How to Choose Kids Ski Helmet
Nowadays in many countries and ski areas, you’ll find people stressing the importance and need of using helmets on slopes at all times – especially among children. Consequently it’s imperative for you as a parent to know how to choose kids ski helmet with ease to keep your child safe, every time they’re trying to master the techniques of the sport. Although many burning factors usually apply to skiing safely, putting on a helmet is a no-brainer, and every child should have their helmet on when skiing at all times to prevent substantial injuries. Here, a quick guide on how to choose kids ski helmets around the market and online with little hassle.
Measurements
Guessing your child’s head size based entirely on their age isn’t a good idea. Ideally a 7 year-old child may fit in a small size helmet, while another child of the same age, may fit well in a medium child sized helmet. To avoid such confusion, personally measure the whole circumference of your child’s head in centimeters. Simply wrap a measuring tape around your child’s head – an inch above his or eyebrows. And make sure to keep the tape level well-aligned to avoid any measurement errors. After correcting all the measurements, you can take the next step of finding the most appropriate helmet for your child in any store around your area.
Too Big or Too Small?
If you ever find yourself facing such a dilemma on whether your child’s new helmet may be a little big or small, this is what you should do. Simply measure the overall distance between your child’s eyebrows, and the size of his or her helmet. If it seems larger than the intended, this means the helmet is seated far high, above their head — meaning it’s too small and thus won’t provide the most optimal protection.
More so, if you can easily turn the helmet placed on your child’s head around, it definitely means that it’s far too large for your child. Also if your child’s helmet slides a lot, either back-and-forth or side-to-side as they move around, it shows that their helmet is way big than their actual head size. It’s also easier for such a helmet to fall off, upon heavy impact. That’s why knowing the details of your child’s head size is vital, every time you consider purchasing them a helmet to ski with.
As a parent it gives me joy, every time my 7 year old child falls on an object and her helmet stays still and intact, without dropping off from her head. And this because as a mother, I took the precaution of ensuring that my daughter’s helmet is the right size and also a great fit. This also gives a person peace of mind, knowing your child is well protected from potential danger at all times.
Additional Ski Helmet Features
Rarely will you find people checking for overheating or cooling features that come with skiing helmets, especially when purchasing for children. Many times during physical activities, children tend to burn or heat up faster than usual because of their high metabolic rate. Thus it’s very important to check for kids helmets with considerable vents to keep them cool as they ski on top of high slopes.
Be aware as you shop around for a ski helmet more likely you will come across those with small brims, and others which don’t have brims at all. Although a brim may not seem as quite important to some, it does provide your child with a bit, all-rounded eye protection from snow and from the piercing rays of the scorching sun.
Buy One or Rent One?
I personally have frequently contemplated on this question, I also have come across many parents asking “why buy a helmet for a child?….they grow so fast.” “Can’t we just hire one?” It’s clear that helmets are not really cheap and that kids grow fast. On the other hand, renting is quite cheap and easy, in fact, many ski schools offer them for free – if you have enrolled in a variety of lessons and some rental. Although before you entrust your child’s safety to a hire helmet, please consider these two considerations:
First of all, check the helmet very carefully. This will ensure that you don’t put your child in a devastating state where injuries are more than likely to occur any time. Not to say that all hired helmets are faulty. No, they’re really not! But as a parent you should check the helmet which your child is about to use is in great shape, like it should have very minimal wear and tear. Ideally helmets normally lose their effectiveness and versatility, if dropped or bashed upon heavy objects many times. They also most of the time don’t feel quite well-fit or comfy, every time your child choose to use them on their skiing pursuits.
Next it’s all about hygiene — this is a no-brainer. Because helmets for hire are worn by many people and at different intervals, it’s easier for a child to contract a disease than where they’re using their own personal helmets – due to getting in direct contact with other children’s sweat and body odor that could be hiding germs.
Personally I prefer buying my daughter her own ski helmet than hiring one because I’ve heard of many cases where children whom their parents choose to hire ski helmets are bombarded with diseases such as skin infections. I wouldn’t like that for my child, I’d rather pay some extra cash than deal with the drama of a sick baby in the end – which could also be more expensive, depending on the disease being treated nevertheless.
Does your child wear a ski helmet every time they go skiing? Whether your child is rocking the slopes for the very first time or is already a skiing guru, arming him or her with a properly fitting helmet is a must. It has been proven that helmets usually reduce the risk of injury to the head upon heavy impact, so make sure before your child heads for a skiing spree – their heads are protected with a ski helmet at all times and make sure it’s a great fit. Above is a guide on how to choose kids ski helmets with ease, either online or within around any store around your area. I use it all the time, hope it’ll also suit your needs and preferences too.