You have probably heard it a million times from parents, from police officers, from skatepark employees, and sometimes even from your favorite action sports athlete. You have to wear your helmet. Or, at least it is strongly recommended. BMX has seen it pretty tough recently with helmets. Mike Aitken went down without a helmet and probably could have avoided a lot if he had one on. Stephen Murray went down with all of his pads on and he remains in a wheelchair to this day.

Mike Aitken riding his bike after 5 months of rehab after his severe head injury.


So, those two examples may contradict each other, but what I want to get across is helmets are something I encourage and recommend and with that, you should also get the right helmet for you, right? Many of you may have helmets that you never wear because they're uncomfortable, heavy, and look dumb. I'll be honest, I have seen many a helmet I wouldn't wear just because it looks dumb. Mike Aitken said in a recent interview he is looking into designing a helmet that would be better looking and more comfortable so people will actually want to wear a helmet.

When you are buying a helmet I would avoid helmets that come in vague sizes such as small/medium or large/xlarge. Go for something with more specific sizes meaning they have a more specific fit and find the perfect size for you. This is also why it is important to try these on and support your local store instead of buy the wrong size from the internet.

When you search for helmet brands you will probably first arrive to Pro-Tec. You may also run into s-one and Bern, younger companies that have made great strides in modern helmets. Don't count out Triple Eight, TSG, POC, and Bell helmets. As a BMXer, you may want to look for helmets that are bike specific but don't disregard helmets for skateboarding or anything.

Pro-Tec Classic helmets in assorted colors.


Half or full? If you ride skateparks or any terrain with several other people you want to avoid full face helmets as they limit vision and limit mobility for when you're looking out for your friends so you don't run into them. Full faces are more commonly seen in vert riding and BMX racing. Half cut helmets are more commonly seen in street/park riding and even in dirt and vert riding.

Obviously, it isn't recommended to skimp on helmet buying. The more high end helmets on the market won't even exceed $50 generally. You may see a CPSC sticker on some helmets. This means that it is qualified for bike use and may be a better option for your BMX helmet. However, you don't have to go CPSC it's just recommended. With CPSC helmets you will probably get EPS foam to take the abuse of bike riding. This may mean that the helmet is a single impact helmet, however, so if you take a big one with it on you should check to see if it's done for and need to get a new one. And this is why some prefer to get multi impact helmets which may be less protective but more thrifty.

A not-so-new feature that has become more popular recently, that I recommend, is a terry liner sweatband for the helmet lining. This soaks up the sweat so it doesn't drip into your eyes and everything while you're riding. It's also really comfortable compared to the more standard lining. (I wear a helmet with terry liner.) The only companies I can see, just through google search, with terry liner is s-one and Triple Eight.

I wear the S-ONE OG DLX helmet in white. Comfortable, affordable, protective.



One more picture because this one makes me feel really good and warm inside. Mikey and his boy, riding together.