Ranking The Best Motorcycle Helmets For Kids

GMax might not be a name that you’re immediately familiar with, but their helmet products are high in quality, DOT approved, and relatively inexpensive. They do the job and do it on a budget—which is ideal, considering that children can be notoriously fickle, and may lose interest in motorcycling weeks after wanting a helmet of their own!

The GM49Y model is a specially designed lid that’s made specifically for small heads. It’s made from a thermo-plastic poly alloy outer shell, which is topped with a smart painted surface with cool graphical decals and a clear coat finish. On the inside, the liner features removable and adjustable interior cheek pads that ensure a tight and comfortable custom fit. There is also a padded chin strap

Other cool features include a snap-in chin curtain and breath guard; this helps to improve warmth inside the helmet and prevent the visor from steaming up. The helmet also has two intake and exhaust vents, at the front on the forehead and at the rear on the back of the helmet. For easy shield changes, the visor swapping procedure is screw-less and doesn’t require any special tools.

The best feature about this helmet, apart from the price, is the interior cushioning. This makes it ideal for growing kids since the pads can be added and removed as necessary when your child’s head gets bigger!

HJC makes some seriously impressive helmets, ranging from excellent budget products to top-of-the-range, race-quality protection. It’s a brand that we’ve come to know and love over the years. But did you know that the Korean company also has an extensive line-up of kids motorcycle helmets? They have plenty to choose from.

The model we like the best is the CL-Y Youth helmet series. There are a lot of variations of this helmet for sale, with different design features and configurations. However, the CL-Y series all have some fundamental things in common, so you can choose any of them and they’ll have the following features.

Each CL-Y helmet is made from an injection-molded thermoplastic shell, with a dual density EPS liner. The actual helmet has been wind-tunnel tested for aerodynamics, and features an extra-large eye port, flow through ventilation, and a 4-position lock face shield.

On the inside, the helmet has a removable and washable Nylex interior lining with a top pad, a neck roll that keeps wind noise to a minimum whilst keeping out chilly breeze, with more than enough interior space to accommodate eye glasses. The visor is anti-fog, and has an easy-to-use quick release system for fast shield changes.

It’s DOT approved, offers 100% protection against UV rays, and comes at a reasonable price. HJC’s child helmets are just as good as their adult ones. That’s for sure.

Fox Racing is another brand that you’ve probably heard of, especially if you’ve got kids that are in to motorcycling. Fox Racing has a huge range of gear for smaller riders, from gloves, to jerseys, to pads, to helmets. The brand’s products are geared towards off-road riding, so if you’ve got kids who love dirt biking, then give Fox a look.

The Fox Racing Youth V1 range of helmets come in a variety of color options and sizes, but they all share the same basic DNA. Each helmet is made from a tough injection molded polycarbonate outer shell, with an advanced EPS (expanded polyester) liner. The helmet features a total of 9 intake vents and 4 exhaust vents for serious airflow.

On the inside, this helmet offers some serious padding. In fact, it has so much padding that the fit will be snug, and possibly even too snug. For this reason, we highly recommend that you check with the brand’s own sizing guide on their website for the best information before committing to a purchase.

Other cool features of this helmet include the special Magnetic Visor Release System (MVRS) that allows the peaked visor to easily release from the helmet in the event of a crash. This exclusive technology allows for improved safety, without compromising a rider’s vision.

Naturally, all of Fox Racing’s V1 helmets are both DOT and ECE certified. Not bad for such a low price, huh?

Troy Lee Designs is one of the biggest names in the American motorcycle gear industry. Based out of Corona, California, Troy Lee has been designing and manufacturing high-quality motorcycling apparel and protective gear since 1981. Today, the company retails some of the most respected protective products on the market, serving more than 15 countries.

The helmet we’re recommending is the Troy Lee SE4 Polyarylite model. It comes in a wide variety of finishes, from plain block colors to more exciting designs to manufacturer liveries and beyond. Despite the myriad of finishes, each helmet shares the same fundamental construction.

Each helmet is made from a polyacrylite outer shell, and features advanced MIPS technology. MIPS technology, or Multi-directional Impact Protection System, uses a special layer in-between the shell and the liner to improve brain protection from rotational force. It’s a very clever system, and it’s great to see it used on a helmet with such a low price point.

The exterior also features an expanded polypropylene chin bar, 16 air intake ports for maximum air flow, and plastic visor screws that will break-away in the event of an impact, protecting the rider. The inside, features clever 3D contoured padding for the ultimate fit, with an emergency release system that helps paramedics remove the helmet easily in an accident situation.

The Troy Lee SE4 Polyacrylite Helmet is both DOT and ECE certified.

Leatt is a South African company that specialises in creating neck braces and body armor for a wide range of motorsports, so you can trust their helmet-making skills! This particular helmet, the GPX 4.5, is designed specifically for young riders, and packs a surprising amount of innovative technology into such a small and inexpensive shell. Prepare to be amazed.

The Leatt GPX 4.5 is manufactured from a special injected polymer compound outer shell. It boasts 360° Turbine Technology, which means that there is a liner that features a number of 3D molded turbines which help absorb energy and reduce rotational forces, which can lead to serious injury. It’s an odd technology, but it has been proven to reduce concussion injuries.

For those who thrive on stats: the 360° Turbine Technology is said to reduce 30% of head impact damage, up to 40% of rotational acceleration to the brain, and with the smaller shell, 20% of all rotational forces on the brain, head, and neck are drastically reduced.

Underneath, the helmet features a unique v-shaped impact-resistant foam, that improves protection and allows the overall shell size to be smaller. The helmet also boasts a removable and washable Dri-Lex moisture wicking liner, removable cheek pads, and a break-away peaked visor.

There are also a number of other cool features on this helmet: it can accommodate a hands-free hydration pack, it’s compatible with neck brace technology, and it has excellent ventilation. And of course, it‘s DOT certified.

For parents who want nothing less than the best for their kids, then this is the product required. It’s not a budget-friendly option by any stretch of the imagination, but if your child takes their riding seriously then we recommend something like this. 6D is top tier helmet manufacture based out of Brea, California, and the Youth ATR-2Y is a scaled down version of the popular adult-sized ATR-2.

The outer shell is made from a lightweight tri-polymer shell, but it’s the inner layers that really set this helmet apart from the crowd. Manufactured from a strong expanded polypropylene outer liner that works in tandem with a replaceable expanded polystyrene inner layer, the helmet has impressive shock damping abilities.

Between the two layers, there are special damping towers with low fiction discs that help absorb energy and prevent rotational force damage and direct impact shock. It’s perfect protection for high-velocity crashes as well as gentler bangs and bumps.

The interior features a removable washable moisture-wicking and antibacterial Dri-Lex liner, emergency release cheek pads, and 16 air intake and 6 air exhaust ventilation ports for optimal air flow. Other cool additions include an EPP chinbar, a Brow Rib for added strength around the eye areas, and a Cervical Protection Zone.

The 6D Youth ATR-2Y Helmet is both DOT and ASTM certified, exceeding both of their standards.