Skateboard vs Bike Helmets: What’s the Difference?

When you’re doing any kind of physical activity, you should always prioritize safety. This is especially true for high-risk activities such as skateboarding and biking, where falls and accidents are common. One of the most important pieces of protective gear for these activities is a helmet.

But how do these two types of helmets differ? Are they interchangeable or are there specific features that make each one suitable for a particular activity? As it turns out, there are quite a few differences between them that can affect your safety and performance.

Do You Have to Wear a Helmet on a Skateboard in Australia?

Even though the road rules are different in every state, still, you aren’t legally required to wear a helmet when using non-electrical recreational devices like skateboards and roller skates. However, even if you don’t have an e-skateboard or e-bike, it is recommended to wear one to improve your safety since accidents can happen and are quite common, especially for beginners. When deciding to wear a head protector of this kind, you should know there’s a difference between a skateboard and a bike helmet.

Differences Between Skate and Bike Head Protectors

The need to wear a bike and skate helmet with a proper fit and durable designis of vital importance for reducing the chances of head injuries. Even though some of these injuries can be insignificant, some of them can result in being treated in the ER while others can be fatal. So, certainly, you should wear a helmet instead of leaving anything to chance.

Safety Standards

The fit certainly is one of the most important things when choosing a helmet, however, let’s not forget about the helmet meeting certain safety standards. Those designed for skateboarding should meet ASTM F1492 or CPSC safety standards because they focus more on high-impact resistance, multi-impact protection and penetration resistance.

Headguards designed for bikes must meet the CPSC safety standard or the international EN1078 standard which is focused on ventilation, impact protection and aerodynamics.

Design and Construction

Another difference between these two types of headguards is their appearance and design. While the skate ones are rounder, smoother and with fewer vents, the bike ones have more vents, have elongated shapes instead of rounder and are lighter because they are made from lighter and thinner foam. The skate head guards have a plastic shell and denser foam liner designed to absorb impact energy, so, understandably, they offer greater protection.

Ventilation

As you may already know, the skate head guards have fewer vents than the ones for cycling which can lead to overheating and discomfort in some people, however, they offer better protection. Consequently, the ones designed for bikes have larger vents which allow for better and faster air flow which will cool the head down faster.

Coverage & Protection

This is just another huge difference these helmets have. The skateboarding ones cover a greater part of the back of the head while having a lower profile for protecting the ears and temples. Their foam liner is thicker and more shock-absorbent to withstand more impacts.

Bike helmets, on the other hand, have a longer back and a visor designed to protect the eyes mainly from the sun. Their thinner foam lining is designed to protect single impacts which isn’t even close to the protection offered by skateboard helmets.

Comfort

Given the fact that skateboarding headguards are heavier because of their denser foam, this makes them less comfortable for prolonged use. Their snugger fit and less padding might be uncomfortable for some of you and lead to skin irritation, however, they have adjustable straps which will contribute to improved comfort.

Bike head guards, on the other hand, are lighter and have more padding which makes them more comfortable. However, you really shouldn’t be wearing one when skateboarding since it won’t provide you with the needed protection and you might end up injured.

Similarities

The similarities of these two types of head protectors are pretty obvious. Both of them are designed to offer the needed protection when skateboarding or cycling and protect your head from injuries, bruises and concussions.

Both, skate and bike head protectors have a hard shell and a foam lining designed to absorb impact, and they also have adjustable straps that allow for adjusting it for a better fit. Additionally, they come in a large selection of sizes to help you find the right fit.

As you can see, both of these helmets have one purpose, however, choosing the proper one according to your activity, proper fit and size is paramount. Additionally, you really shouldn’t save your money when investing in a bike/skate helmet and pick the best bargain on the market.

The idea is to buy a helmet that will meet the needed safety standards to provide you with the required protection and reduce the chances of head injuries which in some situations can be fatal. Even if you choose the right type of head guard that meets all safety standards, if it doesn’t fit properly, everything will be in vain. You will experience a lot of discomfort and you’ll end up returning and changing it.

---