Aggressive Skate and Skateboard Helmets
For both inline skating and skateboarding, a helmet is one of the most important piece of safety equipment that you will buy. And buying one is really simple. There are only a few things you need to do to ensure that you will have a protective and comfortable helmet.
- Safety, comfort, and fit should be your priority. Cost is arbitrary. Oh, and actually wearing the helmet -- that's a requirement.
- ALWAYS look for safety standard stickers!
- Choose either the Snell N-94 (multi-purpose), the CPSC (biking and blading), or ASTM F1492 (multi-impact for skateboarding) safety standard sticker. While no helmet can prevent concussions 100%, these are the only intelligent choices.
- Beware of helmets that are called "skate" helmets that don't have these seals of approval. Also know that the CE 1385 standards on many so-called skate helmets are really only standards for water sports! ASTM 2040? For snow sports as is the CE 1077.
- For skateboarding, the inner foam should be made of EPP, not EPS (used for all biking and skating helmets).
- Remember that a bike helmet is NOT a skate helmet. There are two big differences:
- The Protection -- Since the foam in those helmets is only good for one hit, they'll do you no good at the skate park where your helmet will take several hits throughout its lifetime. If you want a helmet that is good for both biking and skating (although not highly recommended) you should look for the above mentioned safety standards as well as the CPSC sticker. Would you like to learn more about Bike Helmets?
- The Design -- Skate helmets are made to be round, with more coverage in the back -- not built for speed. They are without any snag points (such as aerodynamic shapes used on bike helmets) so that when you fall, your head to slide along the ground and not catch. You also don't want aerodynamic shapes because it will cause your neck to be pushed forward in a fall, setting you up for an injury. Lastly, skate helmets do not have the same amount of ventilation as bike helmets have.
Getting the Right Fit
One of the biggest problems when buying helmets is getting them in the wrong size. You need to choose from S, M, or L, and sizes vary between manufacturers. There are also kid's models, which are significantly smaller and lighter. The whole idea in general is that when wearing the helmet, no amount of pulling or pushing should be able to shift the helmet more than an inch in any direction. Finally, the only solution around different shaped heads is getting a helmet with adjustable padding. Don't forget that the straps are also adjustable and are meant to improve the fit with ease. Just make sure that the fastener is of good quality so that it won't unclip.
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