An essential to many outdoor sports such as biking, climbing, and many water sports is a helmet. It’s a preventative and proactive way to ensuring that you’re prepared for accidents, and in the same way that you pack a first aid kit, you should also strap a helmet to your gear before taking off. In fact, many states require helmet use by law for some activities like cycling, so it’s more than just a suggestion for some - it’s the law.
Let’s break down different types of helmets for different sports as well as go through some of the basics of fitting your helmet appropriately to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your helmet use.
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Anatomy of a Helmet
Every style of helmet has the same basic anatomical components, but variations in these components can make one helmet better suited for a certain sport than another.
Shell: This is the largest encapsulating plastic component of your helmet. It helps hold the helmet together, provides puncture resistance, and allows the helmet to slide on impact.
Liner: The cushioning component of your helmet is typically comprised of foam and lies directly underneath the shell. The liner dissipates the force of impacts and can be permanently damaged if the shell integrity is destroyed.
In-Mold Construction: Some helmets are built with a permanent in-mold construction that fuses the shell with the liner. These designs are typically lighter and strong.
Ventilation: Enhancing airflow over your head, these openings in the liner and shell help to keep your head cool while making for a lighter helmet design.
Straps: All helmets are built with straps to keep the liner and shell firmly secured to your head.
Types
Many attempt to utilize specialty helmets for sports other than their intended use (bike helmet for climbing excursions, for instance), but there are certain features that make these helmets better for their designated sport.
Helmet Type | Guidelines | Special Features |
Cycling Helmet | Designed to absorb energy, these helmets are built with aerodynamics in mind and are intended to essentially crumple on impact. |
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Climbing Helmet | Unlike cycling helmets, these are fitted closely to the shape of the skull and are designed to handle multiple impacts that may occur from falling rocks. |
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Water Sport Helmet | Can be used for paddling, kayaking, or whitewater rafting. These are designed with vents to allow for the transfer of heat, air, and water from your head to the environment and back. |
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Winter Sport Helmet | With little to no ventilation, these helmets have a close fit and are designed to maintain warmth and insulation (and typically come with ear coverage as well). |
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Cycling Helmets
When we are looking solely at cycling helmets, there are a few distinguishing features to consider.
Impacts: First of all, cycling helmets are designed to handle impacts the same way a car does; the helmet is designed to crumple due to higher crash speeds and should be discarded after impact.
Design: Cycling style helmets have a thinner shell to better allow the EPS (foam) to deform and absorb the impact. They also have large vents for airflow.
There are three different types of cycling helmets to choose from:
Style/Type | Guidelines | Best for: |
Sport (multi-use) Helmet | This traditional helmet is economical and suited for a wide range of cycling activities. |
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Road Bike Helmet | This specialty style is designed with extra ventilation and a focus on aerodynamics. They’re also typically more lightweight. |
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Mountain Bike Helmet | Ventilates best at low speeds and is equipped with visors, extra rear-head coverage, and a tight fit. |
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Climbing Helmet
Unlike cycling helmets, climbing helmets are designed to withstand multiple (yet smaller) impacts that can occur from falling rocks or bumps to the head while navigating the rocky cliffsides and terrains. These helmets usually have less ventilation than their cycling counterparts, as a stray jagged rock could turn a fun climbing excursion into a crimson fountain.
As with cycling helmets, there are different types of climbing helmets that are designed to perform better in different situations:
Style/Type | Guidelines | Best for: |
Suspension Helmet | Think of this style like a hard hat suspended on your head with webbing. While it’s heavier, it’s also more durable than their foam counterparts. The shell can deform on impact but return to its original shape, so it can take quite a beating. |
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Foam Helmet | Lightweight and durable, this style utilizes foam with a thin outer shell. The crown deforms permanently on impact, thus making them less durable over time. |
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Water Sports Helmets
From paddling and wakeboarding to kayaking and whitewater rafting, water sports are just as dangerous as other sports when it comes to the safety of your noggin.
Style/Type | Guidelines |
Full-Cut Helmets | These helmets include protection for your ears, extending the shell down towards your chin. |
Half-Cut Helmets | Half-cut helmets cut off above the ear. These are generally more comfortable and looser fitting than full-cut helmets. |
Watersport helmets can be made of a variety of materials (listed from strongest to weakest):
Carbon Fiber
Kevlar
Composite Polymers
Plastics
While plastics sits at the bottom of the list in terms of strength, it is a time-tested favorite of watersports enthusiasts and is used widely today as a traditional choice.
Fit
Depending on the type of helmet you’re choosing as well as the manufacturer, there are many different sizing options your helmet can come in.
Multi-Use Helmets: These typically come in one size with adjustable straps and liners to fit different sizes.
Basic Sizing: Some helmets may only come in small, medium, large, and XL sizing which caters to most standard sizing needs.
Kids: Most kid sizing comes in ‘one size fits all’.
Measurements: Some helmets may come with measurements that correspond to the diameter of your head about 1” above the eyebrow.
Small: 20"-21.75" (51cm-55cm)
Medium: 21.75"-23.25" (55cm-59cm)
Large: 23.25"-24.75" (59cm-63cm)
Extra-small, extra-large: Below 20" (51cm), above 24.75 (63cm)
One size fits all (men): 21.25"-24" (54cm-61cm)
One size fits all (women): 19.75"-22.5" (50cm-57cm)
There are other factors to consider when fitting your helmet as well:
Adjustability: Tighten or loosen straps so that your helmet fits snugly on your head and doesn’t move around when you shake your head back and forth. Most biking helmets in particular come with a universal sizing wheel on the back as well as an adjustable chinstrap. Adjust the sizing wheel first followed by the chinstrap.
Positioning: Your helmet should sit level on your head (not tilted back) with the front edge no more than 1" (a width of approximately 2 fingers) above your eyebrows.
Layering: If you’re climbing or biking in cold or wet climates, be sure to leave room for a balaclava or hat for warmth.
