Hey there, my name’s Toby and I am an electric ride enthusiast and fellow parent who’s taught 100s of kids (including 3 of my own) to ride everything from hoverboards to electric scooters.
Today I will help you by break down exactly what your little daredevil needs in order to stay safe when they’re out shredding. The research that has been done on kids and electric scooters is clear, children under 15 years of age are represented much higher in reports on injuries, although most are minor injuries. As a skateboarding and snowboarding kid who lacked any safety sense, I chipped my teeth, got my fair share of concussions, and sprained my ankles probably hundreds of times (each).
As a parent and ride teacher I have seen my fair share of other kids falling, which has led to some clear observation on how they usually fall and what we can do to try and prevent it, but also how we can protect them using gear to best lower the risks when it eventually happens.
Risk Analysis For Kids Riding Electric Scooters
Usually the biggest risk to a kids riding scooters, are the kids themselves. We all remember how impressionable we were as a child and how we wanted to show off our skills in front of others, or perhaps that was only me.
The major risks according to all the research data we could find on PMC are injuries, mainly bruises and strains, but concussions and broken bones although not as common, still represent a few percentages of kids omitted to the hospital.
When I teach riding, kids are much quicker to learn than adults, it isn’t even close. But they are also much quicker to put their trust in the vehicle, neglect their surroundings, and quite often overestimate their own capabilities. This is one of the main reasons that kids end up being far more represented in the injury data than adults.
Remember that the quality of their ride matters too. There are plenty of great electric scooters built with kids safety in mind, these have features you don’t find on your regular ride that all cater to keeping kids safer while riding. For some help on picking the right scooter for your kid, check out our guide to the best kids electric scooters.
The Gear Breakdown – What Your Kid Actually Needs
Helmet – Protect Their Most Important Body Part
If you skip everything else in this guide (but don’t do that), at least get this part right. A good helmet can be the difference between a slight headache and a cracked skull.
That is why we always start with protecting our most vital part, the head. And for that I will quote myself: “Only stupid people refuse to wear a helmet, because they feel there’s nothing worth protecting in there”.
What to look for in a kids helmet:
- CPSC certification (it’s the safety standard that actually matters)
- Multi-impact protection (because kids rarely crash just once)
- Proper fit (no wobbling or sliding)
- Full back-of-head coverage (critical for backward falls)
- Impact-absorbing liner (EPS foam with strategic zones for comfort and crash cushioning)
Great Helmets We Can Recommend
A good kids helmet can set you back anything from $20-150 depending on which brand you buy from. My go-to pick for kids is the 80Six helmet, just above $20.
It’s got solid protection without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for a top of the line helmet, the POC Pocito is a more expensive, but worthy investment having a lot more safety features implemented.
Choosing The Right Helmet Size For Your Child
If you measure their head circumference just above the eyebrows. Then add about half an inch (1.27cm) for growing room, but not more. Then you will have a helmet that fits well.
Do note that many models can be adjusted in size, or have interchangeable padding that you can change as your kid grows. Remember a loose helmet can easily slip off during impact.
Knee and Elbow Guards – Because Bruises Are The Most Common Injury
If you’ve got an active kid, I don’t have to tell you about the band-aid situation we have at home with our 3. I don’t think these knees or elbows have been bruise-free since the day they learnt to walk. It comes with being a kid, but for certain activities the level of bruising you can get, and the risk for it is higher.
That’s why I highly recommend kids use knee and elbow guards/pads, deep bruises on these flexible body parts take a long time to heal.
What to look for in elbow and knee pads:
- Impact absorption rating (look for ASTM F1292)
- Hard outer shell (for sliding protection during falls)
- Flexible design (should not restrict their movement)
- Secure straps (dual straps are better than single for staying in place)
- Anti-slip interior (we don’t want guards rotating or sliding out of position)
- Size appropriate padding (thicker isn’t always better)
- Easy to put on/take off (kids need to be able to use them independently)
- Washable materials (sweat and dirt build up quickly)
Elbow and Knee Guards We Can Recommend
We’ve tested some standard big box store knee/elbow pads in our days, but they always seem to be slipping out of position and aren’t fully there when you finally need them.
So my go-to knee and elbow guards are the 3-piece from JBM, they are slip-ons that can be adjusted and tightened using 2 Velcro straps for a solid fit. Are available in a few different colors, and you get wrist guards as an extra. Although while riding electric scooters I do not recommend using wrist guards, they’re great for other activities like skating. The hard shell will take the hits while the soft padding keeps complaints about comfort to a minimum.
Shoes: More Important Than You Think
As someone who comes from a skate background I know the importance of having proper footwear that fits the activity. You don’t need any special “electric scooter shoes”, if that’s even a thing, but I assume someone’s trying to make a buck or two.
But please for the love of all things wheeled, do not let them ride with Crocs or flip-flops. Sure they are super comfy and kids love how easy they are to slip into, but they’re really bad for a well-balanced riding posture and a death trap when you have to dismount at speed. A good pair of skate shoes or sneakers with flat, grippy soles, decent ankle support, and obviously closed toes will do just fine.
Gloves – Keeping Cute Hands Sore Free
As you can tell we aren’t covering wrist guards in our kids safety gear guide, that is because while riding these can be quite in the way. Instead we recommend that you opt for a set of protective gloves to help avoid bruises on their little hands. These are available in both normal full gloves and as open-finger variants perfect for hotter summer riding.
What to look for in kids protective gloves:
- Cold or warm (depending on the season you may opt for different glove-types)
- Padded palm area (crucial for impact protection)
- Breathable material (to prevent sweaty hands affecting grip)
- Anti-slip grip (to make sure there is good grip on handles)
Protective Kid Gloves We Can Recommend
Although gloves aren’t a must-have item on our safety gear list, they do provide your kids with better grip and also help protect their palms if they happen to have an accident. The bonus is that you also get protection from the elements.
During the summer my kids usually use reinforced half-finger bike gloves, these gloves are breathable and avoid sweat build up. Usually kids’ scooters aren’t powerful enough to necessitate any expensive motorbike gloves like the ones I use when I test the top speed of scooters. But as the cold and rainy weather hits I would definitely recommend a pair of full-finger gloves, or even a pair of regular ones would suffice. Just make sure they’re grippy enough for the kids not to accidentally lose their grip.
Increased Visibility: Being Seen is Being Safe
Even if your kid swears they’ll be home before dark, we both know that might not happen. And as a Swede who lives where the sun is almost completely gone for parts of the year, whatever time you set, it’s going to be pitch black. Especially important if you’re kid is using their scooter for daily commutes back and forth to school. So let’s throw some visibility gear their way and make sure they can be easily spotted when out riding.
Great ways to increasing your kids visibility at night:
- Reflective strips (my go-to, great for use on both scooter and helmet)
- Scooter functions (make sure they know how to turn on the scooters lights)
- Extra lights (smaller flashing lights for body, or an extra headlight for scooter)
- Bright or reflective clothing (anything but fully black works)
Making It All Work Together
My “Getting Them To Actually Listen” Strategy
Look, my kids are about as stubborn as me. But when it comes to safety they do actually listen and respect our decisions as parents. Sure, we don’t really dress them up into bubble-wrapped michelin characters so that might be helping. But I do think our strategy has a lot to do with it too. Here a few incentives and strategies that have worked great for me:
- Knowledge is king – Make them truly understand the risks and that you wanting them to be protected is love.
- Let them pick their favorite colors – This one has proven to be far more effective and important than I expected it to be.
- Show them what professionals use – As someone with a background in competitive snowboarding, I know that every athlete is very serious about protecting themselves from injury.
- Make it non-negotiable from day one – No helmet, no riding. It’s as simple as that.
- Store it all together – Make it easy for them to remember, and avoid the commonly used “but I couldn’t find it” excuse)
When To Replace Their Gear
Safety gear has no set expiry date, but there are some general rules that apply for when you should scrap the old for a new set. If your child falls and hits their head, the recommendation is to always exchange the helmet. They are built to keep your child safe and if the helmet has gotten a hard enough hit it can lose some of its protective features. Same goes for the rest of your gear, if upon inspection you find cracks, burst seams or an above acceptable wear and tear. You should definitely replace that part of their protective gear.
Helmets: Replace after any significant impact or every 2-3 years
Pads: When the Velcro dies or if there are cracks or broken seams
Gloves: When damaged or worn down
Estimated Cost of A Basic Protective Gear Setup
These are round averages and you can get it cheaper and more expensive depending on your child’s need and budget.
- Helmet: $25
- Knee/Elbow Pad Set: $30
- Gloves: $15
- Reflective Tape: $5
- Basic Lights: $20
In total for less than $100 you’ll get our full kids safety gear setup recommendations for your kid to scoot around safely no matter season or time of day.
Final Thoughts: A Quick Reality Check
After all these years of riding and teaching, here’s what I know for sure: The best safety gear is the gear your kid will actually wear. Start with the essential helmet and build from there. Keep it comfortable, make it cool, and most importantly always lead by example.
Remember, we’re not trying to bubble-wrap them to the point where mobility is going to be the reason they fall. We’re giving them the proper safety tools so that they can push their limits with less risk of injury. At the end of the day, the goal is more fun and fewer band-aids.
Now that you got your kid all set up, why don’t you head on over to our buyers guide to electric scooters and get yourself one so you can have fun riding together!
Stay safe out there, Toby.
Got questions about kids’ electric scooter safety? Hit us up here or on our social media channels. There’s a big chance we’ve already lived it, crashed it, or at least know someone who has!
