Hey everyone, I am looking to buy a Samshield and I can’t pick between the Shadowmatt and Miss sheild. I currently have a CO GR8 and am looking for something with a bit better fit and ventilation. Any opinions? Hope everyone is staying safe right now 
Personally not a fan of samsheilds. They do not fit me well and I see nothing about them that reflects their price. Pretty sure you’re just paying for the “prestige” of wearing a helmet that everyone else has.
That, plus when asked about adding MIPS technology to their line they apparently had no intention of doing so because increased protection wasn’t worth it since people are already buying their expensive average helmets anyway.
Having said that though, if they fit you better than any other helmet that is what matters. There can be variance between models too so pick whatever fits you the best. Helmets are useless if they do not fit properly. You absolutely need to try them on and go by how they feel.
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Samshield fits me very well, and I have two of them right now. Prior to my first one, I had the CO AR8 and the Samshield is so much cooler and lighter. It took some getting used to because the brim doesn’t feel as low, if I remember correctly, but I’ve been happy with them.
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I echo what @Supakwe says. Their actual ability to protect your head is quite inferior when compared to other brands with helmets that are half as expensive.
I would not wish one of those helmets on any friend of mine who rides. I would (and do) encourage all to try to find a MIPS equipped helmet that fits. In the absence of this, because MIPS is expanding on the market right now, I would find a helmet that fits well that finished in the top 5 of this study:
I would expect that Virginia Tech will chime in from their Helmet Lab at some point this year as they fundraised and met their goal last year to purchase helmets for testing in their lab’s testing facility. (You can see they have ranked many sports helmet’s for safety.
https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2019/04/ictas-equestriancrowdfunding.html
But please take note…Samshield’s are nice if you are concerned with fashion, but they do not hold up well when it comes to brain safety.
Em
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Love my samshield. I have the premium. Had Charles Owen and GPA before and the samshield is by far the nicest of the three. I definitely feel like my head is better protected in it.
I thirdly applaud Samshield. I own the Miss Shield and it’s by far the best fitting helmet I’ve ever owned. I previously had a Charles Owen GR8 and prior to that an IRH helmet. It’s comfy, light on your head and has a flashy touch.
If anything else, I had also tried on the KASK helmets and they also fit very nicely and are in right now.
Bolding mine.
This right here is why we need more testing and a better understanding of what helmets will just look nice versus those that will actually protect your brain/head.
Being “in” isn’t enough.
Em
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I wish the CO MY PS looked better and fit me better. I tried one on and had a headache inside 2 minutes. Going up a size was just too big. I’m happy with my Trauma Void. My backup helmet (OneK) is getting some age on it so I’m looking at buying and only want MIPS. I’m hoping that Dover will be carrying some of the new MIPS options that will be coming out later this year since they are my local store and I insist on trying on helmets and being fitted.
Not to be blunt, but most helmets, including Samshield, require testing and approval to be granted the ASTM/SEI F1163-15 standard. For those of you who aren’t engineers, it’s basically a fancy reference to a safety standard/code we have here in North America.
Not only do they look nice, but they technically are “approved”. Yes, some brands might incorporate newer technology that claims to protect the noggin better, but I wouldn’t classify Samshield as anything less. I agree that their prices are a little outrageous and don’t properly reflect the rigidity of the helmet, but that’s all personal opinion I suppose.
For insight, I put a plastic bucket on my head with nylon straps to protect me from falling rocks underground. I think I’d feel safer in my Samshield. :lol:
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But, the newer technology DOES protect your head better and technically Samshield is “less”.
Why anyone would buy a more expensive, AND inferior product is simply beyond me.
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To answer the question at hand in the original post, I would opt for the Miss Shield. I have a First Lady and will never go back to a “regular” brimmed helmet. The larger brim helps my extra sensitive eyes throughout the year!
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The best helmet is one that is ASTM/SEI certified AND fits your head
I’ve owned both the Shadowmatt and Miss Shield and prefer the Shadowmatt, but honestly it’s just personal preference. I didn’t notice much difference in shade between the two, and on my face, I liked the look of the Shadowmatt better.
But that’s like saying the safest car is the one with seatbelts and airbags. Really the safest car is the one with seatbelts AND airbags AND impact detection/avoidance etc. etc. There is an extra layer of protection available with the MIPS, it has been shown to be superior in protecting your head, and most of the helmets that offer it are significantly less expensive. Obviously it has to fit your head. That’s a requirement for any helmet to be effective.
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If I were gettting a Samshield, I would opt for the Miss Shield.
I recently purchased a Tipperary and love it. It is lightweight and equipped with MIPS technology. The design is stylish and the chinstrap is really comfortable. They also have a dial to tighten the fit. Orginally I intended to use it for schooling but I am going to wear it for shows too (hunter).
The Samsheild helmets just don’t seem to fit me. I used to use an Ovation with a dial for schooling and a One K for shows. The Tipperary is by the most comfortable and flattering helmet I have had.
Everyone that goes from CO to samshield, how?! I was/am fairly certain CO AYR8 fit me great… and samshield does not even come close to fitting. Pinches horrible at the temples, and the next size up is massive on me.
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I have a Samshield and just bought a new CO. I love the look of the Samshield but it does not fit me well so I only use mine at shows. I bought the CO with the wide brim (an older model) and I love it. I strongly prefer the fit of the CO to the Samshield but everyone’s head is shaped differently. Query whether you would fit both well. I certainly do not.
I’d go for the Miss Samshield, which you can get in shadowmatte, its just more money.
If I’m being honest, my CO fit me terribly. The helmet gave me headaches and I tolerated it for 4 years. Maybe I have an egg-shaped head. 
I have the CO My PS wide brim and LOVE IT! After a recent fall where my head hit the ground, and having zero symptoms, I have replaced it with the same helmet. It did exactly what its supposed to, and its super comfortable to boot.
For all the boasting of that study that came out 2 years ago, I wonder how it would look now with more MIPS options, see as at the time of the study, BOT was one of the only Eq helmets with it. There has been speculation that BOT prompted the test, and that it was not an entirely unbiased study.
And for all the statements of ASTM approval, know that ASTM is just the North American Standard, and not all Standards are created equal. There is CE, which is European, and Kitemark, which is a UK Standard. One of those (I can’t remember which without looking it up) has a puncture test, whereas ASTM does not, which is why helmets that are only ASTM get away with a lot more vents. Charles Owen is approved under all 3 standards AND has MIPS, which is why, in my eyes, it is literally the safest helmet on the market. I would say the same about any other helmet that offered all 3 standards as well as MIPS, I just don’t know of any others.
Also note that it is ridiculous that it has taken until now for MIPS to get in our industry. I was talking to the owner of my local “outdoor sports” shop, and it has been in some of their industries for at least 10 years! So I definitely bought a MIPS snowboarding helmet for our ski/board trip this year as well.
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I’m told there is a newer study being done. That said it’ll take another 7 years to get all the ASTM helmet manufacturers to get their MIPS helmets out and on the market and studied. Also the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab got their fundraised amount to study more modern helmets. So that at least should be forthcoming.
BOT/Trauma Void does have all the same approvals as CO helmets. But they’re under different names…Trauma Void here and in some others and Back On Track in Europe primarily. (No mention of Trauma Void) This is also why in Europe there are a greater variety of the BOT helmets, in more finishes/fabrics (Leather), Skull Cap for eventers and so on. The ASTM testing is ridiculously expensive and has a lot of strings attached. That said the Lynx and the EQ3 are ASTM approved. So… one could make a case to buy the euro version you like and slap the American liner, that says “Astm approved” in it.
Look on this site for just some of the varieties:
https://backontrack.com/se/lynx-ridhjalm.html
LOL. I too bought a MIPS snow helmet at Costco… but it didn’t snow enough for me to get away to ski this year.
Em
