Ventilated hats - help please

skimobob

Active Member
Joined
28 November 2008
Messages
44
Visit site
Hi there
I need some advice on hats. I had bought a Casco Mistral Plus but had to go up a size and the hat looks huge and hence I'm not sure on it and looking at others. There are so many options, GPA which is very expensive, Gatehouse, JTE Sprint and UVEX which I am edging towards. I have a lovely velvet hat now which is smart but just very hot so looking at changing. Advice please? Much appreciated.
 
There are a lot of ventilated hat out there from Red Horse to Troxel to LAS price ranges, most of them are adjustable via a dial at the back and therefore fit a range of head sizes and shapes.

I haven't found many tack shops that stock them but lots of places online!

I love mine and I am so spoilt that I couldn't bear to ride in a standard hat anymore as far too hot - I have 2 a cheaper everyday one and an expensive LAS one for competing.

Just make sure that whatever hat you get has the required safety standard for your discipline or the best you can afford!
 
I have a troxel one, not everyones cuppa but I never ever get a hot head, when it dies I will get another one without a second thought
 
I have a Troxel, and although its fine for hot weather, it isnt the most comfortable.
I would recommend try before you buy and wear for as long as possible in the shop!
 
Thanks to everyone. Pretty much everywhere I have tried does not stock any ventilated hats, they are all online which is costly! Painful.
 
I'm having the same problem with finding ones to actually try on before I buy. Go Outdoors has the Harry Hall Legends in store, but trying that on just told me that I didn't want a Harry Hall, which I already knew.

At the moment, I'm leaning towards the Champion Ventair, purely because my current skullcap is a Champion and I know it fits my headshape. Problem is that I hover between a 55 and 56cm, and I'd really like to try it on first to make sure. Also, I'm not sure how effective the ventilation would actually be on it - it looks pretty limited. And, from the shallow pov, I really don't like the fact that it has CHAMPION stamped across the front in massive letters!
 
I bought the gatehouse air rider at badminton. They only come in two sizes but essentially even though I have a small head (6 7/8) I needed the larger version (m/l) for it to sit low enough. - I think the small would only fit a child properly

I am very much likeing it :) and was reasonably priced.
 
Ooo I would definitely like to hear from anyone who can recommend a nice cool ventilated hat! There's nothing worse than a hot sweaty head (apart from an ill-fitting hat I suppose).

I am also between sizes and have a narrow head ear-to-ear but long front-to-back, very oval shaped so I was told riding hats would fit better than jockey skulls. I'm going to have to buy from the net though as our shop has such a limited stock and they're all Charles Owen.

In the past I visited our local county show simply because I knew they'd have horsey stalls so I could try on a few there and then bought it from the Net.
 
I have bought the Gatehouse Cool Rider hat for that reason, I always look like a tomato when I have been out, this hat seems to do the trick and very cheap too. I paid around £27.

http://www.gatehouserange.co.uk/gatehouse-cool-rider-p-264.html

Hmm. I could probably cope with something that ugly if it's that cheap... God knows, a couple of weeks banging round with me and it won't look so mindblowingly shiny.

I've never used one of the adjustable ones - how easy are they to adjust, and then to lock once adjusted?
 
If you're considering cheap then I have one of these http://www.sportsdirect.com/snowbee-premium-equestrian-riding-helmet-767015
It is the comfiest hat I've ever owned. It was an on-line gamble that paid off. So comfy I'm going to buy another one and have it in reserve. And you can get colours. If you look at the others they do an even cheaper one. I got a going over on here about protecting my head and paying for quality, but looked up the standards and found pro jockey skulls and some very expensive hats at the same standard. I've got a "long" head if that makes sense, perfectly round hats like Harry Hall press on my forehead a bit.
 
very easy to adjust, the coolrider one didn't fit me either. - too shallow

this is mine, was £60

Gatehouse_Air_Rider_Helmet.jpg
 
I've just ordered one too after seeing it at Royal Windsor

Plus the air rider is BS kitemarked, so I can wear it BRC etc which I cannot in my casco arcus
 
Hmm. I could probably cope with something that ugly if it's that cheap... God knows, a couple of weeks banging round with me and it won't look so mindblowingly shiny.

I've never used one of the adjustable ones - how easy are they to adjust, and then to lock once adjusted?


Very easy to adjust i didn't expect much for the price but its BS kite marked and PAS standard, i was pleasantly surprised. I use Charles Owen Jockey skull for winters and cold days :)
 
Top