3. Checking
Horizontal and Vertical Movement
Now that you are wearing
the helmet, use a mirror to look carefully at the way it fits. Check to
see if the cheek pads are in contact with the cheeks. Is there excess pressure
on the cheeks?
Look for gaps between
the temples and the brow pad.
Check the back of
the helmet where the neck roll (if the helmet has one) makes contact with
the neck. Does it touch at all? Or is it pushing the helmet away at the
rear, causing it to roll down over the eyes in front?
After you have made
your visual check, grab the helmet in your hands - one on either side
- and try to rotate the helmet from side-to-side. Note any movement of
the skin while doing this, as well as the amount of resistance to movement.
Hold your head steady to do this.
Next check movement
up and down, again noting skin movement and resistance. If in either test
there was little or no skin movement, and/or the helmet moved very easily,
the helmet is too large.
It is important to
note here that you should think about the comfort of the helmet during
the fitting process - with respect to comfort, pressure points, or anything
else that will help you make the right sizing choice.
A properly fitted
helmet will cause the skin to move as the helmet moves. And, it will feel
to the wearer as if evenly distributed pressure is being continuously
exerted around the head.
NOTE:
Helmets are a little like shoes, in that they do break in a little.
For this reason, the best attitude to have when fitting is that the helmet
should be as tight fitting as you can stand to wear it - taking into consideration
the length of time it will be worn.
For
Example: A drag racer's helmet can be very tight, because
it will only be worn for a few minutes at a time. On the other hand, a
police officer, who wears a helmet for hours at a time is more concerned
with comfort.
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