Low cost vs high(er) cost riding hats

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Jinx94

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I'm currently looking for a new riding hat as I knocked my head when I fell off on Christmas day. I'm not sure if it was the knock, or if I stood up too quickly but I did go quite dizzy and it took a minute or so for me to get my balance. I'm fine - no signs of concussion followed it and the dizziness/balance issue didn't persist, but to be on the safe side I am going to get a new hat.

My finances are quite tight (mostly because I'm working on clearing some credit card debt) and can't afford to spend tonnes on a hat. If anything, this incident has shown me that it's not a bad shout to have a spare sitting around (I know they don't last forever, even if not dropped/bashed).

Shires Karbens are cheapest by a fair bit at ~£55. They are certified to PAS015:2011, but I'm wondering whether it's better to spend more money? Are there advantages to spending much more on a hat?

I prefer skull caps to fixed peaks, happy to take recommendations!
 
I had a cheapy Whitaker one that I had a cracking fall in recently. It performed amazingly - not even a whisper of a headache, was like I’d never come off at all. Sadly they are discontinued (and was a bit airy for proper winter anyway) but I’ve fallen off similarly in more expensive hats and been protected less. So I would say if it meets safety standards and fits, that is what matters.
 
If you look at the safety standards hats are accredited to, some of the really pricey £400-600 ones only meet 1 standard and some around the £100-200 mark meet 3 or 4. So I think a lot of the time you are paying for thr brand and glitter. Look up the different safety standards of what is in your budget and pick the best.

Definitely wouldn't buy the cheapest because its cheap, false economy if you have a fall and its not actually a good hat.
 
Jinx94 said:
I ALWAYS go for hats marketed at kids 🤣 thankfully haven't needed too many over the years, but I've never had enough money to blow on a top end hat.
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The CO kids used to go to a size 4 but was a slightly different shape so fitting wise it tended to just depend 🤣.

I have a habit of falling on the vicinity of my head around christmas too. I have decided after this year Im just not riding the week before!

Unfortunately for me fit is everything and the non mips (cheaper!) version - JS1 doesn't fit me as well as the mips version (MS1) which is the best fit I've ever had on a skull cap. As such I fork out the £160 I rather wouldn't. . I'm less keen on the raw edge which would be sub par on a ££ cycle helmet as does get damaged but combined with the liner probably makes it a lot easier to see what actual damage has occurred.

What usually happens is they change the version of what I've had before so it no longer fits, this happened with the HS1 and latterly the Pro II.
 
The problem with the adjustable ones like Karben is they are often not officially fitted by the tack shops..our local one will sell you them but they won’t officially fit them because there is a chance that the fitting will slip due to the nature of the dial…and they don’t want to be liable for a hat that doesnt fit after it leaves the shop! They also said for it to fully fit it needs to be so tight that you should really undo the dial each time you take it off, then tighten it back up once on your head…I would hazard a bet that most people don’t do this!

The evoke hats are very nice we just got one, the liners are adjustable for a bespoke fit. They also say if you come off within 6 months they will replace it for half price which I particularly liked!

They do fixed peak and jockey skulls
 
Bobthecob15 said:
for it to fully fit it needs to be so tight that you should really undo the dial each time you take it off, then tighten it back up once on your head…I would hazard a bet that most people don’t do this!
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The fall I had where I walked away without a headache was in an adjustable dial hat and it worked perfectly. I did have those foam liner strips to adjust fit for my head shape, but otherwise hat was as sold, dial done up to fit then left as it was.
 
Yeah my dial hat fits fine without undoing the dial every time it's no different to any other hat in that regard. . . same as all my cycle helmets. . . its very tried and tested technology I occasionally hear things about mechanism wear (from a bike perspective) but have never really seen it/suspect no one keeps them long enough for that to be an issue. It's my summer hat as my head seems to get bigger on long summer rides so I can adjust as I go along 🤣
 
Even an oldie like me can manage to slacken off the dial of my Uvex Exxential 11 MIPs hat on removal and tighten it back up for a custom fit when I put it back on 🙂. I too sometimes slacken it off a notch during long summer rides.

It was fitted in store too, at Edgemere Saddlery (remember them 😳?)

Generally the cheaper helmets perform just as well as the spendy ones of the same standard. As ever, fit is crucial.
 
I have always gone for the cheapest of the highest level of protection that fits. I see absolutely no point in buying a very expensive hat because of a fashionable name or the fact it glitters as at the end of the day the hat has to go in the bin if it gets crunched. I am lucky as I am another with a small head so I get away with no VAT!!
 
There is absolutely no way on this earth Id pay hundreds for a hat when a more reasonable priced version is fine. Especially if you have a fall and need to replace it.
I have a skull hat which pinches my head occasionally. Tend to only keep that for emergencies.
I bought a Horze adjustable hat same as this in navy without the wide peak, i think the peaks look absolutely dreadful.
I didnt pay that for it I paid £68. Reasonable enough.
 

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Jinx94 said:
I'm currently looking for a new riding hat as I knocked my head when I fell off on Christmas day. I'm not sure if it was the knock, or if I stood up too quickly but I did go quite dizzy and it took a minute or so for me to get my balance. I'm fine - no signs of concussion followed it and the dizziness/balance issue didn't persist, but to be on the safe side I am going to get a new hat.

My finances are quite tight (mostly because I'm working on clearing some credit card debt) and can't afford to spend tonnes on a hat. If anything, this incident has shown me that it's not a bad shout to have a spare sitting around (I know they don't last forever, even if not dropped/bashed).

Shires Karbens are cheapest by a fair bit at ~£55. They are certified to PAS015:2011, but I'm wondering whether it's better to spend more money? Are there advantages to spending much more on a hat?

I prefer skull caps to fixed peaks, happy to take recommendations!
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This is my Shires Karben, I love it. It cost £86 3 years ago.

Mum bought me a Champion MIPS hat for Xmas. I will wear it when riding horses at viewings and jumping my next horse.

It was £150 but the Multi Directional Impact Protection System hopefully will minimise any TBI I might get in the future.
 

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Snow Falcon said:
Can you get away with a childs sized.hat, no VAT to pay then. I have a small head and buy them.
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and what's not to love about a Thelwell lining. Like @Velcrobum I buy the cheapest hat that will offer the current certified level of protection - the bog standard Charles Owen jockey skull fits me well, and at 57cm I can buy kids' hats. Unless you're paying for additional technologies like MIPPs then all PAS015 certified hats will offer adequate protection. I can't see the point spending loads of money on an item that's basically designed to be destroyed.

The main thing is that it fits your head - I've found that certain makes tend to be either round or oval shaped. So you may find that nothing from a particular manufacturer fits you, if their basic shape is not quite right for your head
 
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I have a Karben Junior, that's a skull cap. I suppose it's aimed at children but it comes in adult sizes and was reasonably priced and up to date re. standards. I tried on all the hats in the shop that were my size and this fitted the best so I bought it.
 
I think there is a difference in modern hats. The HS1 was a heavy duty hat and I wore it in high temperatures in Texas summer heat. But even in the UK my hair was usually damp and sweaty when I took the hat off.

The Charles Owen MIPS hat I wear now has a mesh inner cap inside allowing for ventilation between one's hair and the outer shell.

I notice also that my (expensive) hats have a soft leather strap. (I keep an old hat for yard work)
 
After a smack to the head from a fall this year I upgraded from my standard CO to the one with MiPs. I tried the champion one with mips as this was quite a lot cheaper however it just really wasn’t the right shape for my head!
 
ester said:
Yeah my dial hat fits fine without undoing the dial every time it's no different to any other hat in that regard. . . same as all my cycle helmets. . . its very tried and tested technology I occasionally hear things about mechanism wear (from a bike perspective) but have never really seen it/suspect no one keeps them long enough for that to be an issue. It's my summer hat as my head seems to get bigger on long summer rides so I can adjust as I go along 🤣
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I had an adjustable hat, with dial. I regularly have to loosen to put on and then tighten it.

I think I have thin and fat head days. How I tie my hair back makes a difference. I also occasionally use a thin merino hat liner if v cold.

The main thing with a dial hat is that once hat is one your head, dial is adjusted so hat is secure to not move if head nodded vigorously with straps not done up.

Leaving dial unadjusted wouldn’t work for me.
 
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