Kids' Bike Helmets

For children's bike helmets, safety comes first

In a 2012 review by a leading consumer publication, the Bontrager Solstice Youth (Est. $45)  exceeded federal safety standards for impact absorption, earning high praise from reviewers.  The safety rating is a great reason to select the Solstice Youth for a child in your family, but parents who also review cycling gear give the helmet further thumbs up for design, comfort and ventilation on the blogs RidingAgainstTheGrain.com and AllSeasonsCyclist.com.

Another helmet receiving consistently good reviews for design is the Giro Me2 (Est. $30) . This toddler's helmet (for ages 1 to 3) is simple to put on and adjust, reviewers say, and it comes in fun and age-appropriate designs that encourage youngsters to don the helmet when participating in sports. However, the Me2 is not as sturdy as some users would like, with straps and padding not always firmly affixed.

Two more kid-friendly helmet options are the Bell Fraction (Est. $40) and the Razor V-17 (Est. $30) . These multi-sport helmets win praise from kids for their stylish design, according to reviews at Walmart.com and Amazon.com. "It's strong and cool," one Amazon parent says of the Bell Fraction.