Children and Ski helmets

In some countries, like Austria, Italy, the U.S., Canada and Spain, wearing a ski helmet is obligatory for children up to 14 years old. In other regions, such as Scandinavia, the use of ski helmets by children is stimulated by making it possible to rent helmets for free. In most ski resorts, like in France and Switzerland, children are required to wear a ski helmet when they take skiing lessons.

When buying a ski helmet for your child it is important to consider only the current size of the child’s head and not future growth because the helmet should never be too big. This can be dangerous if a child falls down because a large helmet can shift and cause damage to the face. Fortunately, a child’s head grows relatively slow, which means that the same ski helmet can be worn for several years in a row. This is especially true when it comes with a ‘dial-fit’ system which can be used to adjust the size of the ski helmet by a few centimetres. For choosing the correct size and fitting instructions, we kindly suggest you see these pages: Size chart and MONTE Ski Helmet User Manual.

In many cases, parents will rent a ski helmet for their children.  The disadvantage of renting a ski helmet is that it needs to be replaced after the impact of a hard blow, even if the damage is not visible on the outside.  When you rent a ski helmet you do not have information about the current state and ‘history’ of the ski helmet, so you do not know whether it is sufficient to provide the necessary protection to your child’s head. The ski helmet can be damaged by the impact of a hard blow and therefore no longer guarantee the right protection. This can be found on the warning label inside all approved (EN 1077) helmets.