ideas for a better helmet?

[JSwan]

Years ago we were chatting about bowlers and Equibrit said something about people looking like a “blob on a cob”. It was hysterical, and yeah an ASTM helmet in the same design would exacerbate the “blob on a cob” look, especially for people with a round face.

I realize we’ve strayed from Jody’s request not to focus on looks. But we’re all human and no one wants to look like a science experiment gone awry.

I notice that the skunk stripe helmets seem to be all the rage - but if I recall from the Mark Davies study that brand/model was inferior in terms of safety, even though it is ASTM certified. Meaning - other brands/models performed better - though they all still met the requirements.

There are lots of brands/models out there, but evidently they do not all perform the same when compared. In the case of the skunk stripe design… it seems fashion/appearance/trendiness is still a significant factor when choosing an ASTM certified helmet.

You’d think people would buy the one that performed the best when tested. But we still don’t. Seems that even when faced with the possibility of an ASTM certified helmet saving us from a TBI or mitigating one… many horsemen still favor looks/fashion/trendiness over performance. Does the helmet make us look “tough” or more like athletes in other sports. Does the helmet show the world we can afford expensive equipment. Does the helmet resemble equipment from another age.

Or maybe people believe that ALL ASTM certified helmets perform exactly the same, and there is NO difference among helmets except appearance. So choosing one as a status symbol or fashion item is perfectly fine.

[mildot]

[QUOTE=tangledweb;6008272]
And here somebody with a safety top hat.
http://d1engbabf2cb77.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/top_hat_helmet_800.jpg

(details here http://www.equisearch.com/horses_riding_training/english/dressage/top_hat_helmet_022210/ )

I’m not knocking the motivation, but a safe helmet can’t possibly be slim so giving it a brim at the sides and back is going to make it look like a bobble head doll accessory, especially on those of us who tend in the bobble head direction anyway.[/QUOTE]

Yeah…no way I’d wear that. That’s cartoonish.

[Hinderella]

JSwan, where would one find information about which helmets performed the best in testing? I can certainly do the Google thing, but if you have a link, it would be great. I have read in more than one article that all certified helmets are equally safe, so that information is out there.
Obviously the helmet that fits you and you are willing to wear is the best, so lightweight, breathable and comfortable are what I see epressed most often. For schooling I love my Tipperary for all of those reasons. My hunt helmet is a traditional velvet Charles Owen, and it’s reasonably comfortable.

Perhaps an indication of shape (round v oval) in the sizing would be useful. I must have slept on my side too much as a child, because I’m very definitely an oval shape.

[Bogie]

It is almost impossible to find comparative testing results. There was a group in the UK who did that kind of testing a few years ago, but it was pulled off the Internet and that data would be pretty old now.

For the most part all you get is pass/fail data.

[JSwan]

Bogie - was that the Mark Davies sponsored study? If so - yeah - that was pretty old but it’s the only one I could think of.

RAyers is usually the “go to” person on this technical ASTM stuff.

[Bogie]

@JSwan;6008655

Bogie - was that the Mark Davies sponsored study? If so - yeah - that was pretty old but it’s the only one I could think of.

Yes, that’s the one. I still have it as a file somewhere but since the helmet industry has moved on, it’s not that relevant anymore.

What I remember from it was that the more expensive helmets did not necessarily perform better and that larger helmets generally are not as safe as the smaller sizes.

Bottom line: you need to find a helmet that fits you (I see so many people riding with their helmets floating around on their heads) and wear it all the time.

I’d like to see nicer helmets with adjustability settings so that every time I change my hair style I don’t need to go buy another helmet!

I’ve discovered that the helmet that fits me the best is the most expensive of the Charles Owen line. I can’t afford to fall off and hit my head 'cause I’d need to buy another helmet!

[JSwan]

@Bogie;6008720

What I remember from it was that the more expensive helmets did not necessarily perform better and that larger helmets generally are not as safe as the smaller sizes.

Yup. Which makes me wonder if the gigantic blob on a cob mushroom head look is really necessary.

But I ain’t taking it off and going back to a hunt cap.

[AKB]

Don’t forget about those of us with large or oddly shaped heads. The Charles Owen J3 and Wellington, size 7 5/8 are the only helmets that fit me. Everything else won’t go on my head or tips forward onto my nose. I wish they were a little lighter and cheaper, but otherwise I am happy with my J3. I was not happy when I fell off while wearing a new J3. I fumed for hours about needing a new helmet before I remembered to be grateful that my head was fine.

[JSwan]

The Pegasus helmets come in a wide variety of shapes. I was really surprised. I didn’t care for them but a difficult to fit friend is absolutely thrilled with hers.

[Hinderella]

AKB, I share your pain. I, too, wear a large size helmet, and that’s without the hair underneath. There is no way I could get hair up there, too

[xeroxchick]

A safe helmet that looks like the kind our brit staff wear - no harness, just the old fashioned cap. Traditional with real velvet that ages nicely. I hate the skunk helmets and the safety ones with the big bulge in back. Awful.

btw, safety helmets should indeed begin to get slim with the new technological shock absorbing materials.

[xeroxchick]

I think I read on Eventing Nation last year or earlier this year about a conference on helmet safety and the expert had a material with which they lined a bowl and dropped a mellon into the bowl. The material blocks the impact as soon aas something makes violent contact. Did anyone else read about that?

[Dad_Said_Not_To]

[QUOTE=xeroxchick;6010245]
A safe helmet that looks like the kind our brit staff wear - no harness, just the old fashioned cap. [/QUOTE]

The problem with headgear that lacks a harness is that there’s no way to make sure it STAYS on the head during a fall, making the wearing of a helmet rather pointless.

[mildot]

[QUOTE=xeroxchick;6010245]
A safe helmet that looks like the kind our brit staff wear - no harness[/QUOTE]
The two are mutually exclusive.

[rivenoak]

@Grasshopper;6006453

A traditional looking, velvet-covered helmet–with lots of vents underneath the velvet!

I just spent more $$ than I really wanted to on a CO AYR8, because it fit my head the best, had vents (necessary–really–if I don’t want heat exhaustion here in FL) and looked the closest to traditional of the vented options. Still considering getting a velvet cover for it…

Yes!
I prefer the look of a traditional helmet, but need venting in AZ. It feels so good to have air rushing across my head.

[xeroxchick]

this is a wish. A WISH. And I have yet to see those caps come off or any of the britstaff have head injuries. Just sayin.

[Romany]

[QUOTE=xeroxchick;6010994]
this is a wish. A WISH. And I have yet to see those caps come off or any of the britstaff have head injuries. Just sayin.[/QUOTE]

Ahh…but how often do they fall off in the first place! I’m betting that, if they’re Brits imported to work as hunt staff, they’ve got fairly secure seats to begin with.

Those hats (probably Pateys) do look gorgeous and oh-so becoming, but then, so do corsets and bustiers, and I like my health and ain’t wearing those, either.

Forgot to add: I like the CO crash helmets, which IME don’t get too hot, and I can swop out the velvet silks for different colours as req.

[Painted_Wings]

For those that like the vents but want them covered with velvet Charles Owens now make a “classic” Ayr8 that does that.

http://www.equestriancollections.com/product.asp?groupcode=CW60018&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=Froogle&utm_campaign=CW60018

[mildot]

[QUOTE=Painted Wings;6011835]
For those that like the vents but want them covered with velvet Charles Owens now make a “classic” Ayr8 that does that.

http://www.equestriancollections.com/product.asp?groupcode=CW60018&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=Froogle&utm_campaign=CW60018[/QUOTE]

If CO would just darken their logo on the front of the helmet…

Of course, it wouldn’t be hard to DIY.

[Hinderella]

Yes, Mildot, I’m thinking a couple of minutes with a Sharpie would solve that problem. It’s been known to work on difficult scratches on black boots, too.