Manufacture date of new hats

[Cragrat]

I'm trying to buy a new skull hat. I tried one on in our local tack shop and checked the manufacture date- Feb 2022.

How old would you expect a hat to be when you buy it? At a suggested , not fallen off or dropped, life span of 5 years, this hat has already lost 20%.


It didn't fit anyway, and they don't have my size, so I'm still looking.

If I bought direct from the manufacturer, could I expect a newer one? I'm a size 2, Charles Owen, so I would have thought fairly high turnover???

 

[MuddyMonster]

I bought one last year and it was manufactured that year so was only 2 months old when I bought it.

 

[Bob notacob]

I think there is a new hat standard. My local riding school has just had to bin a huge number of nearly new hats as they dont meet the new standard

 

[Cragrat]

I think there is a new hat standard. My local riding school has just had to bin a huge number of nearly new hats as they dont meet the new standard

Would that be the PAS015? I think the 1998 is now replaced by the 2011? So those hats must have been on the shelf a while

 

[PeterNatt]

I sit on the British Standards Institute 'Equine Helmets' Committee.
The PAS015 is a good testing standard.
At present a new European standard is being developed which is EN1384.
In theory one should change ones riding hat every 3 years to prevent loosing their protective properties.
Once dropped or in an impact or fall they should be immediately replaced astheir protective properties will be compromised.

 

[criso]

Does the date a hat last for start from manufacture or from when used? Charles Owen suggests 5 years from when you first start wearing it but dependent on how often it is worn e.g. a profressional rider may need to change more often.

Temperature fluctuations in where it's used and kept; exposure to UV; sweat from your head etc will cause deterioration.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Date of manufacture is what is used for motorcycle helmets in the race world, so I'd presume the same under competition rules for Equestrian?

 

[teapot]

Does the date a hat last for start from manufacture or from when used? Charles Owen suggests 5 years from when you first start wearing it but dependent on how often it is worn e.g. a profressional rider may need to change more often.

Temperature fluctuations in where it's used and kept; exposure to UV; sweat from your head etc will cause deterioration.

Between three and five years according to this https://www.charlesowen.com/user-guide

I wouldn't want to use a five year old hat personally; for purchasing, I'd expect it to be within the last six months, a year at a very long push. I'd be concerned about lack of correct storage etc.

 

[criso]

Between three and five years according to this https://www.charlesowen.com/user-guide

I wouldn't want to use a five year old hat personally; for purchasing, I'd expect it to be within the last six months, a year at a very long push. I'd be concerned about lack of correct storage etc.

Yet here they say 5 years from first wear depending on how often you use

When should you replace a riding helmet? - Charles Owen

The lifespan of a riding helmet is five years. You should replace your helmet when it expires or after any kind of impact or fall.

www.charlesowen.com

There should really be a sell by date as well as a manufactured date

 

[Cragrat]

Between three and five years according to this https://www.charlesowen.com/user-guide

I wouldn't want to use a five year old hat personally; for purchasing, I'd expect it to be within the last six months, a year at a very long push. I'd be concerned about lack of correct storage etc.

This is also somethiing I didn't know - from Teapot's link -
"A helmet should always be replaced if the rider has lost consciousness or suffered a severe headache after the blow."
I always thought it was ANY fall in which your head hit the ground/fence/hoof

And depsite what it says about not deterioating on the shelf, I agree that I'd rather not buy a hat older than 6 months. I like Criso's idea of a sell-by date, but I doubt manufactuers or retailers would like it!