I’m shopping for a new helmet from amazon.ca but none of the descriptions say whether they are approved helmets.
Are they required to be safety-approved to be sold as riding helmets in Canada?
Well, presumably all the helmets are of known name brands ie Troxel or Charles Owen or Samshield, etc. Look.up the brand name on the maufacturers home page see what it says. Amazon is just an online venue for independent vendors and even some brick and mortar stores to sell stock, sometimes overstock or old stock at a discount, sometimes not. Amazon does not make its own line of helmets.
The most important part of helmet safety is a comfy fit so you aren’t tempted to skip wearing it 
so if you are buying on line you need to know in advance your head size and whether you have an oval or round head, and what shape that brand tends to be. Much like buying jeans or sports shoes on line.
As far as I know there are no differences in safety ratings between USA and Canada but you could check with the manufacturer, your local tack shop. Or Equine Canada to be completely sure. I’m assuming you are in Canada, but perhaps you are an American surfng the exchange rate.
It’s the same helmets sold in each country.
I would advise against buying a no name helmet, if such exists. Also don’t buy used no matter what vendor says about condition. And you could also ask for manufacturing date which should be on box I think if you are worried about getting something past its 5 year expiry date from a liquidator specializing in dead stock.
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Concur with Scribbler.
Personally, I don’t buy my helmets on line because of the fit issue. That means I spend more but I’m sure of fit.
G.
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There are no local stores to buy from here. I usually buy adjustable fit helmets for this reason. (And I never ride without a helmet!)
I will check out the manufacturer’s websites for some of the brands I’m not familiar with. As long as it’s an approved helmet I won’t pay extra for a name brand, but I do want it to be an approved helmet!
I don’t think there are any unapproved helmets manufactured. There is a market for very low end tack, but no tack store would carry unapproved helmets, not really a market for it. So unless someone in China or India is doing counterfeit helmets, I wouldn’t worry. I’d be more concerned about age of helmet, whether it had been stored properly, and if it was new.
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Ok I got curious and went to Amazon.CA. There are indeed mystery brands there such as Jolin that I have never heard of, that do not seem to have a manufacturer website, do not sell in brick and mortar tack stores, and, well, sound like a Chinese brand name. And are the old fashioned velvet with a top button style.
Avoid.
These noname helmets take up more space on Amazon. ca than I would have expected.
Many of the offerings though are totally normal.Tipperary, IRH, Charles Owen, etc.
If you don’t get a hit for a professional manufacturer website and/or the gear is not sold in any North American tack stores, avoid.
You can also order from one of the many Canadian tack stores that do online sales, Apple and Pleasant Ridge come to mind, there are more. Looking at your user name, you are in Northern Ontaro! Often these stores sell brand name helmets at prices as good as I’m seeing on Amazon.ca.
Troxel and Tipperary are both lower-priced but approved and perfectly fine helmets that many people use for schooling or for kids. IRH can be affordable depending on the model.
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Greenhawk also does on-line sales
Yes I am familiar with greenhawk, apple, etc but was looking to save a few bucks as far as shipping costs if I can. I’ve never ordered anything from amazon so it was a new place for me to check out.
This is one I was looking at but I can’t find anything about the manufacturer. https://www.amazon.ca/Dovewill-Protective-Ventilated-Adjustable-Equestrian/dp/B0728HGDMD/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1499264024&sr=8-5&keywords=horse%2Bhelmet%2Badjustable&th=1&psc=1
Hmmm. They seem to be exclusive to Meili E-commerce. I googled the company and it is registered in India with an address in a basement in New Delhi, despite having a Chinese sounding name. They also sell 3D brick wall paper among other things. The internet is wonderful 
for fast information.
This is not a recognized brand of Equestrian helmet. I would pass on it. You might be ok buying the super cheap Indian leather bridles you can get in line, but I wouldn’t risk saving a few dollars on safety equipment.
Lots of international trading companies do business just buying and selling whatever from country to country, and lots of Chinese factories that are geared up to do contract work for big American companies run overtime and do similar or wierdly wrong versions of whatever.
Guaranteed this helmet isn’t safety approved to North American standards, though if the makers werecanny enough they might have stamped it approved.
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If you buy a helmet off Amazon - or eBay - or most any internet based re-seller, I would suggest making sure you can return if needed. One thing to possibly be concerned about is how long the helmet has been sitting on the shelf unsold. Generally, the life expectancy of a helmet is said to be about five years so if it was manufactured two or more years ago, you’ve potentially lost a good chunk of time off it’s useful life. I doubt a helmet in a box on a shelf in a climate controlled storeroom or warehouse really degrades very much - especially compared to one stored in a tack room at a barn and regularly subjected to weather and sweat - but most devout helmet wearers would rather be safe than sorry.
This likely comes from one of those Indian or Pakistani companies that manufactures their own cheap no-name brand of every type of tack under the sun. As in, they usually make thousands of different items.
Buying a no-name helmet to save a few dollars is pretty much the definition of penny wise, pound foolish. Saving a little to chance losing a lot if you have a fall and the helmet does not perform as a certified one would isn’t worth the risk.
There are a handful if things I cough up for brand name. Toilet paper, Pop-tarts, and safety gear designed to keep my brain from being smashed into a pulp are at the top of the list.
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Well right, that’s why my original post was asking about certifications.
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This is what you are looking for; riding helmets should be: SEI / ASTM SAFETY CERTIFIED. If it doesn’t say it’s such, and it’s some random name from random land, you’d be coocoo to buy it.
like any Troxel, Ovation, etc
https://www.amazon.ca/Troxel-Spirit-…9344862&sr=1-5
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What brand and size of helmet are you wearing right now?
Ovation Protege size med/large. Best price I can find for that one is $59.99+ tax & shipping so total of about $78.
That one costs $88.41 including tax and shipping. I’m just shopping around for a better deal.
Brubachers has this same helmet for $61.66 (including tax and shipping).
Also note: the one you linked doesn’t specify that it is certified.
Wrong. Read the product description. Here I got it for you. Emphasis mine in the paragraph.
[h=2]Product description[/h] Color:Black Duratec | Size :Large
Troxel Spirit Helmet The most popular equestrian helmet on the market, the Spirit casts a sleek profile for riders looking for a thoroughly modern design. The Spirit provides a close comfortable fit in a large range of colors and sizes. With strategically placed vents, a mesh washable Flip-Fold headliner and quick to adjust GPS II Dial Fit System, the Spirit is one of the lightest and coolest helmets today. . At Troxel, they know riding is a way of life and safety is a part of riding. That’s why Troxel manufactures and sells only SEI-certified equestrian helmets. Since 1990, we’ve used the most advanced technology and materials to produce the world’s finest headgear. Our lightweight, ventilated helmets - available in a variety of styles for English, Western and Specialty riding - have become the industry standard. And our streamlined Silhouette FitTM looks as good as it feels. Sizes: S (up to 6 7/8), M (7 - 7 1/4), L (7 3/8+) and XL Black Only Comes in White, Chestnut, Fuchsia, Periwinkle, Black or Black Duratec
