I was thinking about getting a bike and a bike trailer for me and my son for the summer. It will be great to get out of the house once in a while without wasting the gas. I was also looking at child carriers but those are not for me. Anyways, my question is, do toddlers (my son is 2 and a few months) need a helmet when riding in a bike trailer? and if so, how do I purchase the right one for him? I'm thinking 2 different things so please help me out on what is right. This may be a stupid question to ask but any help is great. Thanks!
Thank you so much everyone for these wonderful pieces of advice. I honestly didn't know if he needed a helmet or not. I will be looking around for bikes here soon. Thank you again!!
Yes, he should be in a helmet. It should be fit correctly as well. We have a Center for Childhood Safety in Green Bay who could probably point you in the right direction. Their number is ###-###-####.
Yes he needs a helmet. We bought a bike trailer about a year ago when my son had just recently turned 3. At the same time we bought him a helmet, and he loves to wear it. My husband and I wear one as well as my other 2 kids. The helmet we bought was Lightning McQueen, so of course he loved it from the beginning. We bought his at Wal-Mart, so it was not overly expensive. Our thought was if we had an accident on the bike and the trailer for some reason tipped over, he would be safer with a helmet on. They have toddler sizes for the helmets, so this helps. Make sure to have him try it on and make sure that the padding fits snugly on the head. Good luck.
We have a helmet for our 15 month old... The Giro Me2 Infant Bike Helmet is what I got after looking at reviews. Sold at Amazon... http://www.amazon.com/Giro-Infant-Bike-Helmet-Bunnies/dp/...
I liked this one because it was flatter in the back for when leaning back in the trailer seat and it came in smaller sizes so I could start taking my daughter out on the bike as soon as possible. It also comes in some fun little kid designs.
She doesn't really care for putting it on yet (be prepared for a battle at least the first few times it goes on), but we figure not only is it keeping her safer if the trailer would ever get hit or tip over, but it's getting her used to the idea of, if it has wheels, a helmet goes on. Rather do it now than fight her when she starts riding a trike or bike.
Yes he needs a helmet if you are riding on the road . And you can just go in to the store and try on the helmets on him to make sure it fits him right .
Yes, he does need a helmet. We bought a trailer last year. Wearing the helmet took a little to get used to, as he was only 1 and had a hard time repositioning himself in the cart and with the helmet - it would cover up his eyes or he would lean over. This year he is moves around quite well and can sit up nicely (he is also 2). He loves to wear the helmet. Our whole family wears them for everything with wheels. Its just a great habit to start early!! Happy riding!!
Yes, he absolutely needs a helmet! Go to a bike store or sport specialty store where someone can help you make sure it fits. I've read that Bell makes the best helmets. My husband takes our son out in the trailer fairly often and has had it tip before.
You should really wait until he is at least 6 months, I believe that is what the guidelines are. He is way too little to be able to sit up properly. In the meantime use your stroller.
If you do get a trailer please make sure you use the flag, so drivers see your bike trailer. I keep seeing people removing the flags and it is horribly dangerous as drivers don't look for trailers. Yes please put a helmet on him, you can buy them for toddlers at any target, walmart store.
My son was just under a year when we started using our bike trailer and we used a helmet. He is now 4 and at his checkup the pediatrician said if he is in or on anything with wheels; bike, bike trailer, power wheels, that he should be wearing a helmet. My husband and I witnessed a car hitting a bike trailer 3 years ago and the trailer turned over. I don't know if there were any injuries. It is better to be safe than sorry. Helmets can be found at Target, Shopko, Walmart.
Yes, if your child is going to be on a bike of his own or in a carrier or trailer on your bike, he needs a helmet. There are helmets made for children age one and up, approximately. I think if you took him to Target and such you'd be able to try different ones on and find an appropriate helmet for him.
Enjoy your summer outdoors!
Not a stupid question. Yes to the helmet. You can get a toddler size helmet at any Wal-mart or other big discount retailer, as well as at bike shops, and online. Use the foam padding strips to get it to fit snug. You can spend a ton or get the cheap ones; even the cheap ones are light-weight and conform to safety standards.
And I think that bike trailers are safer than the carriers that ride up on the back of your bike. Get one that will not tip over even if you tip over your own bike. We got ours from Shopko, just a regular run-of the mill bike trailer, seats one or two children, and as a bonus, it converts easily into a "stroller". Ours gets used both ways since I can't ride anymore due to injuries, and the stroller feature is great because it has the weather stuff- bug netting and plastic rain/wind cover- that typical strollers don't have. My son loves being in it. He balked at the helmet at first but quickly learned to deal with it since he was not allowed to ride in the trailer without the helmet. Again, this is an item you can spend a ton on or just go with the cheap ones. We've been thrilled with our cheap one and the pricier ones some of my friends have don't seem to have any advantages over ours. Ours has the side pockets in the kid area for snacks and drink cups, and it's plenty roomy for two kids. (We like to take a friend along sometimes.)
Hope that helps. Happy riding :)
