# show me your helmets!



## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

This is mine in navy. Tipperary Sportage

My son has his in this color shown...dark almost black but a flat finish not sparkly or shiny especially.








Only helmet I have and it needs replacing. Old now by the manufacturers standards and far more important it slipped off the hook it hangs from and slammed the floor....
Need to go shopping for a new head protector.. :smile:
:runninghorse2:...


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I have a riding cap for AQHA shows but it doesn't really offer much protection. The black one is the one I use for most shows. The brown leather one is my daily use one. It is SUPER comfortable.


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

I have 2 helmets (both Troxel Dakota)- and the reason why I have them: they are the only ones that seem to fit me well enough I forget I am wearing them. And they are surprisingly cool, with a larger brim that shades my face. And unfortunately I already put an older model to the test. The helmet didn't survive a hard impact of the temple area onto a metal gate, but my head did. Mission accomplished!
One is in the barn and one is hauled to trail rides and such, making sure I don't end up at the trail head without a helmet .
















And I try to wait until they are on sale (I religiously replace them after 5 years or a fall, whatever comes first)...


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## QueenofFrance08 (May 16, 2017)

Same as @horselovinguy, in the color pictured. DH has the same helmet (2 or 3 of them actually) in navy. 

I also have a Troxel Fallon Taylor helmet (black with pink design) that I keep in one of the trailers but it is hotter than heck so I don't love wearing it in the summer for more than a short ride. Did 9 miles in it yesterday and thought I might melt.


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## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

This is mine, the Charles Owen 4 Star. It was the best fit for my head plus it's certified to four international safety standards. No sparkles though :smile:


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Caledonian that looks more like a skull cap with a covering...
What the jockeys wear with racing colors barn specific hat cover pulled over it..
No brim but great harness and skull coverage..


*What are the four safety standards??...*
That's something I'm not familiar with.

:runninghorse2:...


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

yeah I like your helmets! They are nice! Especially that one from horselovinguy! omgggg! @QueenofFrance08 I love pink! I would buy a totally pink helmet if I could!  

@Caledonian I know that brand! They make really nice and pretty helmets (also in pink, yay!), but sadly not within my limited budget.  I saw some pink cheap helmets listed online but not sure of the quality of those... The difference must be somewhere...

I also had to buy a more expensive helmet because my head didn't fit snug inside all the cheaper ones... Oh well... I love these helmets to drool over (but they are expensive):


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## Caledonian (Nov 27, 2016)

horselovinguy said:


> Caledonian that looks more like a skull cap with a covering...
> What the jockeys wear with racing colors barn specific hat cover pulled over it..
> No brim but great harness and skull coverage..
> 
> ...



You're right it is a skull cap. From the Charles Owen site, the four standards are ASTM F1163-15, PAS015:2011, SNELL E2016, VG1 01-040 2014-12.


https://www.charlesowen.com/standards for an easy description of the type of tests; from falling on sharp objects, flat surfaces, weights falling on it from different heights/crushing.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

if it makes you happy, buy a fancy one. But, if you just need the basic level of protection, then a Troxel or a Tipperary will do fine, or a Charles Owen if you have extra cash..


If a fancy helmet brings you joy, well then, go for it. Ultimately, it will be the cheapest investment in joy you ever made.


By the way, I use a Tipperary, like @horselovingguy. It is comfy, cool and does the job. What more would I need?


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## Jolly101 (Jul 2, 2018)

I have this one^ and a charles owen (older helmet). I'm also really tempted to get the Tipperary sportage 2. I just love the fit of those helmets and they are a good price too!


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## BzooZu (Jan 12, 2014)

Ive got a simple one. It had decent reviews and fit me very well. It seems to be one of the more popular helmets in my country because the price isnt crazy and it looks good. Its also not as bulky as a lot of other helmets I have tried.


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## Chaz80 (Sep 29, 2015)

My helmet is a skull cap by gatehouse it's so comfy has the latest safety standard PAS 015
It's a kids size cos I have a small noggin....and kids hats are cheaper because there is no VAT on them lol...


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Don't use one often. Did today (and was sweating like crazy at 8 AM). However, on days like today when I do wear a helmet, I use a white Tipperary Sportage. May be my imagination, but it feels a little cooler than the dark blue one I used for years. Bandit is better looking than me and decided to take over the selfie :


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

@tinyliny Hm, I thought 50 was alot for a helmet. Now I paid 80 and that's even more money for me. I don't think I will ever buy a helmet over 80/90... It's too much money compared to what I earn monthly.  Maybe if I ever get a partner that earns well and when I am older and financially better off.  As for now I'd rather give 80 for a good one the equestrian store recommends than I would order a pink one online and not be sure about the quality.  I did pay 200 for my body protector...  I wanted a soft and very safe one... So I had to pay...  



@Jolly101 I really like the style of that one!! 

@BzooZu I don't know that brand.  Never seen it here.
@Chaz80 It's pink! gasp!  Me like!  

@bsms Yes, black attracts and holds heat better. White will surely be cooler.  I don't sweat that much on my head but I do sweat alot underneath my body protector... I am too scared to ever go without it though because I have an artificial part in my body that could get damaged if I fall without the armor on... It's not worth it.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

This is my helmet. I usually don't wear one but I will be starting the four year old soon. So yeah, thought that I might need one. It's pretty comfortable although it gave me a headache the first time that I used it. I had it adjusted too tight.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Jolien there is no reason not to order a helmet you like if it is certified and comes from a reputable brand. Price has nothing to do with quality in this case as long as certifications are in place.


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## Jolly101 (Jul 2, 2018)

I agree with QtrBel as well. Price has little to nothing to do with the quality or rather safety of a helmet. They all go through standard SEI and ASTM evaluation to begin with. For example, Samshield is quite expensive, but doesn't really have more safety qualifications than a cheap helmet - it's all for the name. And if you are buying for schooling, I actually would recommend buying the helmet that fits best, for the cheapest dollar. That way there will be no hesitation for crash replacements in which you'd pay a fraction of the helmet's price for a new one, depending on the time frame you've had it. Cheaper helmet = cheaper replacement. 

However, I do think buying and trying on in person trumps ordering online since helmet fit can really vary between brands and even within brands. A helmet that fits better is going to provide better safety then say a helmet that is loose and could dislodge upon impact. Unfortunately, the local tack store doesn't carry all the options, so trying on is not always possible, but would be my preference. 

The One K, pictured above, is actually the only helmet I had ever ordered online. I had tried it on in a store, but was not considering buying it at the time, so had done lots of reading on how it fits and how it compares to my previous helmet. Do you know the shape your your own head? There are different types: round (wider side-side and may be shorter front-back), oval (longer front-back, narrower side-side) and long oval. Then, there is a bit of a gray area where I find some helmets are in between shapes. Knowing your head shape may help narrow down options, if you were to order online. But, I'd also look into reviews of the helmet to see if there are any variations between the fit stated and actual fit.


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## NavigatorsMom (Jan 9, 2012)

I have this Ovation (after years of riding in Troxels that actually didn't fit my head shape!) I believe it was about $50, so super reasonable, and it's really lightweight and comfortable.










It is coming up on 5 years old so time to start shopping for a new one. I'm looking into a helmet with MIPS this time, since I figure anything that I can do to protect my head even more is worth my money. I really like the look of the Tipperary Windsor, but the price tag has me hesitant!


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

@*QtrBel* I would have to look into that more thoroughly. In my country you can't bring helmets on the market that are unsafe but maybe the cheaper ones are less safe on certain points (??) To be honest I never really knew about those extra safety standards until I read a comment of one of the HF users about it. 



@Jolly101 They don't offer those services where I live or at least not for the helmets I buy and I have never heard any of my equestrian friends talk about this. If you fall your helmet has to be replaced on your own costs. The companies here offer only guarantuee for factory mistakes... Also, on recommendation of loosie, I wrote to the company where I bought my first helmet to see if they offered a scan service but they didn't. That helmet was also worth around 80-90 but I bought it discounted for maybe 50-60.


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

@NavigatorsMom I never heard about the MIPS either... I just looked it up, sounds interesting. You;re absolutely right. Your body is too important. I also spent alot of cash on my body protector and I am one of the only adults wearing it but I am not planning to ever undergo the operation I had again and I can reduce the risk by wearing a body protector so I do.  



I always liked the Charles Owen helmets because they come in bright colors. Sometimes they are heavily discounted online (especially the brighter colors) so I maybe after the next 5 years I might look into that!


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## SwissMiss (Aug 1, 2014)

@Jolien, Europe is no different in terms of helmets having to adhere to safety standards as it is in the US. ANY helmet with the certificate sticker has to pass (unified) safety testing. As others have said: the difference in price is due to brand, creature comfort and how "in" they are - they are not necessarily safer. An exception are probably helmets with MIPS, as that technology is only now being introduced to riding helmets. Therefore these helmets are still pricier than comparable helmets. But with MIPS technology getting more adapted, I guess the prices will come down eventually, or traditionally less expensive brands will carry a MIPS helmet too...


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

oh okay I didn't realize all this.  I do think the cheaper helmets look less safe but okay that might be just a perception issue because of the use of less fancy materials. I do wonder if adjustable helmets are better or worse?


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## Jolly101 (Jul 2, 2018)

Jolien said:


> @Jolly101 They don't offer those services where I live or at least not for the helmets I buy and I have never heard any of my equestrian friends talk about this. If you fall your helmet has to be replaced on your own costs. The companies here offer only guarantuee for factory mistakes... Also, on recommendation of loosie, I wrote to the company where I bought my first helmet to see if they offered a scan service but they didn't. That helmet was also worth around 80-90 but I bought it discounted for maybe 50-60.


I'd be surprised if they don't, although I'm not familiar with Europe's policies for that. Did you ask the company about crash replacement policy? Here in Canada, most helmets have this for 2 years post-purchase (original invoice # needed), then it is invalid after the 2 years. Is it possible your friends don't know about it? At one point, I was riding for 10 years and knew nada about crash replacements. I found out about them when I worked at a tack shop for sometime.

Editing to add: About the adjustable helmets, It depends. I've seen some that I really like, but a riding school had banned a particular helmet with a dial. A student fell and the dial harness stayed put, but the helmet itself flipped forward. This helmet was supposedly well fitted. Could have been a fluke with that particular helmet, but now I'm a bit wary to make sure the harness for those helmets is well attached to the helmet itself (doesn't swing separately). I didn't hear as much feedback about harness adjustments on helmets, but I think they are more fixed than the dial. 

The tipperary hybrid is usually a helmet that adjusts well for many because it comes with so much adjustable padding. When I worked at the tack store though, I always fitted these helmets rather snug with minimal padding because it wears down and well, after a while can potentially become too loose. Same with Charles Owen, which also has quite a bit of padding. Fits tight initially, then shapes to your head.

The MIPs technology is definitely showing up in more helmets. Tipperary actually came out with one recently I think too. I wouldn't be surprised if, like SwissMiss mentioned, we start seeing some more competitive pricing soon.


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

@Jolly101 I was thinking exactly the same about the adjustable helmets. I don't trust them. My mom fell really hard on her forehead with a helmet on. She almost died if it wasn't for the helmet... It took the impact because it was expensive and didn't shift. Doctors all said she would have died on the spot without that helmet. Since that day I understand the need for a good helmet even more... 



I contacted the mother company of the helmet. They didn't offer a scanservice. Now I contacted the retailer to ask about the crash replacement. Thanks for the tips!


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## LilithK (Jul 20, 2020)

I am so glad this thread was created! I had been interested in getting a pretty good helmet, and all of these listed in here look fantastic! 
@SwissMiss I really liked the two you posted, and will probably go with that same helmet. I really like the designs they offer as well.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

You shop fit first and comfort then design and style.


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