When I asked my friend Megan if she’d like to test the Abus YouDrop for us, she enthusiastically took me up on the offer. Her young son had recently had a crash on his balance bike and had hit his face. If you’re a parent who’s had this happen to your child, you know how traumatizing it can be.
Fast forward, first ride out in the YouDrop FF, he crashed on his face again, but this time the full face did its job. His face was fine and his love for riding wasn’t diminished. Win for kiddo and for mom and dad.
There are a couple of things about the Abus YouDrop that make it different than other kids full face helmet on the market. First, it’s a convertible helmet, meaning the chin bar comes off so that it can be worn as a traditional open face helmet as well.
Secondly, it’s crazy lightweight. In fact, it’s the lightest full face helmet we’ve tested, coming in at roughly half the weight of the Bell Sanction.
Finally, it’s highly breathable with plenty of large ventilation holes and that removable chin bar which can come off for the hot, sweaty parts of riding.
We liked the YouDrop so much that we’ve added it to our list of the best full face helmets for kids. Read on to learn who we’d recommend it for, and who we wouldn’t.
Review In A Nutshell
Pros:
- Lightest kids full face we’ve tested
- Chin bar pops off in seconds with a button on each side, and locks in securely
- Big vents provide lots of ventilation, bug mesh over the front vents
- Rear fit dial, height-adjustable, ponytail friendly
- Removable, washable pads
Cons:
- Velcro visor attachment feels flimsy compared to a clip-on breakaway
- Not ASTM F1952 (downhill) or F2032 (BMX) certified
- Runs small, and there’s only one size (48–55 cm)
- No MIPS
Price: $142.99 List
A Convertible Full Face
For many parents, the most attractive thing about the Abus YouDrop will be the removable chin bar. Full face helmets can be cumbersome, uncomfortable, and hot for little ones who are pedaling.
With the YouDrop, kiddos can wear it without the chin bar for casual or trail riding, and then put the chin bar back on for the pump track, skills park, or downhill descent.
The chin bar can be removed in seconds. You press the button on either side of the helmet and the chin bar pops off. To put it back on, reverse the process. It attaches securely and feels super sturdy.
Convertible helmets are rare in kid sizes. Most con (Giro Switchblade, Bell Super Air R) start in adult sizes and are significantly heavier.
Impressively Lightweight
Kid necks are not as strong as adult necks. Most full face helmets are engineered around adult neck strength, which can make them uncomfortable and frankly unsafe for young riders.
The Abus YouDrop is the lightest full face helmet we’ve tested. The claimed weight is 430 grams and it came in just a hair over that on our scale.
Compare that to the Bell Sanction (950g), Fly Racing Rayce (930g), IXS Xact Evo (1,007g). The YouDrop weighs roughly half of those other helmets–which are already some of the lighter full face options around.
That makes the YouDrop a great option for YOUNG riders (toddlers) as well as preschool and elementary kids who need some extra protection but complain about the discomfort of a heavier full face.
Highly Breathable
In addition to being lightweight, the comfort of this helmet is enhanced by the excellent ventilation. Another big issue with full face helmets is that they are HOT and little heads get SWEATY when they’re playing hard.
The YouDrop has 9 vent holes and they are all quite sizable. Airflow is further aided by internal flow channels.
Another thing I liked is the bug mesh over the front vents. Your kiddo won’t end up with a fly or beegetting sucked in mid-descent.
While good ventilation does a lot of prevent hot heads, some sweat is inevitable. That’s why I appreciated that the pads on the inside of the helmet as well as on the chin bar are all removable. That means you can take them out to wash.
Fit and Sizing (Read This Before You Buy)
The YouDrop comes in one size only (48–55 cm) and the fit is pretty small. While it’s advertised as a helmet for “kids and teens” we found that it was a better fit for smaller riders.
My son is 13 and wears a 52 cm helmet, so on paper this should fit him. It does not. It’s tiny on him.
It will be a best fit for toddlers through mid-elementary age. If your kid is anywhere near the top of the stated range, look elsewhere.
The helmet has a rear fit dial that allows you to snug up the helmet and get a good fit. It’s also height adjustable so that it can work with a ponytail!
The straps at the ears are adjustment-free, and secure with a traditional buckle. This is in contrast to many full face helmets that secure with a D-ring. D-rings are more secure for true downhill riding, but a buckle is easier for kids to use and for trails and skills riding.
Safety and Certifications
ABUS is a well-respected helmet brand with a long track record. Like all helmets sold in the US, it meets the CPSC standard.
It is important to note, however, that it does NOT meet the ASTM F1952 (downhill mountain bike) standard, nor the ASTM F2032 (BMX racing) standard. If your child is going to be doing lift-served bike park laps, DH racing, or BMX racing, buy something more robust with those certs.
Additionally it does not have MIPS technology which has become the gold standard for protectional against multi-rotational impacts.
This helmet will be a best fit for fast-flying toddlers and preschoolers who need that extra face protection but who aren’t yet old enough to be doing more aggressive gravity style riding.
The Visor
My one minor complaint about the YouDrop, and this may be a highly personal gripe, is the fact that the visor attaches with Velcro. It’s the only helmet I’ve ever tested with a Velcro visor and it seems a little flimsy.
To be fair, it never came loose in testing, and ABUS designed it as a break-away feature so the visor releases in a crash rather than torquing the head.
That said, most visors are designed to break away, but they clip on in a much more secure fashion. This one just feels flimsy by comparison.
Bottom Line
The Abus YouDrop FF is an excellent pick for parents of young kids (toddler through mid-elementary) who are riding trail, pump tracks, and skills parks and who want a little extra face protection that their kid will actually tolerate.
The convertibility, lightweight, and plentiful ventilation solve the biggest issues with kids full face helmets–they are usually hot, heavy, and uncomfortable.
It’s not the helmet for kids with bigger heads or who are older and starting to push their limits on the downhills or at the BMX track, but for younger kiddos who just need a little extra face protection, this is a great pick.
It’s also a great value for mom and dad because it means you only need to buy one helmet rather than two.
More Stuff You Might Like
- 10 Best Balance Bikes For Your Toddler
- Bicycle Safety Tips For Riding With Kids
- How To Motivate Your Kids To Ride Bikes
About The Reviewers
The Rascals are a family of three. Kristen (mom), Blair (dad), and Parker (kiddo). We started Rascal Rides when Parker was born and we didn’t want to give up our passion for biking. As we learned, we shared.
Over the years, we’ve added other families to our team and have tested hundreds of kids bikes, helmets, bike trailers, and more.
Kristen is a licensed USA Cycling coach and NICA coach, and loves to share her passion for biking with other families. Blair is a bike geek, mechanic, and mountain bike junkie. Parker is 13 now and is our resident shredder.
If you see us out on the trail, make sure to say hi!
IG: @rascal_rides
YT: @rascalrides