So we’ve recently moved to GA, and WOW, is it hot down here!
Does anyone have a recommendation for a vented helmet? By and large Charles Owen’s and GPA’s fit me best, but I’m open to trying additional brands. I have a fairly small, round head, and typically wear a 6 3/4 or 6 7/8. This helmet will primarily be used for schooling, so comfort and ventilation are my most important objectives.
If you know you fit into the Charles Owens I would stick with the AYR8. They even have a new one coming-out, I think Smartpak already has it on their website, with a removable liner.
If you fit into COs well I don’t think the Samshields will be a good fit. Curious how the GPAs fit you if you fit into the COs…
I also have a round head and I love my GPA first lady. It helps keep the sun out of my eyes and I can feel the breeze when I’m moving.
I’m a former GPA user and LOVE the One K Defender helmet. It comes in regular and long oval which is nice. It’s also got a pretty good amount of venting. I did have friends who would school in the cheap Troxel helmets that are similar to bike helmets because the air flow was so good in them, but I’m too much of a hunter princess to go that route! :lol:
I have an AYR8 - to be honest I don’t feel any air move through it. Love the way it fits me tho. I ordered mine out of the U.K., take a look at their prices before you buy in North America. I saved a couple hundred by ordering from across the pond.
If you want a good, comfortable, vented schooling helmet, try the Ovations. They have lots of models, but IMO, the Deluxe schooling helmet is passable as a show helmet, too. I wear a 6 3/4 in a CO helmet and a XS/S in the Ovation.
I love my Ovation schooler. I have a small head. It breathes well. I like it enough I own 2- One is brown and one is black. I rode in a lesson today. It was 96 degrees and really humid. I sweated but didn’t feel like I was goint to pass out.
My favorite helmet is the GR8, but on hot humid days I wear an Ovation schooler. It’s pretty comfortable and a good bit lighter than the CO.
My OneK is the lightest, coolest, and most comfortable helmet I can remember.
Charles Owens also fit me great but they are SO DAMN HOT! I quite like my Samshield - dying to try a Kask though.
[QUOTE=Dewey;8763623]
If you want a good, comfortable, vented schooling helmet, try to Ovations. They have lots of models, but IMO, the Deluxe schooling helmet is passable as a show helmet, too. My wear a 6 3/4 in a CO helmet and a XS/S in the Ovation.[/QUOTE]
I second this. Lightweight and a lot of air flow. They weren’t a good fit for me- I have a tall head and felt like the helmet perched on top rather than coming down towards the base of my skull- but envied many riding friends as they looked very comfortable.
One thing I don’t like about the Ovation- and I don’t like this about MOST of the helmets on the market right now- is the short visor. What’s with that? It’s about two inches long. One thing the GPA First Lady does really well is that longer wrap-around visor.
Love my One K (matte finish). I forget I have it on. And I live in Miami; it’s brutally hot. I wear the size small in the regular round shape and it fits great. You can pull the liner out to wash it (or replace it). And it goes just fine into any show ring.
LOVE my OneK Defender. I’m in the market for a new helmet and, while I am eyeballing GPA, I just loved the OneK so much I may end up getting another. That said I found that my matte finish scratched a bit too easily (then again, I used it for 25-50 mile endurance rides so that may be my fault!). But as far as comfort and ventilation, love it!
I also have an Ovation Schooler and a Tipperary. For something low-cost, both are great. Some think the Tipperary looks a bit odd though.
I love my One K Defender… I love that the liner comes out and be washed so easily. I also have a CO. But it’s so hot. ( Granted it’s not the air one.)
But I love the ONe K. Lightweight and airy. I can get quite sweaty when I ride, and use to be dying in my CO. But not now. And with the liner I never have to worry about that funky helmet smell. Just throw it in the wash or hand wash it.
Another One K fan 
I had an AYR8, but it was too hot in Alabama heat/humidity. I snagged an older model GPA Speed Air on clearance, and LOVE it. It keeps my head so cool!
I’ve tried a ton of helmets and by far my favorite so far is the GPA Speed Air.
I have the AYR8 too, and while I love it (and think it looks good on–I tried on a One K and a Samshield and they give me the bubble head look, but I think they look great on other people!), I don’t think there is much air flow at all. But… with the heat and humidity where I live, having a helmet with more vents doesn’t make much difference. And I feel that if it’s to the point that I feel like I am going to pass out from my helmet, then it is too hot for my horse to be working that hard as well.
I use an Ovation Deluxe for schooling. It’s nice and lightweight as well as being airy.
I used to show in a OneK but had a fall in it and decided to try Samshield when I was replacing it. I decided on the Samshield premium because I got way better airflow than the OneK. I found the Samshield Shadowmatt felt the same as my OneK which I never felt actually had that much ventilation. Whereas the Premium has the gap in the liner at the front of the forehead which makes a ton of difference!
All that being said, I did really love the lightness and airiness of the GPA when I tried it on, but decided to go with the Samshield as they seem to be trendier right now and it ultimately felt like it gave my head better coverage so therefore better safety. Even when sized correctly the GPA never felt super super secure on my head.
I’ve got a OneK now, after having COs for years. I really love how much cooler it is; the first time I wore it, the airflow was noticeable.
If you’re looking for something cheaper, a few riders at our barn have the Ovations mentioned here as schooling helmets and really like them.
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