July 25, 2014
Going Nuts For Little Nutty
Kids of every age love the bright colors and fresh and funky designs that distinguish Nutcase helmets.
“When we developed the idea of Nutcase,” says founder Michael Morrow, “we were clear that the graphics had to be beautiful and inventive, not just goofy. And we discovered that this approach brought us a pretty wide range of customers from really young kids all the way up to advanced adults.”
But as Michael notes, regularly-sized Nutcase helmets are not really made for smaller children’s heads – in other words, craniums below 52 centimeters (20.5 inches) in circumference.
“We got so many requests from parents and other customers who loved the Nutcase name, brand, and graphics, but wanted a smaller helmet,” he added.
Instead of just sizing down the smallest Nutcase helmet, we worked with factory suppliers to trademark a completely original mold suitable for head sizes of 48 to 52 centimeters (with foam pads).
And so, Little Nutty was born. Specifically targeted to younger heads, Little Nutty is made of the same long-lasting and quality materials that adult Nutcases employ. The Little Nutty, like all of Nutcase’s bicycle helmets, complies with the US CPSC standard for bike helmets for persons age five and older, as well as Europe’s CE standard.
In addition to a few features that both kids and parents appreciate, like the anti-pinch magnetic buckle, soft chinstrap, and adjustable spin dial to achieve the perfect snug fit, Little Nutty helmets have a unique set of graphic patterns.
Michael says his son Zane helped inspire one of the earliest Little Nutty designs, which has now morphed into the Urban Caution helmet.
Many parents want to take their kids biking as soon as toddlers are strong enough to enjoy the ride. Thus Nutcase has been working for some years to make a helmet suitable to the youngest adventurers.
“There’s now a CPSC safety test for helmets suitable for one-year-olds,” Michael said. “And so we have a helmet coming in 2015 that meets those safety standards, is smaller and is just a little lighter than the Little Nutty. It is going to be awesome! Stay tuned – we are just finishing up samples and hope to have them in time for Eurobike and Interbike shows.”
Photo Credit: Sarah Gilbert via flickr.
In the meantime, here are the time-tested instructions for measuring to see if your child is ready for a Little Nutty helmet:
Place a tape measure slightly above the ear, and bring it across the mid forehead, circling the head about one inch above the eyebrows. It is sometimes easier for you and your child to do this with a piece of string instead and then use a ruler to measure the string. To be sure, do this at least two times to make sure you’ve got a true measurement. If the child’s head is at least a solid 46 centimeters you should be able to get a good fit with a Little Nutty. That said, every head is unique. Both the size and the shape of the head are important when it comes to fit. Because of this we encourage you to try a Nutcase Helmet on prior to purchasing.
Check out the latest in Little Nutty designs here.