Helmet Measuring 101

Helmet Measuring 101

It’s not even arguable; your helmet is the single most important piece of riding equipment, period. In order for your helmet to do its job, it has to fit properly. As an online retailer, we thought we’d share some measuring and fit tips. So without further ado, here they are:

  1. Grab that soft measuring tape! You’re going to want to measure around the widest part of your skull. As a rough guide, that means you’ll want the tape to be about an inch above your eyebrows in the front, and above the base of your skull in the back. When we say the base of the skull, we mean the point above where your skull meets your neck muscle.
  2. Compare that measurement to manufacturer size charts. This might require some unit conversion on the Google machine.
  3. When you receive your helmet in the mail, make sure you try it on with the same hairstyle that you would use while riding so that the fit is accurate. (And on that note, if you’ve gone from long hair to short hair, it might be time to get re-fitted!)
  4. When you try your helmet on, it should feel uniformly snug around the widest part of your head. No wobbling! No rocking! No gaps!
  5. Concerned your helmet is too tight? A too-tight helmet will perch above your eyebrows in a funny way. (There should be about an inch max between your eyebrows and your helmet.) A perching helmet is no bueno, as you want to ensure that its protecting the correct surface area of your head.
  6. Another note about snug fits. Keep in mind that the lining of your helmet will break down a bit. While you don’t want a helmet that’s so tight it’s giving you a headache, you also don’t want to end up with a helmet that fits loosely six months down the road!

Finally, unless you’re certain about your size, we always recommend trying helmets on in person with your local independent tack retailer. Helmets are not the product category to wing it on folks!

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