Strider Full Face Helmet Review

In a sea of bike helmets you could buy, the Strider ST R Full Face distinguishes itself as truly unique in function and purpose. With a removable chin guard, the Strider ST R can be used as a full face helmet or a standard bike helmet, and is the smallest full face helmet to boast this feature.

Significantly more lightweight than any other full face helmet on the market, it’s a particularly appropriate helmet for toddlers and young kids who may struggle with the weight of a standard full face. But that light weight comes with a tradeoff – the Strider Full Face helmet doesn’t offer the same coverage as other full face helmets. Read the review below for all the details on who this helmet is best for!

2 year old toddler riding her Strider bike and wearing a Strider Full Face helmet

Strider Full Face Helmet Overview

RATING: Highly Recommended

MSRP: $89

BEST FOR: Strider racers or kids who need extra facial protection, not recommended for advanced mountain biking

SIZE: S (48 – 52 cm), M (52 – 58 cm)

ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM: Dial-adjust

WEIGHT: 410 grams

PROS:

  • Removable chin guard – can be used as a full face or standard helmet
  • Lightweight
  • Easy-to-access dial-adjust knob
  • Long visor for added protection against face plants
  • High-quality, in-mold construction

CONS:

  • Less coverage than other full face helmets
  • Side straps can easily get twisted
  • Expensive

Strider Full-Face Helmet – Results of Our Test Rides

2.5 year old riding her Strider balance bike and wearing the Strider Full Face Helmet with the chin guard

Do you need a full face helmet?

With the added protection of a chin guard, full face helmets can be a life saver in the event of a crash. While a standard helmet will protect your child’s head and much of their forehead, the face, chin, and mouth remain exposed. Depending on the angle of the fall, a chin guard could mean the difference between a minor crash or a trip to the emergency room and dental bills to repair tooth damage.

Full face helmets have historically been most common in mountain biking and dirt biking, where riders reach higher speeds and ride on much more aggressive terrain. But we’ve recently seen an increasing interest in full face helmets for neighborhood riders.

Because standard bike helmets are the norm in the neighborhood, the idea of a full face helmet often comes to a parent after a child has experienced a face plant that resulted in injury to the face and mouth. They elect to get a full face helmet to avoid another similar injury.

2.5 year old riding her Strider balance bike and wearing the Strider Full Face Helmet without the chin guard

So does your child need a full face helmet? Ultimately, that’s up to you and your comfort level with your child’s riding ability, as well as the potential dangers inherent in where they ride. For our family, the option of a full-face helmet is awesome when we ride more aggressively at bike parks and pump tracks, but we often choose not to use them for average neighborhood rides.

Who is the Strider Full Face Helmet best for?

Toddler riding her Strider bike over a curb while wearing the Strider Full Face helmet

The Strider Full Face helmet is very different from other full face helmets. With limited rear and side coverage, we wouldn’t classify it as a true full face helmet. The Strider is really a standard helmet with additional facial protection. As a result, it’s also much more lightweight than a standard full face helmet.

Because other full face helmets are so heavy, we discourage their use for average neighborhood riders. (More on this below). While not ideal for aggressive mountain biking, the Strider certainly is a win for parents looking for a lightweight, “full face” helmet for neighborhood riders.

At $89, it’s a bit on the pricey side. When not used with the chin guard, it’s a nice, but average helmet. If you don’t plan on using the Strider as a full face regularly, it’s probably not worth the cost. But if you’re looking for the face protection of a full face helmet for your adventurous or clumsy everyday rider, we eagerly recommend the Strider Full Face.

Coverage and Certification

The world of full face helmets is a bit complicated. There is a certification for down hill full face helmets (ASTM F1952 DH), but many full face helmets do not have this higher certification. They have the same certification as a standard bicycle helmet.

For example, the popular Bell Sanction helmet (shown below) is only certified for standard bicycling use, which is the same certification that the Strider ST R has. Looking at the helmets and holding them in your hands, this is a bit confusing. The Bell Sanction feels much more sturdy and has much more coverage.

Side by side comparison of a 9 year old wearing the Strider Full Face helmet and Bell Sanction full face helmet. Shown from the front.

The difference in coverage is particularly noticeable on the rear and rear sides of the hemet. While the Bell Sanction covers the entire rear portion of a child’s head, the Strider ST R only covers the rear about 2/3 the way down the head, like a standard helmet. The Bell also has a longer visor.

Side by side comparison of a 9 year old wearing the Strider Full Face helmet and Bell Sanction full face helmet. Shown from the side.

Looking at the underside of the helmets is also telling. Standard full face helmets have a significant amount of padding along the sides of the face, to keep that helmet firmly in place in the event of a high speed crash. A child’s face should look like he has “chipmunk cheeks” in a true full face helmet. In the Strider ST R, there is no padding for the face at all.

Underside of Strider Full Face helmet and Bell Sanction full face helmet. The Bell has interior padding while the Strider full face helmet does not

All of these difference in coverage aren’t a ding against the Strider Full Face. The Strider serves a niche purpose, and does it well. We point out these differences here to show that it’s not your best best if you’re looking for a full face helmet for a truly aggressive rider on aggressive terrain.

But if you’re looking for a full face helmet to protect against neighborhood accidents, the lightweight Strider Full Face is an excellent option.

Sizing

The Strider Full Face helmet comes in two sizes – small (48-52 cm), and medium (52-58 cm). The small is the size of a typical toddler helmet, while the medium is on the larger end for a youth helmet. We used the small helmet with both our 2.5-year-old and our 9-year-old. Always measure your child’s head before you buy to ensure you are getting the right size helmet.

Side by side comparison of a 9 year old wearing the Strider Full Face helmet - shown from side and front

As a full face helmet, the Strider ST R was a great fit for both of them, despite their age difference. Our 2.5-year-old has a 49.75 cm circumference head, while our 9-year-old has a head circumference of 50.5 cm.

Side by side comparison of a 2 year old wearing the Strider Full Face helmet - shown from side and front

As a standard bike helmet, the Strider ST R was still a great fit for our toddler, but looked a little “perched” on top of our 9-year-old’s head. That said, this is helmet that saved his head during a crash, so it’s clearly still a great fit for him as well.

Side by side comparison of a 2.5 year old wearing the Strider Full Face helmet without the chin guard - shown from side and front
Side by side comparison of a 9 year old wearing the Strider Full Face helmet without the chin guard - shown from side and front

Easily Removable Chin Guard

If you want to remove the chin guard to use the ST R as a standard bike helmet, the process is easy. To remove the guard, you have to remove the helmet from your child’s head. By pushing a black button on the inside of the helmet, the chin guard tab is released.

To put the chin guard on, your child can be wearing the helmet. You simply insert the side tab into the receiving hole on the side of the helmet, and snap into place.

Lightweight compared to other full face helmets

The weight of this helmet is one of the primary reasons to buy the Strider Full Face for a neighborhood rider. True full face helmets are very heavy by comparison. Heavy helmets are of course more cumbersome to wear, but they can also cause additional neck strain injuries in the event of a crash. Unless you truly need a full face helmet, it may not be worth the additional risks.

A standard bike helmet weighs about 280 – 350 grams. The popular Bell Sanction full face weighs 850 g. That’s almost triple the weight of the helmet your child may be used to wearing. The Strider Full Face weighs only 410 g!

Extra Long, Integrated Visor

The visor on the Strider helmet is the longest built-in visor we’ve ever seen on a standard helmet. Visors serve two purposes. One, to shield the eyes from the sun. But more importantly in our book, they take the brunt of the fall in the event of a face plant.

During our testing process, our 9-year-old actually experienced a scary crash and sent the Strider helmet to the helmet graveyard. The Strider ST R stayed firmly on his head and prevented so much potential injury.

As you can see here, this long visor legitimately saved our son’s face. Removable visors aren’t nearly as durable and can pop off easily upon impact. This integrated, long visor gets two big thumbs up from this grateful mama.

Visor of Strider Full Face helmet shows damage after a crash

Dial-adjust easy to use

While most full face helmets don’t have a dial-adjust in the back, the Strider full face helmet’s systems functions the same as a standard helmet. The knob is low on the head and easy to grab. The chin guard has no effect on the dial-adjust, so it can be tightened or loosened in full face or standard helmet mode.

back of the head of toddler wearing Strider helmet

Side Straps

The side straps of the Strider helmet are soft, but the plastic sliders are basic and tend to slide down. The straps can also easily get twisted in the slider. For the price, we wish Strider had upgraded to locking sliders, but it’s not a reason to not buy the helmet.

Side strap and buckle on Strider ST R helmet

Dual-Colored Buckle

The standard buckle is another pretty basic component, but we do appreciate the upgraded dual-colors. With one side red and the other black, it’s much easier to see what you’re doing when you’re trying to buckle a squirming toddler.

Upclose shot of buckle on Strider full face helmet

High-quality, in-mold construction

Bike helmets come in two broad categories – in-mold construction, and hardshell construction. In-mold construction is more durable, and is the style of construction of the Strider helmet. By comparison, you can see the more budget Joovy Noodle below, which is hardshell.

Side by side comparison of Joovy Noodle helmet and Strider ST helmet. Shows in-mold construction vs cheaper hardshell of Joovy.

A hardshell helmet has an outer plastic piece that covers the foam core of the helmet. Over time, the plastic can warp, crack, or even just come off. Additionally, hardshell helmets leave a significant amount of the foam core exposed, which leaves them open to casual damage from careless kids.

The in-mold construction of the Strider wraps completely around the sides of the helmet to entirely cover the foam core. Because the plastic cover and foam core are fused together as one piece, in-mold helmets boast higher-quality and durability than cheaper hardshell helmets.

So what’s the bottom line?

The Strider Full Face helmet is a solid-quality, lightweight, full coverage helmet. While it doesn’t offer the coverage or protection of a true full face helmet, it’s a fantastic option for aggressive neighborhood riders or Strider racers.

To view a full selection of bike helmets, check out our 10 Best Bike Helmets for Kids page.

FTC Disclosure: Affiliate links are included in this review.  No monetary compensation was provided for this review, and we purchased this product. 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.

Subscribe
Notify of

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

1 Comment
Newest
Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Scroll to Top