfect for kids who love to go off-road onto more bumpy terrain, as it’s lightweight, has a visor to protect against mud and sunlight, and a whopping 19 air vents for ample ventilation. As we live in an urban area, my testers also tried the helmet without the visor, and I was happy to find that it was easy not just to remove but to reattach, too. As for my tester’s verdict, they found the helmet comfortable, and they liked the fact they could adjust the tightness with the rear dial.
Buy now £14.00, Argos.co.uk
Specialized shuffle 2 LED
Best: Adjustabe kids' helmet
Sizing: 49-55 cm
Colours: Black, light green and white pattern, pink and purple
Features: LED light, clip-on visor, mips
Why we love it
- Snug fit
- Cool silhouette
This helmet has been developed with a child’s growing head in mind. It uses low-density foam to protect still-soft skulls, and a headset fit system to keep the helmet snug and stable, so parents and carers can be reassured that this helmet will keep young riders safe.
This latest version of the shuffle, the shuffle 2, uses the MIPS helmet safety system used in skiing and snowboarding helmets, offering an extra layer of protection for peace of mind. This system claims to reduce rotational impact on the brain, reducing the risk of head and brain injuries.
My testers loved the funky shape of the helmet, and the fun, colourful designs are sure to be a hit with kids. The chin strap and dial at the back are easily adjustable, and the large LED light at the back means your child will definitely be seen, which is reassuring if they’re starting to ride on roads.
Buy now £40.00, Specialized.com
Rockrider kids' bike helmet expl 500
Best: Kids' helmet for breathability
Sizing: 52-55cm, 55-59cm
Colours: Blue and orange, grey and green
Features: Removable visor
Why we love it
- Sleek design
- Ample ventilation
Take note
- No dial for adjusting
Immediately admired by my oldest tester, this is an attractive and lightweight helmet for mountain biking, scooting and skateboarding. Its sleek design comes in a dark blue and orange or a grey and bright green colourway (the latter is the more eye-catching of the two). It looks sturdy, too.
I tested the medium size (55cm-59cm), which comfortably fit my eight-year-old tester. There's no dial for adjusting the tightness here, just an automatic adjustment system, which essentially meant I only needed to adjust the chin strap for the helmet to fit. So, it should still be able to fit snugly around your child’s head.
The helmet has 13 ventilation holes, which is ideal for my tester who runs hot when exercising outdoors. It’s compatible with ponytails and glasses, too, which makes it a good choice for everyone.
Buy now £29.99, Decathlon.co.uk
Lixada kids full face bike helmet
Best: Kids' helmet for mountain biking
Sizing: 52-56cm
Colours: Red, purple, yellow, blue, green, grey, light blue, pink, metallic blue
Features: Removable visor
Why we love it
- Detachable chin guard
- Breathable
- Liner can be removed for easy cleaning
Take note
- Relatively expensive
While this is one of the more expensive helmets that I’ve featured here, if your child is a mountain-biking fanatic, then this is sure to be a worthwhile investment. It can be worn as a full face or half face helmet, depending on the activity that your child is doing, as there’s a detachable chin guard – I found this easy to take off and put back on again.
The helmet is designed to be breathable, with its 13 air vents and breathable foam to provide a cool airflow. It also has a sun visor that can be removed, an adjustable dial and a chin strap to ensure the right fit for your child, and a liner that can be removed when it’s in need of a good wash. My testers weren’t used to this kind of helmet, but came to love the fun shark mouth design, which comes in 10 colourways, including red, purple, yellow and blue.
Buy now £45.98, Amazon.co.uk
Hornit lava kids helmet
Best: Kids' helmet for colours and patterns
Sizing: 48-53cm, 54-58cm
Colours available : Plain black, flamingos, polka dot, dinosaurs, sweets, aviator, lava, commander, astronaut, llamas, pugs, sloth, unicorn, hammerhead shark
Features: LED light
Why we love it
- Great chin strap adjustability
- Lots of designs to choose from
Take note
- Heavier than others I tested
This skater-style helmet comes in a huge range of designs that kids are sure to love, from flamingoes to astronauts to pugs. My testers thought the black and orange lava design looked super cool.
When it came to adjustability, I was similarly impressed. So often I see kids wearing helmets with the chin straps dangling far below their chins, but this was not an issue with the Hornit. Thanks to a three-way adjustable chin strap with a secure buckle, the helmet stayed upright and stable over all kinds of lumps and bumps on the roads.
This helmet is heavier than some of the others in this review, which is worth bearing in mind, but I was happy to see its rear safety light, a very useful feature to alert drivers and pedestrians to your child when you’re out riding after dark.
Buy now £29.99, Hornit.com
Zinc kids bike helmet
Best: Kids' helmet for balance bikes
Sizing: 52- 56cm
Colours available: Purple, green, red, pink
Features: Foam padding
Why we love it
- Vibrant for visibility
- Buckle is easy for kids to undo
This is the perfect helmet for balance bike beginners. It feels sturdy, and it comes in gorgeous colourways that kids will be proud to sport. The vibrancy of the colours also makes kids more visible when they go whizzing off around in the park.
My testers loved the fact that it was easy to put on and take off with the quick-release buckle. It has six air vents that will be much appreciated in the warmer months, though I noticed this is less than some helmets – the Challenge helmet (£18, Argos.co.uk) below comes with 12 vents (£18, Argos.co.uk), for instance.
I was pleased with the value for money here. Priced at £20, the helmet is suitable for kids from three years old, and it has enough adjustability so that it can grow with your child.
Buy now £19.99, Zincsports.com
Challenge kids bike helmet and safety set
Best: Value kids' helmet
Sizing: 48-52cm
Colours: Pink and purple, blue and orange
Features: Adjustable dial fitting, foam padding, elbow and knee pads
Why we love it
- Lots of air vents
- Comes with elbow and knee pads
- Affordable
- Bright
Take note
- Not as robust as some
- Quality could be better
Once your child has transitioned from a balance bike to a pedal bike, they might need to upgrade their helmet, and this could be the perfect option. The Challenge helmet has some great safety features, such as thick, shock-absorbing foam on the inside, and an adjustable dial fitting on the back to ensure a snug fit. I was impressed to see that it comes with 12 air vents to keep little heads cool, too.
As one of the cheaper helmets, I found it to be on the lighter side. With this in mind, it’s not the most robust, and probably not suitable for children who are super whizzy on their wheels. That said, it’s great value. I appreciated the addition of the elbow and knee pads, especially as they were easy for my little testers to put on (they were all too pleased to try these out, even when they weren’t riding their scooters or bikes). They’re an ideal addition to the helmet if your kids are learning to roller skate or skateboard.
Buy now £18.00, Argos.co.uk
Lazer nutz kineticore
Best: Kids' helmet for bike seats and trailers
Sizing: 50-56cm
Colours available : Unicorns, bright green
Features: MIPS, adjustable straps
Why we love it
- Lightweight
- Protective low rim
Take note
- No adjustable dial
- No light
This is one of the more basic helmets that my testers and I tried, but it has a fun design and would make a great starter helmet. I particularly recommend it if your child will be riding on the back of an adult's bike or sitting in a trailer, as it's not too bulky. It feels lightweight, and there are vents to keep little heads cool.
I noticed that the brim comes down quite low compared to other helmets featured here, and it shelters riders’ faces from raindrops and sun, while the flat back provides good protection. One of my testers is a big fan of unicorns and loved wearing their unicorn-adorned helmet while scooting to school.
Buy now £33.99, Amazon.co.uk
Your questions on kids’ helmets answered
What is the best kids’ helmet?
The Micro Scooters helmet gets top marks. The helmet comes in a variety of styles and colours to suit even the most picky of children, and the safety features are excellent. It gives really good coverage of little ones’ heads, and the LED light is a great addition that adds visibility when travelling in the dark.
The Decathlon teen MTB 500 fluo bike helmet is perhaps a little utilitarian, but it’s exceptionally good for the price, and a good option if money is tight, especially because it should fit your child for years.
Special mention also goes to the Specialized shuffle 2 LED, as its innovative design keeps children’s safety at the forefront. It’s very easy to adjust, and the design is stylish but simple. One of these helmets would make a great investment for your child, up until they turn seven.
What are the safety standards for kids’ helmets?
When choosing a kids’ helmet, look out for whether it has been EN1078 tested, as this will mean it meets the safety standards for cycling, skateboarding and roller skating. EN1078 helmets are rated to absorb shock, and the chin strap and fastening must not slip during a crash. Helmets rated to this standard also offer a clear field of vision.
MIPS is another safety standard to look out for. MIPS (multi-directional impact protection system) helmets are rated to minimise rotational motion in crashes, reducing the risk of brain injuries.
Can you use helmets after an accident?
If a helmet is worn in an accident, it should be replaced, in case it’s been damaged in any way. This could be a crack to the outer shell or an interior deformity that will mean it’s no longer as safe as it should be.
Want more recommendations? Check out the best kids’ bikes and scooters
