Best Kids ATV Helmets For Every Budget

I remember as a kid riding around on my Yamaha Tri-Moto 200 three-wheeler, my mom insisted I wear a helmet all the time. I had buddies with ATVs who’d come over to ride and they never wore a helmet until one of them got hurt (on his own property) and all of a sudden the kids were wearing helmets. Get your kids wearing helmets from the start, so that if they should ever consider riding without one, it will feel unnatural to them. We’ve got a great list of helmets that are loaded with features, work with every budget and most of all look cool so your riders won’t mind wearing one.

What To Look For in ATV Helmets For Kids

When picking out kids ATV helmets, you need to take into account safety, size, fit, styling and cost. There are a few other things, which we’ll touch on shortly, but on the safety front, never buy a used helmet. One that has been used may be damaged. Helmets, even the most expensive ones, are one-and-done, meaning one hard hit and you need a new one. Make sure you have the size and fit correct. Measure one inch above your child’s eyebrows and around the biggest part of their head. The ATV helmets for kids should fit snugly and not wiggle much at all. Resist the urge to upsize and let your kid grow into it. Yes, it will save you a little money up front, but that is asking for trouble. Let’s dig a little deeper.

How important is it for my kid to wear a helmet?

It may be easy to think that kids don’t have to wear a helmet because maybe they’re riding slower or something. There is always the old adage too that kids bounce back from injuries quicker than adults, and there is some validity to that. Kids do tend to recover better from concussions than adults. However, studies have proven that head injuries are still nothing you would want your child to deal with. There can easily be cognitive, associative and behavioral damage from a traumatic head injury that may mask as something else. That’s not a risk any of us would be willing to take. Better to get into the habit of always wearing a helmet, regardless of the speed.

How do you size an ATV helmet?

We’ll kick things off with the obvious. Youth ATV helmets need to fit correctly. Let me say that again - YOUTH ATV HELMETS NEED TO FIT CORRECTLY! It can be a sucker-punch to the budget when your kid takes a growth spurt right after you bought a new helmet for him or her, but it happens. Resist the urge to go up a size and let them grow into it. Until they do, your child is wearing a helmet that isn’t protecting them as well as you would like.

Finding the right fit is easy. Start by measuring your child’s head around the biggest point – roughly an inch above the ears and eyebrows. A seamstress tape measure works great for this. Then you should select the corresponding helmet size from the manufacturer's size chart for a helmet you’re interested in. The sizes the manufacturers list are based on DOT-regulated head-forms, so they should be pretty close for everyone, but as someone with a big melon on my shoulders, I can tell you that it is not always the case. That’s why having the kid try on the helmet is very important. It's ok to buy online, but your child needs to try it on and you need to make sure it fits right before they go out the door to ride.

The youth ATV helmet should fit snuggly, but not pinch or hurt anywhere. If your kid has never worn a helmet before, it may seem strange or uncomfortable at first, but push through, mom and dad! This is important stuff. A properly fitting youth ATV helmet should also fit close around the cheeks. The easy test I always use for an initial fitting is to have my kid turn his head quickly and then stop it. If the helmet wiggles at all, it’s too loose and goes back on the shelf for another size. If your child wears a ponytail, take it out. Don’t try to get a helmet that fits over it. Getting proper fit from youth ATV helmets requires a little detective work from you, too. You’ve got to make sure the helmet fits right and that your kid isn’t just saying it does because he or she likes the way it looks.

Does my kid need ATV goggles too?

Yes, by all means, your child also need age-appropriate goggles when they are riding an ATV. A good-fitting, youth-sized goggle gives your child proper eye protection from dirt, debris and impacts. Proper youth sizing means the frame is smaller to better fit your child's face. It also means the goggles will fit into a kids-sized helmet and not leave gaps that dirt, dust and debris can get in through. 100% makes some of the best goggles on the market and their youth-sized versions have the same style and functionality as the adult-sized goggles. They share the same size lenses and tear-offs as the adult-sized goggles, so finding replacements is easier and more economical.

How do I get my kid to want to wear the helmet?

If you tell your kids they HAVE to wear a helmet, they might, but they won’t like it. But you can help them to want to wear it by letting them pick out the colors and models. That can be harder when you’re at your local shop trying them on, as some dealerships don’t have the space to stock a bunch of models in every size. I know from my daughter, that if they don’t have the color she wants, she is going to fight me with fierce determination about it. She gets that from her mother, I swear. And honey, if you’re reading this, I mean that in the nicest way possible.

How do I tell if the ATV helmet is damaged?

If your kids are like mine, you can expect them to once and a while not take care of their helmet like they should. If they throw it down, you need to look at it. Chances are nothing will be wrong, but you have to look it over. Any serious damage to the outer shell, and it’s toast. And the same goes for inspecting it if your child has an accident. Youth ATV helmets are disposable, just like any helmet. The EPS foam inside is good for one use. No matter how much you paid for the helmet, if that foam lining takes the hit, you buy a new one. Most any manufacturer will inspect it for free. Your dealership can help. You can also take it to the local police department in some cases. The old saying that kids are tough and bounce back is true. But keep in mind that a traumatic head injury isn’t something they can bounce back from as well as say, an ankle sprain.