Cool riding hats you can wear for hours?

Liath said:
Notice a lot of folk are suggesting Champion Ventair- just to give the flip side, I have happily and comfortably worn Ventairs for years, but the last three I've bought (all fitted in different tack shops, all different sizes interestingly!) have all given me a horrendous headache after having them on for an hour or more- they're fine up to an hour, but I get to the same point as the OP- wanting to chuck it in a ditch at about an hour and ten!

Have always been told I have a 'champion' shaped head, not a 'charles owen' shaped head.. now I'm not sure!

Will be watching this thread for suggestions!!
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Ha now that's interesting as until recently I've always had a CO head, but I wanted to buy the 4 star and it didn't fit at all - and I ended up with a Champion Ventair Pro. Love it and it's so comfy! Can't believe I now fit Champions and not CO. Perhaps they have both changed their shape slightly? I'm guessing at mid-30s my head isn't changing shape :o
 
BeckyD said:
Ha now that's interesting as until recently I've always had a CO head, but I wanted to buy the 4 star and it didn't fit at all - and I ended up with a Champion Ventair Pro. Love it and it's so comfy! Can't believe I now fit Champions and not CO. Perhaps they have both changed their shape slightly? I'm guessing at mid-30s my head isn't changing shape :o
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I have always had a CO head and the 4 star does not fit me, they said they had to change the shape and make it more round to comply with the SNEL standards.

I guess I will go for another Pro II for competing, but may get a cheap vented one for everyday.
 
Yep, I've always had a champion shaped head, CO always press on my forehead and give me a head ache. They have told me that the newer ones will fit me though!
 
Casco all the way for me. I got one of the Champ ones a few weeks ago - one of the shops I buy my cycling kit from had been sent them by mistake and they were selling them cheap as a cycling helmet - and I cannot explain how comfortable and light it is. It's the only hat I own that doesn't have me heading for my straighteners after I take it off too - no bad hat hair! Last weekend I found myself looking for it to put on then realising I still had it on from riding a different horse about 2 hours previous... I must have still had it on when I went inside to have lunch and watch tv... d'oh!

Will be gutted if the new CO hats have changed shape as they fit my huge, odd shaped head perfectly :(
 
Scarlett said:
Casco all the way for me. I got one of the Champ ones a few weeks ago - one of the shops I buy my cycling kit from had been sent them by mistake and they were selling them cheap as a cycling helmet - and I cannot explain how comfortable and light it is. It's the only hat I own that doesn't have me heading for my straighteners after I take it off too - no bad hat hair! Last weekend I found myself looking for it to put on then realising I still had it on from riding a different horse about 2 hours previous... I must have still had it on when I went inside to have lunch and watch tv... d'oh!

Will be gutted if the new CO hats have changed shape as they fit my huge, odd shaped head perfectly :(
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Loving the thought of you sitting there eating your lunch and watching TV with your hat still on! :D

(Sorry, but nothing to add Kerrilli - I have such a ridiculously shaped head that it takes me forever to find a hat to fit, currently in a CO but it makes me hot and sweaty so I won't recommend it!)
 
Swirlymurphy said:
Loving the thought of you sitting there eating your lunch and watching TV with your hat still on! :D

(Sorry, but nothing to add Kerrilli - I have such a ridiculously shaped head that it takes me forever to find a hat to fit, currently in a CO but it makes me hot and sweaty so I won't recommend it!)
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I've got in the car to go to Sainsburys with it still on too.... I have a huge head and I always feel really awkward in my hat, I don't think I'd fit in my car with my skull on as it makes my head seem massive! :)
 
Champion Universal. Just about my favorite piece of equipment. I hate riding hats but these are so comfy and they're cheap. The down side is they're pretty unattractive, if this bothers you, and they're the lowest current safety standard IIRC.
 
kerilli said:
Suggestions please, I need a new hat, lightweight, maybe vented, for hacking out in. It must be super-comfy, because I'd discovered that my HS1s, which seem to fit perfectly, are great for up to an hour, but after that give me an increasingly killer headache, all the way round my head, like a vice... enough that I nearly take the hat off and chuck it in the ditch. I have an HS1 in a 1.5 and a 2, both feel great for up to an hour (both feel the same, can't work that out?! maybe padding has squished in on the bigger one), they're perfect for competing, but not for long fittening hacks... :( :( :(
I tried a Kep the other day and am nearly sold on that, need to try a PROtector, any others I should look at please?
Gatehouse Conquest is no good, it perches on my head, just the wrong shape.
Thanks.
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not just me then! i actually took mine back as i figured any hat thats doing that to you cant be the best fit. I was on a long hack and could have literally thrown the damned thing in a hedge!! I have a champion ventair now and love it.
 
Horsemad12 said:
Which one do you use?

Do you know what kind of shape it is? Charles Owen (Narrow) or more rounded?
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One of these -

http://www.justtogshelmets.co.uk/products/product.php?pid=10013

I got it half-price during the ill-fated Oldencraig sale. I only really wear it for competing but you can feel the wind whistling through it. I have no idea what shape it is (or I am). I also have a Champion skull if that helps, though the padding compressed really quickly so there's some gamgee in the lining now :o
 
NeverSayNever, glad it's not just me. Honestly, I almost tore it off my head the other day it was hurting so much. Ridiculous.

kirstyhen said:
My silver Hs1 is absolutely fine, but my pink one which I used for everyday, crushes my head!
So I have just bought a CO Pro II for everyday, on the basis that I love my CO Ayr8.
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I have a pink HS1 and a silver HS1, both do it. The pink is a size 2 and the silver is 1.5, so it's definitely not the size either...

Anyone have a Caldene Lumos? They're cheap on Equestrian Clearance.
Otherwise it's a Casco Champ from Germany, they do look v v nice... possible too pretty for hacking out really!
 
Anyone have a Caldene Lumos? They're cheap on Equestrian Clearance.
Otherwise it's a Casco Champ from Germany, they do look v v nice... possible too pretty for hacking out really![/QUOTE]

I have a Caldene Ultra http://www.caldene.co.uk/Riding-Hats/adult-ultra-riding-hat.aspx mainly for every day use and love it :D although after seeing the Lumos I may have to change ;) I can't get my head in the HS1 either, tried many a time to shove one on my head :o
 
I've got Tipperary. Bought it for endurance riding so was wearing it for up to 9 hours! And it was still comfortable. I still wear it now for normal riding as they look good and stylish :D
 
Don't laugh but, a friend of mine wears a cycling helmet for school and hacking out work. It has the same safety rating as riding hats, is mega light and cool to wear.

I tell him it looks like a collander but he is comfy so what the heck !
 
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