Little Tikes quality for bike helmets: worth your search!
Written: Jan 13 '06 (Updated Jan 13 '06)
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Pros: Design, quality, color, shape
Cons: she's 4 now and just fit it; it's for ages 2-4
The Bottom Line: This bicycle helmet has been beaten but not abused and shows no signs of trauma!! Toddler size may not equal age; size your child in the store!
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| thriftymommy's Full Review: ToysRUs.com Little Tikes Toddler Helmet |
We purchased this Little Tikes bicycle helmet for our now 6 year old but despite it being a toddler helmet, our now 4 year old daughter is wearing it and our 6 year old never was able to! We bought it online from Toys R Us in 2002 because of the Little Tikes reputation and its design that appealed to our son.
This Little Tikes toddler bicycle helmet keeps your child's head safe while either riding along on their own bike or on the back of yours. The helmet has the Little Tikes tag at the front of the helmet; the box does not have any other manufacturer listed although the helmet looks very much like the Bell helmet our 6 year old wears...I'm not sure if this was a one-time venture by Little Tikes but a Google AND Little Tikes site search yielded no matches to this helmet.
This helmet was not purchased as part of a set or with a bicycle seat for my bike; it was purchased individually and I have not seen it sold anywhere since we purchased it. I did research on the CPSC website to see if it had been recalled and it has not. Due to the color, shape and its fit, other than not finding this helmet anywhere else, we decided to use it for our daughter.
This Little Tikes toddler bicycle helmet is made of hard high density styrofoam on the inside coated with hard plastic on the outside.
The Little Tikes toddler bicycle helmet includes 10 vents on the top of the helmet for cooling; 5 on each side of the head. The vents allow for the air flow to keep your child's head cool and there are four extra pads velcroed inside the helmet that are soft and flexible. These pads wick away the perspiration and create room for the head to release heat. To date, the velcro has held the pads in place without incident.
The Little Tikes toddler bicycle helmet buckle fits snugly with a pinch-less slip in clasp under the chin buckle. The buckle adjusts easily by simply loosening the straps (similar to a bookbag strap adjustment) that are located close to the buckle. The straps themselves create triangles over the ears and meet inside the helmet itself.
The sides of the helmet toward the back come down over the ears and to the base of the skull. I like the fact that the hard styrofoam covers the entire skull versus other toddler helmets that are more like skull caps and have no protection for the little ears. This added protection makes falls less dangerous for me...oh, and for her!
For sizing, our 6 year old could not wear this when he was four because it was too small and our 4 year old could not wear this when she was 2 because it was too big. Although the box stated that this helmet is designed for ages 2-4, I think you really need to bring your child into the store to try helmets on prior to purchasing them. Since we bought this online, I assumed that Little Tikes had based the sizing on the AAP height and weight plus scalp measurements...and my assumption would be wrong since we probably will use this for the remainder of this year and it will fit snugly and comfortably.
This Little Tikes toddler bicycle helmet complies with the CPSC standards for US child bicycle safety helmets according to the box. SO far, our daughter has fallen numerous times on her new big girl bicycle with training wheels and several of those times have been from a distance onto her head. The helmet has not shown any type of damage and the hard plastic has retained its shine without scratching. I have also dropped this helmet several times in the garage and check each time before placing it on her head for damage but it has really been made to last.
Overall, if you can find this Little Tikes toddler bicycle helmet, rely on the quality and product superiority associated with the Little Tikes name but try not to buy your helmets online...your child's head may not fit when their age does!!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 24.99
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Epinions.com ID:
thriftymommy
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Member: April
Location: Home of the Hindenburg Disaster, NJ
Reviews written: 90
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The number of people below the official poverty thresholds numbered 36.1 million in 2005.
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