If you're keen to get your little one into horse riding, you obviously have to consider safety first, which is why we've found the best children's riding hats to help keep them safe.
Normally, if your child is attending lessons they will be provided with a horse riding hat. But if you want more peace of mind knowing they're safe or if horse riding is a regular hobby, you might want to invest in the best horse riding hats for them.
Best children's riding hats at a glance:
• Best children's riding hats overall: Uvex Onyxx Princess Kids' Riding Helmet, £74.95
• Best unisex children's riding hats: Covalliero Helmet, £32.39
• Best glittery children's riding hats: Horze Arix Crystal Helmet, £84.99
• Best traditional children's riding hats: CPX-3000 Junior Riding Hat Black, £74.99
Regardless of whether your child is taking a few lessons or horse rides as a hobby, a children's riding helmet is a requirement in order to keep them safe. According the British Horse Society and rule 49 of the highway code, "children under the age of 14 must wear a helmet with complies with regulations." However children of Sikh religion are exempted while they are wearing a turban, although riding hats are still encouraged.
Here are the best children's riding hats for your little one.
Best children's riding hats overall
Horzewww.horze.co.uk
Description
The Uvex Onyxx Princess Kids' Riding Helmet has Inmould technology, meaning it's lightweight while having the highest impact resistance. It can be adjusted to the head and height width of your little one, and even has a Fast Adapting System to continuously be tailored to your little one's head shape. It also has a washable inner lining.
Pros
- Sophisticated ventilation ducts
- Washable inner lining
- Lightweight with highest impact resistance
Cons
- No other colour choices
Best unisex children's riding hats
AmazonDescription
The Covalliero Helmet is a slim shape that's also shock proof. It's designed with a sophisticated ventilation system, helping with temperature control while wearing it. It's easy to adjust and comes in different sizes too.
One customer review said: "My daughter has been riding for some time and always wears her hat. This hat is comfortable, fits well, looks good and does not cause pain during prolonged use. My daughter does not even get massive hair indents. The chin strap is not restricting and is quite comfortable. The hat complies with the relevant safety requirements and comes well packaged."
Pros
- Shock proof
- Slim shape
Cons
- More suited to older children
Best glittery children's riding hats
Horzewww.horze.co.uk
Description
Designed with a removable liner that can be washed, the Horze Arix Crystal Helmet features an attractive crystal panel that's also glittery. It has plenty of ventilation slots to offer comfort and air flow to their head too.
One parent review said: "Well made with attention to detail, comfortable does not press the head, soft inside. JUST PERFECT!"
Pros
- Super high impact strength
- Removable, washable liner
Cons
- Some mentioned they found it a bit bulky
Best traditional children's riding hats
Decathlonwww.decathlon.co.uk
Description
Easy to adjust and anatomically designed with foam padding for increased comfort, the CPX-3000 Junior Riding Hat Black is ideal for children. It has impact protection and has a lifespan of five years.
One parent said: "Lovely looking hat, great fit and my daughter loves it."
Pros
- Anatomic design
- Easy to use and adjust
Cons
- Should be replaced after 5 years
Best children's riding hats with colour choice
Horzewww.horze.co.uk
Description
With three colour choices to choose from, the Horze Wendy Kids' Riding Helmet comes with a horse decal feature at the back of the helmet. It has soft foam lining that can also be removed to wash, and offers protection in the event of a fall. There's also plenty of ventilation slots for comfort and air flow.
Pros
- Three colour choices
Best lightweight children's riding hats
Decathlonwww.decathlon.co.uk
Description
The X-AIR Plus Junior Riding Hat Black is lightweight, with comfort padding and breathable mesh inset panels to allow for ventilation. It also has a quick release buckle, and a four point heatformed harness. It's best to double check measurements too to ensure you're getting the right size for your little one.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Four point padded nubuck harness
Cons
- Some mentioned it comes up a little bit smaller
Children's horse riding helmet fitting guide
It's important to ensure your child's helmet fits correctly which is why your child should have their head measured and their har fitted properly when buying to make sure it is the best shape.
While it is recommended go to a reputable shop to have a new hat fitted by somebody who has had appropriate training, sometimes this is not always possible.
Here's a handy guide from Champion to walk you through what to do...
Things to think about
• Riding hat standards: The British Horse Society say: "All hats sold in Europe must be CE marked, i.e. declaring compliance with the regulations as stated in the European Directive 89/686/EEC on Personal Protective Equipment."
• Quality Assurance: Check there is a Quality Assurance Mark displayed. This provides visible evidence of "the helmet’s quality, safety and performance as defined in the specification" and shows the helmets are independently and regularly batch tested.
• Buying new: It's important to buy a new helmet as it's impossible to see if the helmet might have been damanged, making it less protective to your child.
• Pick a horse riding helmet only: Cycling (and motorcycle!) helmets are unsuitable and unsafe for horse riding
How to care for children's riding hat
When looked after in the correct way, a good horse riding hat can last for several years - in fact, a helmet’s maximum lifespan is five years. Be sure to keep the hat out of direct sunlight and to let it dry naturally when it gets wet. The horse riding helmet should be replaced after any falls as it can be difficult to see if and where the hat is damaged.
A journalist since 2015, Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby and has written for the website and previously the magazine for seven years. Emily writes about everything from the top baby products to pregnancy, fertility and maternal mental health. Specialising in product reviews, Emily is the first to know about all the exciting new releases in the parenting industry.