Melon Helmet Review

Melon helmets perform as great as they look. Lightweight, cool and comfortable, kids and adults alike will love the funky styles and great fit provided by Melon helmets. Read the full review below for all the reasons we love them!

boy riding a red raleigh rowdy 16

Melon Helmets

RATING: Highly Recommended

MSRP$80

BEST FOR: Skater-style loving kids who want a cool and comfortable lightweight helmet.

SIZE: 46 – 52 (S), 52 – 58 cm (M/L)

ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM: Dial adjust

WEIGHT: 280 g

PROS:

  • By far the most lightweight skater-style helmet
  • Air channels to help with venting and Coolmax pads which draw sweat away from head
  • Soft chin pad and magnetic “no pinch” buckle
  • Great fit – internal dial adjust and three sets of interchangeable sizing pads
  • Fits a variety of head shapes well

CONS:

  • A little pricey

Melon Helmet Review – Results of our Testing

**Melon helmets are no longer available in the US**

Melon Chris

It’s not often that a bike helmet will put a smile on a kids face, but with Melon, the smiles came quickly.  Melon helmets are based out of Germany and have recently been introduced to the US.  With multiple European awards under their belts, including the 2013 Eurobike IF Award, the 2014 Swiss EMPA Test and the 2014 Red Dot Award for product design, there is certainly a lot to love about Melon helmets.

Air Vents and Coolmax Pads

Melon foam

Packed with numerous safety and comfort features, Melon helmets perform as good as they look. Starting on the inside, Melon tackles the inevitable sweat problem with skate-style helmets by added air channels in the foam, that allow air to circulate between the vents.  To draw sweat away from the skin, they added Coolmax® pads with sealed edged to inhibit seat dripping.  The helmet is also constructed with in-mold foam technologies, versus hardshell, which greatly decreases the weight of the helmet.  To protect the exposed foam along the front and rear edges of the foam, each Melon also has a sturdy EPS protective layer.

Fidlock Magnetic Buckle

To ensure their helmets stay in place, Melon incorporated a dial-adjust internal cage as well as locking sliders.  A Fidlock® magnetic buckle makes buckling and un-buckling quick and easy, while the soft chin pad increases comfort.

Melon features

Size and Fit

The Melon also stood out amongst our fleet of kids bike helmets, as it fit our six-year-old with a rounder, wider head.  Although his head circumference is only 53cm, the vast majority of helmets in his circumference range are too narrow and apply uncomfortable pressure to his temples.  Melon’s helmets are wider than most and also comes with three different thicknesses of the front and rear pads to further adjust your helmet for a snug fit (as shown in their sizing charts).

melon fit

Melon vs. Nutcase and Giro

Compared to other helmets, the Melon shares the most similarities with Nutcase helmets, but they are different in several notable ways.  The Nutcase is heavier due to its hardshell construction, it has a narrower fit (too narrow for our 6yo) and is dual-certified by the CPSC and ASTM for biking and skateboarding.  The Melon is lighter due to in-mold construction, has a wider fit and is dual-certified in Europe for skating and biking, but is only CPSC certified in the US for biking and does not meet the ASTM standards for skateboarding for the US.

Melon Comparison2

Construction and Certifications

The difference in their certification is due to their differences in construction. ASTM standards for skateboarding require helmets to be multiple impact helmets, meaning the helmet can withstand multiple impacts to the same location on the helmet.  Hardshell construction, in which the outer shell (the colored portion you see) is thicker and is a separate piece than the protective foam, can withstand multiple impacts, while in-mold construction cannot.  In-mold helmets are essentially one piece with the “outer shell” and protective foam molded together into one unit.  Although lighter, in-mold helmets do not withstand multiple impacts as well (according to the ASTM) since the foam does not have a thick outer shell to protect it. As a result, we don’t recommend Melon helmets for skateboarding, but they are perfectly suitable for biking and use with scooters.

Melon ASTM vs. CEN cert

Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) Outline of Helmet Standards

All bike helmets are required to pass CPSC standards, but skateboard helmets are sadly not required to have any certifications (the ASTM F1492 is optional).

Bottom Line

Packed with numerous safety and comfort features, Melon helmets perform as good as they look.  Lightweight, cool and comfortable, kids and adults alike will love the fit, funky styles and comforts provided by Melon.  Not dual-certified by ASTM standards, Melon helmets are best suited for bike and scooter use only (not skateboarding).

FTC Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this review.  No monetary compensation was provided for this review, however, the reviewed product was supplied by the manufacturer or distributor to help facilitate this review. All opinions and images are that of Two Wheeling Tots LLC.  All content and images are copyrighted and should not be used or replicated in any way. View our Terms of Use.

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