Do you like heading to the rink on the weekends with your skateboard to practice some moves? Or maybe you love taking your bike up and down the mountains, for the gorgeous views and exercise.
Skating and cycling are two very common pursuits for young people who want to engage in activities. They keep you fit; help you enjoy your commute. They are also very green and eco-friendly alternatives to gasoline powered vehicles.
While you enjoy your pursuit, it is also essential that you keep yourself safe from external harm and injuries. Head injuries, especially, tend to be common amongst bikers or skaters who don’t take precautions.
Helmets are absolutely crucial and can prove to be lifesavers when you go cycling or skating. In this article, we’ll be exploring the differences between skate helmet and bike helmet.This will help you identify, know and pick the right one.
Differences In Shape And Design:
One key way to instantly spot any differences between bike helmets and skate helmets is the design. They both are made with the intention and purpose to offer protection to the head region. The different natures of skating and cycling require different designs.
Here are a few key differences in shape, build and design-
- Bike helmets are typically more aerodynamic in shape. They are more elliptical than round, and instead of a plain surface they offer more creases. This cuts down the drag for cyclists.
- On the other hand, skating helmets are round and smooth in shape.
- Biking helmets generally only cover the top and sides of your head, but not the back. The rounded shape of the skating helmets extends to the back of the head.
- The prime reason is that bikers almost never fall on their back. Hence, back of the head protection is not warranted.
- On the other hand, skaters can ball on their backs frequently, hence the back support.
- Skateboard helmets are generally thicker and made out of a harder material. The outer shell is hard and rigid.
- On the other hand, bike helmets are made out of thinner plastic. The shell is thinner and the overall helmet is lighter compared to skater helmets.
- The type of foam or protective material used is different in the two. While both biker helmets and skating helmets are built to protect the head, the type of impact they are intended to withstand are different.
- There are foams on biker helmets that crack after an impact, signaling the user that it needs replacing. On the other hand, some thicker foams on skate helmets do not show cracks and are built to take multiple impacts.
Protection and Safety Standards
Biking and skating are two inherently different pursuits, and the authorities have set different standards of safety for them. Even people who engage in each of these pursuits demand different levels of safety and protection.
In the United States for example, bike helmets must be CPSC certified. This is a federal certification that maintains high safety standards.
On the other hand, skate helmets can only have ASTM certification. This implies that they use softer foam.
Bike helmets are designed to survive one large impact. The foam in the helmet is such that it compresses after a large impact, caused by a high speed collision.
This is ideal, because in many cases bikers do face large impacts. Having a design capable of withstanding that blow and protecting the head region is mandatory.
Skate helmets are built to offer a different kind of protection. Most skate helmets provide multi drop protection. There is a caveat, however. They offer protection against smaller drops.
As a skater, you are more likely to encounter smaller, lower impact drops than high speed collisions. Having a helmet that can withstand multiple low impact drops and does not need replacing makes a lot more sense.
Comparison Chart: Bike helmet and Skate Helmet
Bicycling and skating are both very popular activities with certain similarities, but also manymarked differences. Let us highlight a few differences so that you can instantly spot them before buying or picking:
| Bike Helmet | Skate Helmet |
| Bike helmets are also called “Single Impact Helmets”. They are not designed to take multiple hits. Instead, they can withstand a large impact and protect the head against it. | Skate Helmets are known as“Multi Impact Helmets” because they protect skaters from multiple shorter falls. |
| Even though there are many kinds of bike helmets, in general they are all quite aerodynamic. There are curves and creases designed to minimize drag at fast velocity. | Skate helmets also come in different shapes and of course, sizes. They are typically more rounded and less aerodynamic. |
| Bike helmets typically pass higher degree of certification, usually federal CPSC certification. | Skate helmets are typically ASTM certified. |
| Bike helmets typically do not cover the entire head, only the top and sides are well protected. | Skate Helmets provide more coverage to the head and neck region |
| There are quite a few types of bike helmets, namely road bike helmets, aerodynamic helmets for racers, mountain bike helmets etc., all offering varied degrees of protection. | Skate helmets come in several forms offering varying degrees of protection and features. Some common ones are EPS, SXP, Hard hat Brock Foam etc. Each one offers something different. |
Can You Wear a Bike Helmet for Skating?
You can wear certain bike helmets while you are skateboarding, but not all. The bike helmet may even provide better protection against larger impacts. However, based on the common rule of thumb, you should opt for a skate helmet instead.
There are certain bike helmets like the Protek, Triple 8 etc. which offer adequate protection for skaters. However, certain bike helmets like full face helmets are not at all suitable for skating.
A skate helmet is rounder and covers more regions around the head. It is very common to fall on your back when skating, less so when biking. Having protection around the back region of the head adds a significant amount of protection and prevents chances of head injury.
Is a Bike Helmet Okay for Rollerblading?
We would strongly suggest against using bike helmets for rollerblading. Firstly, rollerblading is very similar to skateboarding. That means that the helmet and gear should be picked accordingly. The falls you may encounter during rollerblading are different from biking accidents.
Biking helmets for example, offer poor back of the head protection. On the other hand, a skating helmet covers more regions around the head including the back. It should protect you better from fall injuries, more than once. So, we recommend you to not use bike helmets for rollerblading.
Do Skate Helmets Work?
This is a very important question that you may have in mind. Do skate helmets even work as advertised? Is it going to protect my head from falls?
The short answer is a resounding yes. But let us delve deeper into ‘Why?”.
- Skate helmets protect the top, sides, front and back of your head with hard shell plastic and foam. Which means that if you trip, collide or lose balance whilst skating, your head won’t directly hit the pavement. This small layer of protection could save you from a severe injury.
- Your head is a fragile and sensitive region, and the skate helmet keeps it protected at all costs. Skate helmets are designed to withstand not one, but multiple drops. This means that whether you are a beginner or are just having a hard day, the helmet has you covered!
- According to almost every safety data, the chances of head injury go significantly down for skaters who wear a helmet compared to those who don’t. This itself bears witness that skate helmets do work as intended.
Making The Decision
You are well aware of the differences between bike helmets and skate helmets now. You are also aware of what to look for when buying one. Now comes the important part of decking what to get for your needs.
As we have said earlier, the skate helmets are definitely more suited towards skating. The engineers who crafted them know what kind of impacts skaters could encounter. The skate helmets offer all around protection suited for all your skating tricks and moves.
On the flipside, those of you who want to do cycling, be it on the streets or mountains, should opt for a bike helmet. As a biker, you are much more likely to encounter a large impact in the head. Bike helmets are made of hard foam and thin plastic, designed to protect your head from these large crash impacts. You can find your bike helmets from our list.
Before you buy either of these, make sure to check that the helmet you are buying is certified. A helmet that has not passed certification may not provide intended protection. You can check certification stickers on the helmet itself.
Lastly…
You are now fully aware of the differences that exist between a skate helmet vs bike helmet. You should be able to identify the differences easily and make the right decision when purchasing for your needs.
Both cycling and skateboarding are great fun ways of staying active. They keep you fit and help you commute. We, however, urge you to stay safe and always wear a helmet for your own safety. So, you may buckle up, put on a helmet, and enjoy the ride!