Sizing a Helmet
Once you have decided which type of helmet you would like to wear, you will need to make sure that the helmet you have chosen fits you properly.
The first step to selecting a properly fit helmet is, obviously, to try the helmet on. Make sure that you fasten the chin-strap, and that the strap is tight up against your chin.
Use the following tests to determine if the helmet you are trying on is too large or too small:
- Check to make sure that the helmet inner lining (the padding on the inside of the helmet) fits snuggly all around your head.
- Make sure that the top pad on the inside of the helmet presses firmly on the top of your head.
- Check that the cheekpads are in contact with your cheeks.
- Take your finger and run it along your brow ridge, where the helmet liner meets your forehead. You should not be able to fit your finger between your forehead and the liner.
- Get a good grip on the helmet, one hand on each side. Hold your head steady while you try to move the helmet up and down and side to side. When doing this you should feel your skin and scalp being pulled along with the helmet. If you don't, the helmet is too large.
Ask yourself how the helmet feels. Is it too loose? Is it too tight? If you've never worn a helmet before (and especially if you're trying on a full-face helmet for the first time), there is a good chance that the helmet will feel tight. Probably even uncomfortably, claustrophobically tight. However, unless the helmet is so small that it is actually causing you pain, a tight fit is actually a good thing.
Why is a Tight Fit a Good Thing?
The inner lining of a helmet is made out of foam, and will compress slightly the first few times the helmet is worn. If the helmet feels "a little loose" or "just right" the day you purchase it, it may not fit at all after a few weeks' time. Buying a helmet that is a little tight (but not too tight) is an easy way to ensure that your helmet will fit you properly for months and years to come.