XSportsProtective.com Blog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog Shop Smart. Get Protected. Ride Hard. Mon, 14 May 2012 17:05:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Why your teenager needs to wear helmet http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/05/14/why-your-teenager-needs-to-wear-helmet/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/05/14/why-your-teenager-needs-to-wear-helmet/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 17:05:10 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=567

How do you get your teenager to wear a helmet?

Most teenage skateboarders don’t wear a helmet. The sweet little kid who never went anywhere on his bike or skateboard without a helmet when he was 10 refuses to wear one when he’s 13.   It’s been shown that bicycle helmet use is highly dependent on one’s companions–it other words, both adults and children tend to adopt the helmet-wearing habits of their companions.  Short of finding your teen a bunch of new, helmet-wearing friends, how do you get him or her to wear a skateboard helmet or bike helmet?

Surprisingly enough, your teen might be less adverse to helmets and helmet-wearing peers than you might think. One small study found that adolescent boys had more positive perceptions of hypothetical peers who wore helmets than peers who were featured without helmets. So the question might not be the idea of a helmet but finding the right helmet for your kid. Skateboard helmets and bike helmets are available in a huge variety of colors and designs. Chances are, XSportsProtective has one that your teen will like. And wear. Why not let your kid be the trendsetter among his friends?

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What do you know about kids’ skateboard helmets? http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/05/09/what-do-you-know-about-kids-skateboard-helmets/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/05/09/what-do-you-know-about-kids-skateboard-helmets/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 16:18:52 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=560 So your kid has fallen in love with a skateboard. It’s great when the child in your life finds a new sport. However, for a parent (or grandparent, aunt, uncle, concerned onlooker), it’s a little scary when that new sport involves riding a piece of wood mounted on four small wheels over concrete and wood. According to American Sports Data, 10.6 million children under the age of 18 ride a skateboard.if your child is one of them, a skateboard helmet is the first piece of skateboarding gear he or she needs. Most skateparks require riders to wear skateboard helmets, and several states have enacted skateboard helmet laws along with bicycle helmet laws. If your child plans on doing any street riding, be sure to check your state and local laws regarding kids skateboard helmet use.

As you shop for the right skateboard helmet for your child, remember that even if a helmet is not specifically named as a “kids’ skateboard helmet,” it may likely fit your child’s head. At XSportsProtective, we’ve found that Triple Eight and ProTec skateboard helmets in particular frequently fit kids’ heads just fine.

For instance, let’s say your eight-year-old is browsing through skateboard helmets on the XSportsProtective website and decides he absolutely must have the Triple Eight Brainsaver Pro skate helmet, Adam Taylor edition. You might say “No” because it isn’t listed as a kids skateboard helmet (or you can’t stand that dropping bomb graphic). However, size small in that particular helmet fits head circumference 52-53 centimeters. 95% of kids up to eight years old will fit in a 54 cm or smaller helmet. You won’t know if this particular skateboard helmet should be your kid’s skateboard helmet until you measure his or her head.

How do I measure my child’s head for a skateboard helmet?

Measuring your child’s head (or anyone else’s, for that matter) is actually quite simple. Take a tape measure and wrap it around his or her head, about an inch above the eyebrows. This measurement is the circumference of the head and is the measure by which every helmet is sized. If you don’t have a tape measure, use a piece of string or yarn and then lay the string next to a ruler to measure it.

For more information on sizing kids’ helmets, including an measurement-to-hat-size conversion chart, check out the Kids Helmet Sizing Help article in our Helmet Learning Center. To learn more about kids’ skateboard helmets, check out the article on Kids’ Skateboard Helmets in our Kids Skateboard Protective Gear Center.

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What do you know about kids’ skateboard pads? http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/05/03/what-do-you-know-about-kids-skateboard-pads/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/05/03/what-do-you-know-about-kids-skateboard-pads/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 13:51:50 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=556

What do you know about kids’ skateboard pads? What do you need to know?


Spring is here in full force–we’re due to set a record-high temperature here today in Northeast Ohio. When the weather warms up, out come the wheels: skateboards, bikes, roller skates, inline skates. You name it. If you have a child who loves to skateboard, or if you have a child who is just learning to skateboard, you know that he or she needs to stay safe.

Kids think they’re invincible. And while sometimes they way they bounce back from a tumble makes it seem like they must be made of rubber. We know they’re not. One-third of all skateboard injuries happen in the skater’s first week on the board. Skateboards and kids’ skateboard protective gear has changed a lot in the last 15 or 20 years. To help you find the best kids’ skateboard pads and kids’ skateboard helmets, we’ve created a Kids’ Skateboard Protective Gear center. Here you can learn about the different types of kids skateboard pads or get the information you need to find the best kids skateboard helmet.

Check out the Kids Skateboard Protective Gear center to get the information you need to find the best skateboard protective gear for your child. XSportsProtective is the largest protective gear store on the web, so when you’re ready to buy, check out our huge selection of skateboard protective gear. Call us at 1-800-930-4084 or email us at info@XSportsProtective.com today to order your skateboard protective gear.

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What’s the difference between a skateboard helmet and a bicycle helmet? http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/25/whats-the-difference-between-a-skateboard-helmet-and-a-bicycle-helmet/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/25/whats-the-difference-between-a-skateboard-helmet-and-a-bicycle-helmet/#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:56:58 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=546

Skateboard helmet vs. Bicycle helmet: What’s the difference?

Our customer service representative gets a ton of questions about helmets, usually centered on what helmet is best for a certain activity. There are skateboard helmets and there are bicycle helmets, and understanding all the differences between the two can be confusing at first. Throw dual use bike/skate helmets into the mix and the questions increase.

Skateboard helmets come in two designs—those designed only as skateboarding helmets and those designed to do double duty as both bike and skateboard helmets. Traditional bicycle helmets (i.e., those designed only for biking) are a separate class. There are a few obvious and not-so-obvious differences between a skateboard helmet and a traditional bike helmet.

The obvious differences are in the shape. Skateboard helmets have a round, bucket shape that covers more of the back of your head than the typical bicycle helmet. You’ll need this extra coverage in a backwards fall. In addition, skateboard helmets don’t need the aerodynamic design of a bicycle helmet or quite as many huge vents.

The bigger differences are in the construction of the helmet and how it protects your head. Skateboard helmets typically have an inner liner made of soft foam. This protective liner that is meant to slow the force of multiple, low to moderate impacts. In other words, skateboard helmets are designed to sustain a series of small impacts at low speeds. A traditional bicycle helmet has a protective inner liner made of stiff expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam with a thinner liner of soft foam for comfort. Traditional bicycle helmets are designed to withstand one big impact (like a crash).

What about bike/skate helmets (i.e., dual use helmets)?

In appearance, dual-use helmets look like a skateboard helmet, with a rounded, bucket-like shape that covers the back of your neck. In some ways, it’s like you’re biking with a skateboard helmet, however, a bike/skate offers a higher level of impact protection than a skateboard helmet. This is because dual use helmets have a protective interior liner made of stiff EPS foam (like a bicycle helmet). The stiff EPS liner has greater impact absorption properties than the soft foam, because bike crashes tend to occur at much faster speeds than skateboarding. A dual use bike/skate helmet will, at minimum, meet CPSC bicycle safety standards.

The kind of helmet you end up buying depends on what activities you plan on doing. If you’re strictly a skateboarder, you’re fine with a skateboard helmet like the ProTec Classic or the Triple Eight Brainsaver. If you think you’ll be going from the skateboard to your mountain bike, you might think about getting a dual use helmet, like the ProTec B2 for bike/skate or the POC Receptor Flow bike/skate helmet.

For more information on the differences between skateboard helmets and bicycle helmets, check out the XSportsProtective website.

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Do you need to replace your bicycle helmet? http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/18/do-you-need-to-replace-your-bicycle-helmet/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/18/do-you-need-to-replace-your-bicycle-helmet/#comments Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:02:54 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=537

Should I replace my bicycle helmet?


Spring is here in full force (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), and our friends and our customers are pulling out their mountain bikes, road bikes, skateboards, and inline skates in anticipation of another season of fun on wheels. Most of riders have gotten the message that if you’re doing anything on wheels, you need a helmet on your head. But for many of us, a helmet is a one-time purchase. We wear it season after season and don’t bother replacing it unless it’s been in an accident or we see a new one that we like better. (And if you’re in the market for a new open-face mountain bike helmet or road bike helmet or a full-face mountain bike helmet, we have a great selection.)

But did you know that most bicycle helmet manufacturers recommend replacing your bike helmet every three to five years? Yes, that does awfully frequent, but the reasoning behind this recommendation is sound. There are any number of factors that can contribute to the the degradation of a helmet’s protective capacity, for instance sunscreen, insect repellent, temperature cycles (do you leave it in a cold garage in the winter and a hot car trunk in the summer?), or ozone exposure either from the sun or being stored next to an electric motor can all have an effect on the bike helmet’s protective capacity.

We’ve created a new learning center article on When to Replace Your Bicycle Helmet. It’s available for free on the XSportsProtective.com website. We also have a How to Inspect Your Helmet checklist, so you can give your bicycle helmet the once-over and see if it needs to be replaced. Just as you check your bicycle at the start of a new cycling season to make sure it’s in good working order, it doesn’t take much time or effort to get in the habit of checking your bicycle helmet too. Nobody has invented a prosthetic brain or done a brain transplant–make sure your bicycle helmet is in good shape before you ride.

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Azonic Kamikaze Venom Fullface Helmet http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/12/azonic-kamikaze-venom-fullface-helmet/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/12/azonic-kamikaze-venom-fullface-helmet/#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:27:54 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=533

The Azonic Kamikaze Venom Helmet – hard to find, but we have them in stock!


Azonic makes helmets for BMX and/or Downhill mountain biking, and the Azonic Kamikaze Venom is the flagship fullface helmet in the line. In stock and shipped the same day at XSportsProtective, buy your new Azonic Helmet today!

Azonic is the bike division of O’Neal Motocross, a household name in motocross gear since 1970. Like O’Neal does with its motocross products, Azonic offers superbly engineered, incredibly strong components for mountain bikes, the critical components at stress points where the bike takes its biggest beating – the bike frame, its wheels, pedals, bars, and stem. The same is true for their helmets. Azonic full-face helmets are well engineered and very strong. They provide excellent head protection in a sport where superior head protection is an absolute necessity.

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Does your team want to save money on roller derby gear? http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/10/does-your-team-want-to-save-money-on-roller-derby-gear/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/10/does-your-team-want-to-save-money-on-roller-derby-gear/#comments Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:35:32 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=529

Roller Derby Discount Program


Did you know that XSportsProtective has a roller derby discount program? Your derby team or league can get a discount on every roller derby protective gear order. In addition, your team or league can earn free derby gear.

In order to be eligible, you must have a minimum of 20 active skaters, a regular practice and bout schedule, and a team website (or a website in development). Complete our roller derby sponsorship form or email our derby specialist and start earning discounts on roller derby gear.

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Full-face mtb helmet comparisons http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/04/full-face-mtb-helmet-comparisons/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/04/04/full-face-mtb-helmet-comparisons/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:30:59 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=525 Let’s say you’re shopping for a full-face mountain bike helmet. You pop onto the XSportsProtective.com full-face mountain bike helmet page and immediately become overwhelmed by all the choices. It’s hard to choose, and you start to wonder what the difference is between an $80 helmet and a $250 helmet. How many more bells and whistles does that extra money get me? Is a more expensive helmet really safer?

We’ve done a brief comparison of some of the most popular full-face mountain bike helmets in three price ranges–$75-100, $125-150, and $175 and above. In general, a more expensive helmet is going to have more specialized features and will be constructed with slightly higher-tech materials, which may save you an ounce of weight here or there and add to your comfort level. A more expensive helmet may also meet a greater number of safety certifications, although a helmet must meet CPSC safety standards in order to be sold as a bicycle helmet in the United States.

Hopefully, this full-face mountain bike helmet comparison will help you decide on the right full-face mtb helmet for you and the type of riding you plan on doing. You might want to check out our Mountain Bike Learning Center for more information on how to choose a mountain bike helmet. No matter what mountain bike helmet you choose, make sure it fits snugly but not too tight and then wear it. No helmet can protect you against every hit, but no helmet can protect you if it isn’t on your head. Safe riding!

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Has your helmet had its veggies today? http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/03/28/has-your-helmet-had-its-veggies-today/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/03/28/has-your-helmet-had-its-veggies-today/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 17:06:43 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=523 One of our favorite full-face mountain bike helmets is the Urge Archi-Enduro Veggie. It’s called the Veggie because the exterior hardshell made from a composite of fiberglass and natural linen fibers. Linen has long fibers that have been used in fabric for centuries. Urge has taken linen fiber use to a whole new level by using it to make mountain bike helmets. Urge uses highly technical, specific molding processes to weave linen into fabrics that have very close characteristics to glass or carbon fabrics.

However, unlike glass or carbon fabrics, the linen fiber is natural, requires low energy to be produced, and creates compostable waste that poses no danger to the environment. In addition, it is non-allergic and is safe for Urge’s employees to use.

Urge makes the Archi-Enduro in a Veggie style, which uses a linen/fiberglass shell construction, and a style that uses only a fiberglass shell. You can read more about this unique full-face mountain bike helmet at the XSportsProtective website.

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Make sure that first ski jump includes a ski helmet http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/03/19/make-sure-that-first-ski-jump-includes-a-ski-helmet/ http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/2012/03/19/make-sure-that-first-ski-jump-includes-a-ski-helmet/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:14:11 +0000 xsportsblog http://site.xsportsprotective.com/blog/?p=513 We came across this great little video of a fourth grade girl’s first ski jump. It’s hard to tell from her shadow what brand of ski helmet she’s wearing, but it’s clear she’s protected.

You don’t have to be a parent to love her whoop of triumph when she nails it.

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