So, we’ve heard you’re getting ready to head off on your first skateboarding adventure! Needless to say, you’ve picked out the right sport. In other words: you’ve selected a sport that will do wonders for both your body and soul. However, a (beginner) skateboarder must be well-equipped at all times!
Let’s stick to that last sentence. In it, you’ll find the first skateboarding commandment: thou shall not ride unprotected! One of the most important elements of the regular skateboarding protective equipment is, of course, a top-quality, well-fitting helmet. That piece of gear is exactly our main subject for today! In the text you’re about to read, we’ll show you how to figure out your skate helmet size!
First of all, you’ll need to measure your head’s circumference by using some measuring tape or a piece of rope you’ll later measure with a ruler. Anyway, once you find that number out, you’ll check the sizing chart of the company that’ll provide you with your new helmet. Make sure it fits like a glove, it should fit neither too tight nor too loose.
In order to feel completely safe, one can’t be satisfied with only a couple of sentences. That’s why you should definitely continue reading this one!
Table of Contents
Skate helmet 101
Here we’ll take a look at and try to answer some FAQs concerned with the ever-popular topic of skate helmets! This section will prepare us right for the main subject of today’s text: how to figure out your skate helmet size.
Why is a skate helmet necessary?
Older, more experienced boarders probably know the difference between riding with and without a helmet very well. However, a beginner skateboarder might ask: but why should I wear one? Wouldn’t that make me look a bit corny in the park? Here’s an answer: to avoid major head injuries from skateboarding, you’ll have to wear a skate helmet each time you set your foot on the board.
All skaters should wear helmets when enjoying their favorite sport, regardless of age (adults should wear them, too) and experience (it’s not only a beginner’s thing). The thing is: a skate helmet can easily save your life. Hopefully, it won’t even come to that, but make no mistake – it’s probably the most important item when it comes to skateboarding protective gear. Luckily, the rule in most skate parks is that you can’t ride without a helmet!
Oh, and we almost forgot to mention this: a skate helmet should be replaced every now and then. For instance, once it starts to feel and look a bit damaged from regular use and aged. If you’re starting out skateboarding at a young age, you’ll need to buy a new one as soon as it starts to feel too small (we’ll talk about it more down below).
Why doesn’t everyone wear skate helmets?
There are no practical reasons for refusing to wear essential protective gear. Our best guess is to say that some folks think that they’ll somehow look less cool and edgier by not wearing a skate helmet. Needless to say, it’s not about what you wear, it’s about how you ride!
Are cheap skateboard helmets safe?
When buying a skate helmet one shouldn’t pay so much attention to the price. However, when it comes to low-cost skate helmets, you’ll need to make sure they’re certified. That’s because some helmets belonging to the cheaper bunch mightn’t possess the needed certificate. Even though you’ll avoid major head injuries just by wearing any helmet (regardless of price), sporting the one without a certificate will put you at risk of less serious head trauma.
What certificate?
A certificate’s there to ensure you a certain piece of equipment (a skate helmet, in this case) is manufactured in accordance with a safety standard proposed by the government. For instance, if you’re living in the USA, check to see if the skate helmet declaration possesses these combinations:
- CPSC 1203 Certified.
- ASTM F-1492 Certified.
If you’re an EU citizen, look for:
You’ll wanna avoid dealing with skate helmets that don’t have these certifications. Whether you’re a street or park skateboarder – it doesn’t matter. By sporting a certified helmet, you’ll feel way safer and it will affect the way you enjoy the sport. It’s that age-old saying once more: you’re better off safe than sorry!
Okay, so that’s it on the introductory FAQ section! It’s about time we consider our main theme today: how to figure out your skate helmet size!
How to figure out your skate helmet size?
Without further ado, let’s see what are the requirements of the situation in which you say: boy, this skate helmet sure fits like a charm! Stay tuned!
Say you’re ordering a skate helmet online. For all we know, that’s the main reason behind you ending up here. Anyway, you’ll need to figure out what your skate helmet size is. And you’ll do that by measuring the size of your head. In other words: you’ll have to measure your head’s circumference.
The thing is: these so-called skate helmet sizes do differ from brand to brand. However, they’re all “tied” with your head’s circumference, as we’ve implied in the paragraph above. Figuring out your head size will ensure that the helmet that arrives at your front door is a good fit!
How to measure for a skate helmet?
So, you must be wondering: alright, so how do I measure the circumference of my head? Here’s how:
- First of all, you’ll obtain a soft tape measure and wrap it nicely over your forehead; the tape needs to be placed right over your ears and eyebrows. That’s because your skate helmet will rest a bit low on your precious forehead. Try not to wrap the tape either too tight or too loose, as that’s not what you want out of a skate helmet in the first place. If you’re coming from the US or the UK – record the sizing in inches. If you’re an EU citizen – record the measure in centimeters (obviously).
- However, if you can’t remember where your tape is stored, you might wanna try an alternative path. Just find a piece of string and wrap it around your forehead like we’ve suggested you do above. Mark the string and use the ruler to measure your head’s circumference.
- Lastly, if the above solution’s not doable, too… Yeah, you’ll wanna find your favorite, well-fitting hat and check its size. The number you’ll get will roughly resemble your correct skate helmet size.
Okay, so now that you know how to figure out your skate helmet size, let’s see how should one find a skate helmet once in the skate shop. In other words: let’s see how should a skate helmet fit once you try it on!
How should skate helmet fit?
There’s an old saying that goes something like this: never buy a helmet that you haven’t tried on first. If you’re not buying a helmet online (which makes such a scenario impossible), it’s of utmost importance you do a little trying out before you make any choices. Even if you think clerks won’t take kindly to your hesitation, you shouldn’t worry about it that much. It’s their job to let you out of the store with a well-fitting helmet that’ll ensure you have a safe adventure in skateboarding (and here are some safety tips related to skateboarding’s sibling sport – parkour).
Alright, so what should you pay attention to when buying a skate helmet? Here’s a list of all the things you’ll need to consider:
- the ideal skate helmet’s the one that fits like a charm all the way around your beginner skateboarder’s head.
- there shouldn’t be any free space/gaps between the helmet’s foam and your head.
- the helmet shouldn’t move on its own once you put it on.
- also, the perfect skate helmet for you should be neither too big nor too small.
- a helmet that’s too big won’t provide you with the needed protection, and the one that’s too small will bug you to the point where you’ll become irritated and stop wearing it.
All in all: your new skate helmet should fit snuggly, like a glove. Neither too tight nor too loose, it should provide you with the protection that’s absolutely necessary! Okay, so now that we’ve got that one out of the way, let’s take a look and see what we’ve prepared for the bonus round!
Bonus round: Can you wear a bike helmet for skateboarding?
There’s a fair chance you’ve thought about wearing your bike helmet for skateboarding. Here we’ll try to give you an answer you deserve!
Talking about bike helmets, the ones that are suitable for skateboarding will have to meet the ASTM F1492 standard. They’re the so-called dual-certified helmets. They offer extra protection to the folks wearing them.
The bottom line
Okay, dear skateboarding-loving folks, that’s about it on the whole how-to-figure-out-your-skate-helmet-size process! Remember: never buy a helmet that’s not a good fit, never buy one without trying it on first! Anyway, for more tips on the amazing sport called skateboarding, click right here.
