Hats - do you NEED one with all the different safety tags?

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Morgan123

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Hi,

I need a new hat and was just wondering about all the different safety levels (PAS, CEN and EN) - are some more rigorous than others? which is the most rigorous - and anyway why are there three different ones?!

For XC do I need all three??

Clearly I don't buy hats often enough - it's been years and I've forgotten everything!!

Thanks
 
SNELL is actually the most rigourous one!

I am pretty sure one of the only hats that has that rating is Protector (+++++£££££££)

Certainly your standarnd Champion/Charles Owen don't. But they will be PAS and BSEN. If you want to compete you should make sure you get one up to these standards as a LOT of competitions state that your hat must be (PC/RC). you can easily pick up a basic up to standard hat for £40.

BSEN = european standard

PAS = UK standard (pretty sure I have it the right way round)

The UK standard test is more rigourous than the EU one.

And yes, I would get one up to standard, I care about my head and life too much! Next time I repace I may even get a Protector.... Just the amount of money make me hesitate, but it IS my head and life!
 
It depends how much you value your brain.
I was certainly glad of mine when I landed on my head on the road. The hat was damaged and I had whiplash and a bruised temple BUT my brain is still functioning as well as it did before.
I was livid at the time as the hat was new but then realised that that was probably a good job, as was the fact that the cheaper hats didn't fit very well, so when I came to replace it, I had to buy exactly the same.
 
thank you! Yes I'm definitely buying an extra safe one I just wasn't sure if some of the safety level things were more rigorous than others, and why there were three different ones. thanks!
 
Morgan123 said:
Hi,

I need a new hat and was just wondering about all the different safety levels (PAS, CEN and EN) - are some more rigorous than others? which is the most rigorous - and anyway why are there three different ones?!

For XC do I need all three??

Clearly I don't buy hats often enough - it's been years and I've forgotten everything!!

Thanks
Click to expand...



Hi Morgan,
I took this from the online rule book for BRC....hope it might answer some questions.

BRC, BE or Pony Club ‘hat tag’. ‘Protective Headwear’ constitutes a hat which meets
one of the following standards. Failure to do so will incur elimination.
British PAS 015, BSEN1384
European EN1384
American All SEI ASTM 95, ASTM F1163, SNELL E2001
Australian & New Zealand All SAI AS/NZS 3838
Provided they are BSI Kitemarked or SEI 19

Hard hats to specification PAS015 and ASTM F1163 are considered to offer greater
protection than EN1384 and BSEN1384. Recommended hard hats must carry the
quality assurance stamp of Kitemark or SEI. It is emphasised that hats bearing a
quality assurance stamp are batch tested and therefore of a constant standard.
Skullcap hats must be worn with an appropriate colour silk for that discipline (see
Appendix 4). For Quadrille competitions, hats of the above standard are mandatory.
Competitors are strongly advised to check their hats regularly and to replace them if
damaged or following a fall.

regards
Bryndu:)
 
SNELL is the highest standard, then PAS 015. I wouldnt consider a BSEN hat for jumping. Also, look for a kitemark as well as one of the above, this means the hat is regularly batch tested for safety and manufacturing standards.
 
I wouldn't wear anything but my Gatehouse HS1. Have a look at this video to see the testing it has undergone... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEyTCjdaVyE

In my opinion they are well worth the extra money, and you can often find them at very reasonable prices. I have the original black one, but if you don't mind a bit of colour you can find the pink one for the same price as an average hat, see... http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/P/...lver_high_spec_1_jockey_skull_HS1-(2148).aspx

If I needed a new riding hat I wouldn't care if it was pink, I'd get a cover and ride away happy knowing my head was well protected for a bargain price!
 
Having just replaced a hat due to a nasty fall, hat was sent back to manufactures and I am convinced by their findings that it saved my life (I can't remember anything about the day let alone the fall!!) look out for hats that also contain a label with a manufacture date inside.
Hats degenerate over a period of time, I looked around for the hat I wanted and found one with a manufacture date 2 months previous to purchase date.
I am aware of someone buying one with a date of over 2yrs ago in. To me this means even though the hat hasn't been worn, it was for sale for a long time at the saddlery and will need replacing much sooner than one with a newer date.
 
alwaysbroke said:
Having just replaced a hat due to a nasty fall, hat was sent back to manufactures and I am convinced by their findings that it saved my life (I can't remember anything about the day let alone the fall!!) look out for hats that also contain a label with a manufacture date inside.
Hats degenerate over a period of time, I looked around for the hat I wanted and found one with a manufacture date 2 months previous to purchase date.
I am aware of someone buying one with a date of over 2yrs ago in. To me this means even though the hat hasn't been worn, it was for sale for a long time at the saddlery and will need replacing much sooner than one with a newer date.
Click to expand...

Excellent point, I have never thought to look for a manufacturing date, thanks for the tip :)
 
There is a little bit of confusion on this area at the moment, but to clarify the facts:

SNELL E2001 is the highest safety standard. This includes a test having had a sharp object impact test. This replicates a stud or shoe to the head. Other tests (BSEN / PAS) do not test this.

There is currently only two hats that pass the SNELL, and these are the Gatehouse HSI and the Parkgate PROtector.

I personally ride in the PROtector. It is not kitemarked, but because it has the SNELL mark I can (and do) ride in it for PC / RC / BE. IMHO it is the best and safest hat in the world. It is amazingly comfortable and lighter and less bulky than the HSI, plus fits me better and their customer service is second to none. If I have a fall in it, I can send it back and it will be checked and scanned for damage and I will be informed if I need a new one or not, so my safety (and pocket!) is never compromised. All this service costs is the price of the postage.
 
The thing that amazes me the most - is the amount of times I see people wearing a hat, that obviously does not fit peoperly, they usually have it propped on the back of their head, so if they fell off, their forehead would likely hit the ground and cause a serious injury. I see many people - especially children riding with hats that have not been put on, or done up correctly.

The worst offenders are cyclists. We are tormented by cyclists in the village, and about 50% of them wear helmets fitted incorrectly, and some even have them on back to front ! It is especially evident with the children, who's parents seem to think that so long as they have a hat on, it doesn't matter if it's been put on properly. So they offer absolutely no protection.
 
Sorry to say that these are the people who think they will never fall off (unlike me who is expecting to every minute) - ha! not quite but am well aware of the hazards!
 
I stick with Charles Owen. While I really liked the Gatehouse (and would have happily paid the price), CO is the only hat that properly fits my head! In fact when I last when hat shopping (winter) my original choices were heavily restricted by what would fit properly...
 
OOh may I just contribute that when I was talking to a hat fitter in a saddlery about which hats were tested to the highest standard, he made a very good point. He reckoned there was very little difference in the different safety tests (perhaps SNELL excluded here), and that really, the hat that will give you the best protection is the one that fits your head best. He was tired and frustrated with people insisting on buying X brand or style, when it simply did not fit them as well as another one.

So I stopped worrying so much and as long as it has PAS 015 I went for the one that fitted best. Made a lot of sense to me.
 
Naturally said:
OOh may I just contribute that when I was talking to a hat fitter in a saddlery about which hats were tested to the highest standard, he made a very good point. He reckoned there was very little difference in the different safety tests (perhaps SNELL excluded here), and that really, the hat that will give you the best protection is the one that fits your head best. He was tired and frustrated with people insisting on buying X brand or style, when it simply did not fit them as well as another one.

So I stopped worrying so much and as long as it has PAS 015 I went for the one that fitted best. Made a lot of sense to me.
Click to expand...

I didn't go out looking for a specific brand. I went to Hickstead and had a hat fitting at one of the stands (the injured jockeys stand I think, but I could be remembering wrong, it was a while ago).
The lady there tried loads of hats on and found the Gatehouse the best fit for me so I bought one. It is a great fit, never gives me a headache and it sits snuggly and securely on my big head.
I have been buying Gatehouse ever since, I have been through two so far and never had any problems and unless I encounter any problems in the future I can't see myself changing to another make.
 
TeamBarney, you happen to have been lucky enough to fit the one with the higher than average testing, which is obviously super brilliant.

My point was really that, whilst SNELL may be a higher level of certification, that doesn't count for much if its going to either give you a headache or move around on your head. I was trying to encourage people to go for the hat which fits them, rather than just for the highest level of safety testing alone.
 
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