Brampton mom makes Sikh safety helmets for kids

A Brampton mom has developed a new bicycle and safety helmet so Sikh children play and stay safe while following their religious beliefs.

The company is called Sikh Helmets and was started by Tina Singh, who is an occupational therapist with three sons.

As her kids grew, the Brampton mother struggled to find a bike safety helmet that would fit over their patka, which is a Sikh head covering worn by many Sikh children.

“We tried tying his hair at the back and getting him to wear his hair in different ways, and he hated it,” Singh said in a video posted to the Sikh Helmets Instagram page.

After making do by hollowing out the inside of the helmet to make space for her son’s patka and topknot bun, Singh began developing her own line of helmets designed specifically for Sikh youth.

Now, after years of development, Singh is getting ready to launch Sikh Helmets to the public later in January with an exclusive Canadian kick-off and three different helmet colours available at launch.

The multisport helmets are safety-certified for kids over the age of 5 for cycling, skateboarding, kick-scootering or inline skating. The helmets have a modern and sleek design and will come in sizes between 48 and 56 cm.

Ontario law requires that all cyclists under the age of 18 must wear an approved bicycle helmet. Health experts say helmets provide between 63 to 88 per cent reduction in the risk of head and brain injury for all ages of bicyclists.

Anyone interested in purchasing or learning more about Sikh Helmets can visit the website and sign up for alerts when the product will be available.