The safety of our family is of the utmost importance to us moms and dads, and, as our children grow, we are constantly discovering new things we must protect our little ones from. When they are first born, you are worried about keeping them safe as they sleep. As they begin to move, you protect them from the electrical outlets, tumbles down the stairs, and sharp corners. Then, once they are walking and running, you start thinking about how to protect them as they venture outdoors.
Nighttime outdoor safety can be a bit of a struggle with children. While we already think about things like knee pads and helmets, we often forget about the importance of nighttime visibility. If your children are anything like those, the sunset doesn’t stop them from wanting to get outside to bike, run, and explore. Yet traditional visibility gear doesn’t exactly get most kids feeling too enthusiastic, especially as they get older. Because of this, I was very excited when I received the Halo Belt 2.0.
There haven’t been many options when it comes to keeping our children visible and safe at night. You can walk into a store and find a few different types of stickers and some reflective vests, but those are pretty much the only options available. While most kids would jump at the chance to put a sticker on themselves, you run the risk of them falling off. And unless your child is particularly fascinated by construction crews, a reflective vest will seem as dorky to him or her as a fanny pack does to us.
The Halo Belt 2.0 looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Unlike vests or stickers, it feels cool and modern. This is because of two factors. One, it is more minimalist than a vest. Two, it lights up; instead of reflecting light as most visibility gear does, you are constantly glowing when you are wearing your Halo Belt. It is a lot easier to convince your children to wear their safety gear when it glows.
The belt makes use of LED technology to provide bright light which lasts for a long time and doesn’t get hot to the touch. It can charge via USB, which means that you never have to worry about not having a place to charge it. While we have not had the chance to use it enough to confirm, the company states that it takes only 2 hours to charge and a single charge can last up to 36 hours depending on the settings.
One reason I personally have found myself to be a big fan of the Halo Belt 2.0 is that it is incredibly versatile. The same belt can be adjusted to fit my 6 year old, myself, and even my husband. If we want to go on a walk and keep my daughter visible, we can sling the Halo Belt over her shoulder and keep her visible to us at all times. If our daughter wants to ride her bike to her friend’s house down the street, we can attach the belt to her backpack and feel more secure in allowing her some independence. And both my husband and I can secure it around our waists to go for an early morning jog or a late night walk around the neighborhood. Even households with older children can benefit from a Halo Belt as older children and teens can use them when biking and skating at night without having to worry about looking nerdy around their friends.
I was lucky to get mine to review as they will not be available to ship until later this year. If you are interested in getting a Halo Belt 2.0 for your family, you can pre-order yours through their page for $45, which includes shipping costs. It comes in three colors—orange, green, and blue. Belts will start shipping in July.
*Disclaimer: I received a sample for review purposes, and I received no other compensation for sharing my experience from using it. The opinions here in this post are purely honest and all my own.
…speaking as someone who knows FAR TOO MANY people who HAVE been hit by cars… NEVER assume a driver sees you! This seems like a stupid, childish precaution… but … those who “know how to cross a street!” are the ones I’m talkin’ about…