Have a kid out on the football field? For the first time ever, parents and coaches have access to data that ranks the helmets best suited to protect young football players from concussions and other head injuries.
The Virginia Tech Helmet Lab has released a list of helmet ratings specifically for youth football players 14 and under. A total of 17 helmets were tested 48 times to see which ones actually reduce the risks of a concussion.
The group studied the effects of impact, allowing them to design test methods that reflected a youth athlete’s experience out on the field.
Steve Rowson, the lab’s director, said kids are not scaled-down adults — they have heads larger than necks and their brains are still developing, so those proportions should be reflected in the helmets they wear out on the field.
“This is important because you think of all the people playing football in the U.S., the majority of them are kids,” Rowson said.
The helmets that earned the highest ratings reduced head acceleration during impact, while helmets that earned lower ratings typically had front pads that were too stiff, according to the lab.
“The front location is where kids hit their head the most, and at high energies, so that front pad plays a big role,” Rowson explained.
The VICIS Zero1 Youth ($495) and the Schutt Youth F7 ($569.95) were among the helmets that earned five stars.
“Every manufacturer had a five-star helmet available and consumers can use this information to make informed decisions when purchasing helmets,” Rowson added.
See a complete list of the helmets tested by Virginia Tech’s Helmet Lab.
