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An eScooter Helmet Guide

eScooters are an excellent way to move. The scooters are fun and fast and liked by kids and adults alike. However, eScooters are also risky to ride which makes safety a top concern. Even when you take all the precautions, a crash on an eScooter can have devastating consequences. This is why, it is recommended to always wear a helmet when you are riding an eScooter.

Since there isn’t any helmet specially designed for escooters, you might be wondering how to choose the right one. The choice of helmet depends on the top speed of your eScooter. In addition, you also need to take into account certain important factors such as ventilation and safety certifications. In this buying guide for eScooter helmets, we will cover all the important features needed to help you choose the right helmet.

electric scooter helmet

Is a Helmet Necessary for Riding an eScooter?

You might have seen people riding eScooters without any helmet and it might have occurred to you whether helmets are really necessary. You should know that wearing a helmet while riding an eScooteris absolutely necessary for your safety.

The most common type of injury that occurs while riding an eScooter is head trauma. Also, statistics suggest that eScooter riders are more likely to be injured in a fall as compared to other reasons such as crashing into something or being hit by a car. In simple terms, you might get injured by falling while riding an eScooter even when you are in an area without any obvious danger.

Do Helmets Keep you Safe?

Data suggests that helmets do work. For instance, the risk of head injuries for cyclists is reduced by 51% when wearing helmets. Also, the chances of an injury killing a rider reduce by 44% when wearing a helmet. In terms of safety, riding an escooter is not that different from riding a bike even though eScooters are slightly more dangerous as they have smaller wheels and higher speeds. Even though you might not have suffered an injury while riding your eScooter, it takes only one bad moment to completely change your life. A bad accident can also end your life and this is why, you should always wear a helmet.

Is a Helmet Necessary for Riding an eScooter?

You might have seen people riding eScooters without any helmet and it might have occurred to you whether helmets are really necessary. You should know that wearing a helmet while riding an eScooter is absolutely necessary for your safety.

The most common type of injury that occurs while riding an eScooter is head trauma. Also, statistics suggest that eScooter riders are more likely to be injured in a fall as compared to other reasons such as crashing into something or being hit by a car. In simple terms, you might get injured by falling while riding an eScooter even when you are in an area without any obvious danger.

Do Helmets Keep you Safe?

Data suggests that helmets do work. For instance, the risk of head injuries for cyclists is reduced by 51% when wearing helmets. Also, the chances of an injury killing a rider reduce by 44% when wearing a helmet. In terms of safety, riding an eScooter is not that different from riding a bike even though eScooters are slightly more dangerous as they have smaller wheels and higher speeds. Even though you might not have suffered an injury while riding your escooter, it takes only one bad moment to completely change your life. A bad accident can also end your life and this is why, you should always wear a helmet.

What Type of Helmet Should I Choose?

There aren’t any helmets that have been specially designed for eScooters like the Xiaomi Mi Pro 2 and this is why, you need to look at helmets meant for motorcycles or bikes. It is also better to keep in mind that not every helmet available for sale is safe for you. There are 3 main types of helmets including a motorcycle helmet, a downhill/mountain bike helmet and a bike helmet.

Bike Helmet

It’s the standard cycling helmet with soft inner lining and hard outer shell. In case of an accident, the hard outer shell helps in spreading the force of the impact over a wider area. It helps in protecting your skull from fractures. The inner soft lining also helps in absorbing a part of the energy of the impact. A variety of composite materials are used for making shells such as fiberglass, hard plastic or carbon fiber. The inner lining typically consists of two thick layers of foam, one harder and one softer. However, bike helmets have a big limitation as they don’t offer any kind of jaw or face protection. These helmets will protect your skull but a bad accident can lead to severe injuries to your chin and face.

We recommend these helmets for eScooters with a top speed of up to 10 mph. Even at these speeds, these helmets offer bare minimum protection. When choosing a helmet, you need to ensure that it has CPSC certification as well as Snell B-90/B-95, ASTM, CSA or EN certification. The CPSC standard is a legal requirement in the United States. This standard is based on the ASTM and Snell standards. Snell is a premium standard.

Mountain/Downhill Bike Helmet

It is recommended to choose a downhill/MTB helmet for eScooter with top speed of up to 20 mph. These helmets tend to be lightweight and have decent ventilation but offer better protection during impact as compared to standard bike helmets. These helmets were specially designed to provide more protection than standard helmets as downhill racing typically resulted in more crashes. And this is why, a better helmet was needed. These helmets are made of EPS foam as well as composite materials such as carbon fiber, hard plastic, or fiberglass.

Helmets with ASTM F1952 certification provide the best protection. However, all the helmets with this certification don’t have chin bars. If they do have chin bars, these are tested. Helmets with removable chin bars undergo two tests: one with a chin bar and one without a chin bar. We recommend wearing a full face downhill helmet to keep your head and face properly protected. A downhill helmet that has no chin bar or a standard bike helmet expose a lot of area. Downhill helmets are designed to provide basic protection up to a speed of 30 mph.

Motorcycle Helmets

A motorcycle helmet is recommended for eScooters with a top speed of up to 40 mph. Almost all the motorcycle helmets offer full face protection that is designed to protect your jaw, face and skull. These helmets also offer some protection for your neck. It is important as 50% of the impact is received by chin during a motorcycle crash affecting the head. Motorcycle helmets are also properly ventilated which means you won’t get hot and sweaty inside even when your whole head and face is covered. It is possible to cover the vents during the winter season. A full face helmet doesn’t allow you to wear sunglasses and this is why, many such helmets come with tints. It will make your ride safer in various light conditions.

Features That Matter in an eScooter Helmet

We offer a few recommendations but here is a list of some of the important features that should be considered if you want to choose a helmet on your own.

Safety Certification

It must be clear by now that different types of certifications or standards are applicable for different types of helmets. The standards depend on the type of helmet. It also means that you might think that a helmet is less safe than it really is when the certification does not match the one you expect.

Certifications for Bike Helmet

We recommend bike helmets only for low speed escooters. Several certifications might apply to these helmets. The bare minimum for these helmets in the United States is the CPSC certification. Helmets designed for recreational biking as well as roller skates can also have ASTM F1447 certification. There is another standard known as Snell. It is a voluntary private standard that is stricter. If a helmet has B–90A or B–95 mark, it means that it has passed these tests.

Certifications for Downhill Helmets

ASTM F1952 certification is right for downhill helmets. The certification is stricter as compared to ASTM F1447 or CPSC standard. A downhill helmet with CPSC certification might provide more coverage at the back of the head, but you should know that part hasn’t been tested. The F1952 certification does not require chin bars. However, if a helmet with this certification has a chin bar, it has to be tested.

Certifications for Motorcycle Helmets

Slightly different standards apply to motorcycle and motocross helmets. In the US, all the helmets meant for motorcycles have to conform to the FMVSS 218 standard by the Department of Transportation. An ECE certified helmet is necessary for all the scooter and motorcycle riders on public roads in Europe. Helmets that meet the minimum legal requirements offer minimal protection. The Snell M—2005 and M–2010 certification require additional tests for helmets. The Snell standards for children’s motorcycle helmets are CMS/CMR 2007.

Ventilation

The design of helmets is chosen to provide maximum protection to your head but it can quickly get hot and uncomfortable inside, especially during the summer season. It makes ventilation extremely important. If there are vents in the helmet, it ensures better airflow over the head and keeps your head cool. More vents mean cooler head inside a helmet. However, helmets for escooters don’t need a lot of events. With too many vents in the helmet, there is less foam to provide you protection. You should also know that helmets with big vents tend to be more expensive.

As far as the certification for ventilation is concerned, currently there are no standards as testing for cooling is challenging. This is why, you are the best judge for vents.

Size and Weight

Weight of the helmet is going to affect how quickly you get tired when riding your eScooter Riding with a heavy helmet takes more energy as compared to a lighter one. The standard bicycle helmets tend to be lightweight. If you happen to find a helmet that is lightweight and meets the desired safety standards, you won’t even feel that you’re wearing a helmet. Downhill helmets tend to be a bit heavy but still lightweight depending on the materials used for making the helmet. Motorcycle helmets that are full faced tend to be the most heavy and can weigh anywhere from 1400 to 1800 grams.

You might not want to wear a motorcycle helmet on an eScooter with a top speed of 10 mph due to its weight. In fact, it might also cause you to lose balance when you look back at low speeds.

Size is another important factor you need to consider. There are one size fit all helmets available in the market. These come equipped with adjustable knobs and/or straps. Helmets are also available in different sizes and you will need to take proper measurements in order to choose the right one. In order to measure the circumference of your head, take a flexible tape and wrap it around the biggest part of your head which is 1 inch above your eyebrows.

Final Thoughts

Statistics show that helmets help in providing protection and saving lives during accidents. Even when you have a lot of experience riding eScooters and you haven’t experienced a crash, you should know that everything can change with just one bad accident. However, it can be challenging to choose the right helmet with so many options available today.

There are a number of important factors to consider but the first factor you should consider is the type of helmet. It depends on the top speed of your eScooter. If you prefer riding under 20 mph you will get minimal protection with a standard bike helmet. The downhill helmet is the right choice even when you’re riding at lower speeds. For scooters that are capable of hitting speeds of 30 to 40 mph, it is recommended to wear motorcycle helmets. Helmets with full-face protection are capable of keeping your face, skull and a part of your neck safe.

Some of the other features you need to consider after narrowing down your options include ventilation, size, weight and safety certifications. Try on a few helmets and keep looking if you do not like one. A helmet isn’t going to be useful unless you wear it during every ride. This is why, it is important for you to make sure that it is comfortable and has all the must have features. The right helmet will keep you safe in case you get into an accident.