Top pick

This breathable, high-quality helmet is offered in a single universal size that fits a wide range of head circumferences. But it comes in only four solid colors.

This version of our top pick comes with a Mips liner, which provides added rotational impact protection.

For most children age 5 and up, the Giro Tremor Child Helmet is our favorite helmet, along with the corresponding Mips version. This helmet is comfortable, durable, and highly adjustable, but we wish it came in more kid-friendly designs or colors.

It has hard-wearing, lightweight in-mold construction. The Giro Tremor’s foam interior and plastic outer shell are fused together; this increases the helmet’s durability while maintaining its light weight (the Tremor is 270 grams with Mips). Our budget pick, the Joovy Noodle, has a hardshell construction; this means the outer shell is essentially taped onto the foam interior, which makes it less durable.

It’s comfortable and adjustable. With a fit range of 7 centimeters and a rubber-coated adjustment dial, the Giro Tremor (which meets the CPSC safety standards for kids age 5 and up) works well for a wide range of kids. But the adjustment dial slowly creeps up into the helmet as you turn it, and this can be annoying when you have to turn it all the way for a smaller-size head.

None of our kid testers said this helmet was uncomfortable, unlike with some other helmets we tested, which they said felt tight and narrow. The classic side-release buckle on the Giro is not fancy or innovative, but it feels sturdy and well constructed. And the helmet’s high-quality moisture-wicking pads are comfortable and cooling.

The side straps are fixed. Adjusting the side straps of any helmet can be a real pain. It can take several tries to get that perfect V-shape under the ears, and sometimes when you tighten the chin strap, it throws the side straps out of alignment. The Giro Tremor solves this problem by fixing the side straps in place.

We like the simplification of this design, and we found that the chin-strap adjustment, plus the rear-adjustment dial, allowed us to achieve a good fit with a wide range of head sizes, though some online reviews say otherwise. While the fixed straps will likely work for most kids, they won’t work for all kids.

It has optional Mips. Giro makes two versions of the Tremor helmet: one with Mips and one without. Mips is a company that makes rotational impact protection technology with the same name. Mips stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System, which uses plastic liners that can redirect energy and provide more protection in certain impacts.

Spending an additional $15 for added impact support may feel like a no-brainer for some parents. But online reviewers, and some of our own testers’ parents, found that the Mips liner can snag some kids’ hair, and that could make them less inclined to wear their helmet. Either way, we like that Giro offers two options, so parents can choose what’s right for their kid.

It’s got superior ventilation. The Giro Tremor has 18 vents along the front, sides, and back, making it the coolest (literally) of all our picks. The five vents in front are covered in netting to keep bugs out.

It comes with a removable visor. Deep enough to shield the sun and easy to click in and out of place, the visor can be helpful—but our testers seemed to prefer the way the helmet looked sans visor.

It’s easy to test out in person. Giro has a 30-day return policy, and it will pay for return shipping if you find that the Tremor isn’t the right helmet for your kid. Some bike shops, and stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods, carry Giro kids helmets, so you may be able to try one on in person without purchasing it first.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It comes in only four colors. We wish the Giro Tremor came in more colors or featured playful designs, like some other helmets do.

Giro doesn’t have a strong crash-replacement policy. The website states that you may be eligible for a discounted helmet if the crash happens within one year of purchase, but it makes no guarantees. Other brands, like Lazer and Thousand, offer more-robust crash-replacement policies.