Baby safety helmets: The best protection from bumps and bruises

I am sure you have all heard this before:

The frantic pitter patter of running (or crawling) foot steps.

Then suddenly…

THUDD!

Followed by just enough silence to make you wonder whether you imagined it. But then, out of nowhere….

WAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Your little baby has given himself one monster of a bump.

I am confident that when my baby looks at himself in the mirror he sees this:

A wrecking ball!

I came in like a wrecking ball…

Dang it, now that awful Miley song is stuck in my head. Where was I again?

Oh yeah.. That’s right…

Soft baby skin and courage is a surefire recipe for disaster. While your baby may think that he is as strong as a wrecking ball, this is very likely the outcome:

My baby was like a rhinoceros. He would place his head down and charge around the living room without looking where he was going until something stopped him; usually furniture or a wall.

As you could imagine, often he would end up with a big meaty bruise just like in the picture above. This was all well and good around the home but when I went out, passers by would give me judgmental looks… And I knew exactly what they were thinking:

That mom beats her baby with a sack of nickels

Which is an absolutely horrifying thought, especially when I gave my baby all the love a child could ever ask for.

That’s when I knew I had to do something about it. A quick search online revealed the product that was perfect for my baby:

Safety helmets for babies and toddlers

A safety helmet is the perfect thing to protect your baby’s head from the dangers of your home. Thickly padded and comfortable to wear; simply slide it over your baby’s head, secure the straps and your baby is free to run around your home with his little noggin safe and secure.

When your baby does eventually take a tumble, the thick padding will cushion his head. While there may still be tears, at least there wont be any physical damage done.

Now you may be asking yourself:

Do I really need a safety helmet for my baby?

To put it super simply: No. The majority of you will NOT need to wrap your baby’s head with a safety helmet.

BUT…

There are two situations where you will find a safety helmet incredibly useful:

1. Special needs children- If your baby suffers from any of the following then a safety helmet is definitely needed:

• Epilepsy
• Hemophilia
• Balance disorders
• Seizures

… And other disorders that can cause your baby to involuntarily (or voluntarily) bump his head on his surroundings. If the helmet saves you a single trip to the ER than it will have paid for itself.

2. Head banging babies - As I mentioned earlier, it’s almost as if my baby deliberately ran head first into furniture. By using a safety helmet, hopefully I was able to save some brain cells for him to use later in life.

If your walls and furniture are a baby magnet like mine were then perhaps you will want to consider a safety helmet. They are quite cheap so it wont be a costly mistake if you find it unsuitable.

If you feel that a safety helmet is a necessary for your baby then I must warn you:

You WILL be judged by others.

Unfortunately parents who raised their kids without safety helmets will likely dismiss you as being over-protective without even taking the time to ask why your baby wears it in the first place.

Ignore them!

Ultimately we are all parents that are doing the best we possibly can for our own children. You know what’s best for your child and if you think a safety helmet is suitable for your baby then I say go for it!

Now before I continue, I must clarify that a safety helmet is not the same as a bike helmet.

So what’s the difference? Let’s take a closer look at each…

Bike Helmets vs. Safety Helmets

Safety Helmets

While it might look similar to a bike helmet, a safety helmet is actually made up of a soft and spongy material. The padding protects your baby’s head from bumps and bruises and wont scratch your furniture or walls when your child's head comes into contact with them.

Most safety helmets will have large vents, allowing air to circulate around your baby’s head keeping him cool. Avoid safety helmets without vents as they can contribute to your baby overheating, particularly in the warmer months. Besides, no one likes a sweaty baby.

Bike helmets

Hard and rigid, designed to keep your infants head safe in high velocity collisions and falls on hard terrain found outside the house. Not suitable for indoor use since the hard surface of the helmet can mark walls and furniture when your baby runs headfirst into them. I have written a separate guide on bike helmets for toddlers and infants here

Understand the difference?

Good. Moving on…

The best safety helmets for babies

If you want to protect your babies head then you will want the best. But how do you make sure your babies helmet is going to be both comfortable and protective. You don’t want to be stuck with a helmet that sucks.

that’s where I come in. Lets take a closer look at some of the greatest safety helmets available:

Related Post: Basics to Babyproofing

If you are serious about protecting your baby’s head then you should look no further. Unfortunately all this protection does come at a price. The Thudguard helmet is one of the most expensive you will come across. If you can afford the price then you will be incredibly happy with your purchase.

But what if you wanted something cheaper? Perhaps the next safety helmet is the one you are looking for:

Conclusion

While a safety helmet will not be suitable for every baby, there is no denying that they can be incredibly useful in certain circumstances.

What are your thoughts on safety helmets; a protective cushion sent by angels or a useless piece of baby gear that makes your baby’s already giant head look bigger again?

I would love to hear your experience.

You know the drill: Leave me any questions, wisdom, love or hate in the comments below and as always . . .

Keep being awesome!