How To Buy A Sled Helmet

There’s nothing quite like snow to make us all smile, wrap up the kids and spend the whole weekend dragging them up the local park slope (is it me or does it get steeper as the day goes on?) and then launching them down at some unearthly speed, with no steering, no brakes and absolutely no sense of the danger we’re putting them in, along with all of the other local kids who are equally at risk. It’s all in the name of fun, but around 7000 children are admitted to the hospitals around the States every winter, suffering from head injuries caused by sledding. Huh, “spoil sport” I hear you say, “Kill joy”, “weren’t you ever a kid” – well, yes I was and I’m guilty of launching my own kids off onto the great white unknown on many an occasion, but really, one simple addition to their attire can make all the difference, a sled helmet.

We are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers involved in lots of activities these days, it’s now commonplace to see people wearing cycle helmets which were unheard of only a couple of decades ago, so why not exercise the same amount of common sense when it comes to sledding?  We only get one head, our kids only get one head and once broken, there’s no guarantee that it will ever be the same again – heads need looking after for everybody’s sake.

How To Buy A Sled Helmet

Sled helmets are a pretty new idea, but basically if your child already has a bicycle helmet then it’s certainly better than nothing. There are now some helmets on the market specifically designed for sledding, which are just made to be that little bit warmer (what a good idea, fur lined would suit me just fine) and waterproof (it’s surprising how wet the snow can get isn’t it?)

It’s important that whatever helmet you choose is a good fit, it certainly shouldn’t move around from side to side, backwards and forwards, and should not tilt backwards. The more of the head it covers the better really, so if it goes well down on the back and sides of the head, that’s just brilliant.  It’s also important that it’s fastened properly, so that it doesn’t move around and certainly won’t fall off just before the point of impact.

If you visit your local sports store (or shop online, but you can’t really try those on can you so it’s a bit more tricky) you might find some helmets which have been specifically designed for sledding, or alternatively, a well designed skiing or snowboarding helmet should do the trick perfectly.

Sled helmet prices vary widely, as with anything else, but it isn’t always important to pay for the most expensive helmet, as long as it has passed safety standards (look for the stickers) and fits properly it should be able to do the job, whether it costs $20 or $100. Anyway, it’s a small price to pay for your childs head, don’t you think?