Do Crawling Babies Need Helmets? (What You Really Need To Know)

“Do crawling babies need helmets?” is a common, genuine concern amongst new parents with babies who always find a way to injure themselves.

It’s quite stressful to see your little one falling and banging their head everywhere and seeing some bruises, scratches and sometimes, even blood on them.

But helmets?

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Do Crawling Babies Need Helmets? 

No, crawling babies don’t need helmets.

It will protect their heads from minor bumps and scratches for sure. 

But it won’t protect them from concussions and serious head injuries. 

It will also hinder their development and the other skills that they can learn from falling occasionally.

Why Crawling Babies Don’t Need Helmets

They might not learn how to be adaptable

5 month old babies are already learning the idea of cause and effect.

So if they crawl and fall on a hardwood floor for example, they will eventually learn how to crawl more cautiously.

They will eventually learn how to adapt to crawling on any surface – carpet, hardwood floors, tile floors, etc., without getting hurt that much.

Related Article: ​​Are Tile Floors Safe for Crawling Babies? (How To BabyProof For Safety)

Some parents from a popular parenting group even shared that their babies started to crawl more carefully after getting some bumps and bruises on the hard floor.

They finally learned how to navigate their crawling space without so much trouble!

So if your babies are wearing helmets, they won’t be able to learn how to take risks and gauge their environment well.

They won’t learn how to adapt properly to any crawling surface, which they need when they start learning how to walk.

They might start to become more scared of their environment without their protective gear, which could mean that they might be less inclined to explore and learn more!

Gives them a false sense of security

Your babies might think that it’s okay to bang their head repeatedly against the wall.

Or falling and hitting their head on the floor is okay since it doesn’t hurt them anyway!

Helmets can create that false sense of security and they will not learn that there’s actually a consequence to what they’re doing.

You need to wean them off it

If they’re used to wearing that helmet all the time – every time they play and crawl – it might be hard to wean them off of it.

So aside from bottle weaning, potty training and a whole of other things you need to teach your little one, you don’t want to add helmet weaning on your list.

They might hate it

One of the most common complaints online for parents who bought these crawling helmets is that they can’t make their baby wear one.

Because their little ones absolutely hate it.

Kinda like how some babies tend to hate sleeping in their bassinets and some parents can get really frustrated about it, to the point that they have to buy a crib or another bassinet, in the hopes that their baby can sleep on it!

But I digress.

You can force the helmet on your baby for sure but if they hate it, they might not even like to crawl!

Can easily take it off

This is another common complaint from helmet buyers, saying that their 6 month old hates it and that their little ones can easily take it off!

So that can lead to a waste of money, if your babies don’t ever use it at all.

Crawling Baby Falling and Hitting Head on Floors

A 2015 study from various researchers concludes that most fall-related head injuries in young children don’t usually lead to serious injuries or permanent damage to little ones.

What’s more dangerous is when your baby falls from a tall height, such as falling from their crib, table, and anything that’s a considerably higher spot. 

Even falling from your arms!

Those can lead to a more serious head injury.

Besides, helmets for crawling babies are not designed to prevent concussion.

It will only reduce minor injuries such as bumps and scratches which most babies can handle!

Alternatives to Baby Helmets

Playpens for crawling babies are the best way to let your baby explore without worrying about them getting major bumps and bruises or of their heads hitting the hard floor.

It can keep them safe and happy, as long as they can see you and they have age-appropriate toys to play with.

Another way to keep your baby safe is by baby proofing a room in the house, installing a baby gate and making that as a designated crawling area!

This can be the living room, the bedroom or if you can baby proof your entire house, that would be more ideal!

FAQ on Are Baby Safety Helmets Necessary?

Should babies wear helmets when learning to crawl?

No, babies don’t need helmets when learning to crawl. It won’t protect them from concussions and will only reduce small injuries such as bumps and scratches.

Do babies need helmets when learning to walk?

No, babies don’t need helmets when learning how to walk. 
Falling, bumping and minor bruises and scratches is a part and parcel of learning how to walk. 

Takeaway on Do Crawling Babies Need Helmets? 

Your baby needs to get hurt occasionally to learn what not to do and what to do.

Kids need to experience some minor bruises and bumps, so they can learn their limits, boundaries and develop a healthy understanding of the world and how their bodies work.

But if you’re really worried about your baby, especially if they’re daredevils or it’s taking them quite long to get the hang of things, then by all means, do what you think is best for them. 

And if that means getting them a helmet for crawling, then so be it! It’s better to be safe than sorry. 

Julie