There’s something intrinsically cool about a full-face bicycle helmet. It’s what you wear when you’re racing mountain bikes downhill, BMXing or doing awesome tricks at the bike park (not that I’ve ever done any of those things!!!)  It’s no wonder then that young Cycle Sprogs are often desperate to get their own full face helmet ASAP.  The slight problem with that has been the availability of a suitable helmet. Yes, there are some serious kids lids out there for, but they’re expensive, heavy and quite hard to come by, and to be honest not always necessary for those who are just starting out and want to experience wearing fullface before their skills have caught up.

We were therefore pleased that Kiddimoto got in touch to ask us to review their Ikon full-face helmet.

We first saw this at the Cycle Show at the NEC in Birmingham, where our youngest sprog was quite taken by it.

The first thing that struck me was that it was very lightweight for a full-face helmet, which are usually very heavy.  It’s important to note that the Kiddimoto IKON helmet is tested to EN1078, which means it is NOT suitable for DH racing but can be used for all other types of cycling.

The second noticeable thing is that the chin guard is detachable, meaning the helmet can be used both in full face and “normal” helmet mode.  The chin guard is designed to protect from falls when balance biking, scooting, BMXing or cycling so your child (and you) can decide when you think they’re likely to need it in place.

I had a chat with the people on the Kiddimoto stand, and was pleased when they got in touch a few months later and offered to send us an Ikon helmet for review. I immediately knew a Cycle Sprog who would be perfect to test it out.  Emma’s 7 year old son was just getting into mountain biking and visiting bike parks plus I know he’d also been trying on the helmet at the Cycle Show!  He’s now been using the helmet for well over a year, so it’s time to check in and find out how it’s been going.

Firstly I asked Mum Emma about her views of the helmet. I was particularly interested in how the plastic “one-click” fittings on the chin guard had held up, and whether they were easy to use.   It’s encouraging therefore that Emma told me “The chin guard is easy to remove and reattach – my son can do it without any help. The chin guard feels secure it doesn’t wobble around. Thankfully we haven’t had any major crashes in it so can’t comment on how effective it is at preventing injury”.

Anything that kids can use themselves without needing parental help is always a good thing in my book!

The versatility of the helmet has been something both Emma and her son have appreciated: “Our favourite thing about it was that he could wear it as a normal helmet during the steady family bike ride to the bike park then attach the chin guard once we got there.  He also loved being able to pick from four different bright colour combinations.”

Of course, it’s one thing Mum liking the helmet, but what’s it really like to wear when you’re 7 years old? Here’s our Cycle Sprog reviewer’s thoughts: “It is very comfortable and lightweight.  It has some padding on the chin strap for extra comfort.  It keeps you cool in hot weather conditions.”

He also confirmed that he didn’t find any issues with his vision being obsured by the side wall of the chin strap, which was another concern I had.

Overall, the Kiddimoto Ikon certainly gets the thumbs up – you can’t really ask more than this for a summary, can you? “It’s my  favourite helmet and it’s epic”.

Where to buy the Kiddimoto Ikon Full Face Helmet

The Ikon comes in four different eye catching colour schemes – pink/blue,  blue/white, red/blue and yellow/orange.

They’re available in two different sizes – small for heads with a circumferance of 48-52cm  and medium for 52-58cm heads.

They can be bought directly from the Kiddimoto website, and are also available from Amazon.

One other thing to note about the Ikon Helmet is that there is space at the rear to fit an LED light (available to purchase seperately) which is great if your Sprog is riding all year round.

Disclosure:  Cycle Sprog were sent the Kiddimoto Ikon Helmet to review, and Emma and her son have been allowed to keep the helmet as a thank you for reviewing it for us.

Other articles you may like whilst you’re here:

• How to keep your child’s head warm under their cycle helmet
• Should my child wear a bike helmet?
• The best bikes for 6 and 7 year old kids (20″ wheels)
• On the right track – family cycling in West Yorkshire
• Kids hydration packs – pros and cons of using them on a family bike ride
• Mini Hornit kids cycle helmet review