How to Choose Your Skating Helmet

In-line skating and skateboarding are super popular activities and have been for decades. Riding a bike or scooter, in-line skating or skateboarding is a great form of sport and recreation, and makes a great hobby among the youth. Many people, especially kids, love the feeling of riding and skateboarding in the streets or the local skate parks. These activities are hugely beneficial for kids when it comes to learning balance, agility, reaction time and coordination while having fun on the skates or the board.

Although it is a wonderful sport, skateboarding without protective gear can be dangerous, involving the chance of skateboard accidents and injuries. Unfortunately, sports accidents are common and skateboard injuries do happen, especially when you are a beginner. There’s always the risk of falling and spraining a wrist, twisting an ankle, breaking a bone or some other more serious injury. That’s why safety should always come first as far as skateboarding, or any other sport is concerned.

Therefore, when buying a board, among other things, consider also getting protective gear such as a skate helmet, wrist guards as well as knee pads and elbow pads to keep you safe while skateboarding. Falling is a part of the sport, but knowing how to fall cannot always guarantee safety.

The Pros and Cons of Wearing Helmets

A helmet is by far the most important of the skating protective gear. However, there are mixed opinions about wearing a helmet.

Pros of Wearing a Helmet

· Lower risk of severe head injuries

· Reduced recovery time from serious falls

· Higher visibility on the roads and in general

· Weather protection

Cons of Wearing a Helmet

· Uncomfortable to wear

· Messes up your hair

· Makes you sweat

According to these points, there are definitely more logical and valid reasons to wear a helmet than not to. Wearing a suitable helmet can give you the proper protection and address the risk of head injuries. Helmets are durable and last quite long since they are designed for multiple small impacts. In addition, they have padding and ventilation incorporated and while giving you protection, a helmet shields you from bad weather such as winds while riding.

Although professionals advocate wearing safety equipment, many people resist to wear helmets and even pro skaters worldwide underuse them which is cause for concern. Luckily, that number is reducing, thanks to the informative campaigns targeting people who practice urban sports.

A study has found that the look and fit are the main reasons why people don’t want to wear helmets, despite them being proven to prevent head injuries. However, helmets can be quite comfortable and easy to wear when fitted properly and fastened correctly. In addition, you can find helmets in all colours and styles, plus they could be personalized to suit your personality.

Still, such factors as look and fit can influence the use of helmets and cause a disparity between wrist and head protection as the percentage of skaters using wrists is larger than the percentage of skaters wearing helmets. This is probably because wrist injuries are much more common among unprotected skaters. However, skaters need to use helmets as often as their wrists since the potential for serious head injuries such as brain damage is greater for those without protected heads. After all, safety should always come first.

Types of Skating Helmets

With so many options available out there, you can easily find a quality skate helmet Australia wide that provides the ultimate safety and is aesthetically pleasing. However, not all helmets are made the same. There are different helmets for different activities including helmets for skateboarding, cycling, roller skating, and rollerblading. However, there are only a few helmets that you can wear for more than just one activity. No matter which sport you practice, a good multi-sport helmet can provide you with proper protection against high impact.

Some of the skate helmets require different safety standards and certifications, depending on the skateboard manufacturer and since wearing a helmet is required by the law in some states. For example, in all Australian states and territories, helmets are compulsory for riding bicycles and motorbikes. Whereas you don’t have to wear a skate helmet Australia wide when riding skateboard, rollerblades and roller-skates, but it’s still a good idea.

In general, there are two primary skate helmets types: urban/street helmet and cycling helmet. However, these come in a variety of colours and styles as well as protective materials. There are half helmets (shorty), open face (3/4), full face (street bike), off-road/motocross and many more. Regarding the materials used in construction, there are helmets made of expanded polystyrene – EPS foam and polystyrene. Such materials are so powerful against impacts.

Urban or street helmets are very popular among inline skaters, skateboarders and scooter users. They provide full occiput protection as they are designed not only for pro skaters but for beginners who are just starting to skate and who will eventually fall a lot. Whereas the cycling helmets are usually favourite among the fitness and speed skaters because of their excellent ventilation and aerodynamics.

Key Features and Other Considerations

A helmet is assembled of several key components including shell, interior padding, straps and a buckle. More specifically, a helmet consist of an inner shell made from EPS foam or polystyrene and an outer shell made from a hard composite material, for example, ABS. The shell is the most important feature of any skate helmet as it is the key component responsible for absorbing the impact force, thus protecting you.

Another important feature is the interior padding or the sponges placed inside which provide comfort and an extra layer of protection. Straps with the buckle are key components for closing the helmet and holding it in place. The straps need to be adjustable as well as durable and tightly affixed to your helmet and the buckle, ensuring that the helmet won’t fall during an accident.