Helmet choice and value

[PDXGraham]

There are so many different brand offering plates and helmets. What is a trusted brand that is good value that won't break the bank? Hard Head veterans? Shellback? Atomic defense?

They range anywhere from $400-$2000

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[DAG1995]

No to HHV. Yes to Team Wendy or Ops Core.

 

[titsonritz]

There are so many different brand offering plates and helmets. What is a trusted brand that is good value that won't break the bank? Hard Head veterans? Shellback? Atomic defense?

They range anywhere from $400-$2000

Garbage.

No to HHV. Yes to Team Wendy or Ops Core.

^^^This.

 

[Member 53328]

Garbage.


^^^This.

Is Team Wendy the one that had the huge blow up on social media over donations to Hillary Clinton or something like that? I don't run their gear but I remember over hearing something to that regard. I may be wrong though.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Gentex is good, though most of their ballistic helmets are actually military (ACH/MICH, CVC, SOHAH)... but their Ops Core ballistic helmets have great reputation

Team Wendy has a decent reputation, but Hard Head Veteran resells a lot of Chinese junk so avoid that one.

Edit.

Avon Protection is good too. Most of the ballistic helmets come from Gentex, Avon Protection, Team Wendy for a reason.

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

Yes, there are a few decent brands, but the 'other' question you need to ask is "What are you getting it for?

I recommend starting with an 'official' US military MICH helmet, and then pick up an ATE helmet, if you actually need one, when the finances are there and the research is done.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Ballistics on a budget; surplus

ACH/MICH

USMC LWH

CVC (DH132 ballistic, there's the non-ballistic versions)-popular for converting to high cuts

SOHAH

Avoid M1 steel pots and PASGT helmets; awful suspension and way heavier for the miniscule protection compared to the ACH.

 

[Flopsweat]

Bell Helmets® | Motorcycle, Dirt Bike and Bicycle Helmets

Bell Helmets was born from auto racing in 1954 and exists today to inspire and enable the next generation of boundary breakers in motorcycle and bicycle culture.

www.bellhelmets.com

 

[CamoDeafie]

Protec skate helmets have been popular within a specific "Special" community in the military mainly for skydiving, fast roping, rappelling, training, and not getting their heads bashed in by overhanging ship hardware or doors.. 0 ballistic protection though.

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

Which all comes back to the 'OTHER' question . . . right??

 

[titsonritz]

Is Team Wendy the one that had the huge blow up on social media over donations to Hillary Clinton or something like that? I don't run their gear but I remember over hearing something to that regard. I may be wrong though.

Yes

 

[GI JEW 555]

CPG impo is the best bang for buck out there for ballistic helmets.

 

[Joe13]

My wife says I'm real hard headed so I don't really feel the need for a helmet…

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

Wives (or rather, I should say 'spouses', to be fair) don't always understand the difference between hard headed and ballistic . . .

 

[Member 53328]

You could duct tape your nods.

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

"You could duct tape your nods"

And while they're laughing, you could kick them in the nads!!!

Oh, and then go buy something to cover your noggin.

 

[CamoDeafie]

On a serious note..


What purpose are these ballistic helmet and plates going to be for?

What are you expecting from having body armor and helmet?


What threats are you expecting?

Ya know, the tungsten cored 8mm Mauser from WW2 apparently will go through Level 4 plates no reason tungsten cored 7.62x51 and 5.56 rounds won't go through the same Level 4 plates... steel cored usually won't, that NIJ Level defeats at least 1 shot of .30-06 steel core AP2 ammo from WW2...


What kind of protection are you looking at?

360 degree handgun protection is possible with 3A soft vests and carriers; though they be saunas and not breathable, you're wrapping a thick Kevlar/aramid or Dyneema blanket around your core.

Rifle protection is limited to front and back covering vitals, and sometimes a portion of the sides (side plates) but generally the current wisdom is that if you need to run side plates, have them as far forward and against the edges of the front plate is better than centered between front and back.

There are soft armor inserts for cummerbund, and cummerbunds that accommodate soft and hard armor both; as well as soft abdominal and lower spine armor panels in addition to the usual groin, neck and shoulder soft armor that the military issues, the tradeoff is increased weight and bulk and less mobility.

Head... armor for the head usually consists of just the hard helmets, often only "tested " to Level 3A and never tested against rifle threats because of how they're made. The NIJ test protocols doesn't really allow for testing of spheroid shapes (helmets). There exists "ballistic" face plates and throat armor but you take a shot to the face with or without armor, say bye to intact bones and being awake due to massive backface deformation on those cheesy "3a" hard face masks; and nothings really gonna stop a rifle round to the face or neck if someone is accurate enough.

 

[Hooyah DeepSea]

Which, for the third time; "Which all comes back to the 'OTHER' question . . . right??"

 

[American123]

No commonly worn helmet is rated to stop rifle rounds, however, there are accounts of glancing strikes that without the helmet, would have taken a chunk out of the head. I don't know what the difference is between the $400 helmet and the $1500 helmet. On one hand though we are talking about something you intend to wear to help save your life, on the other hand, most people's gear sits in the house as a "cool" thing, but is otherwise never used.

People with night vision typically have helmets. Bump helmets, or ballistic, depending on personal preference and envisioned use. When I got my helmet I considered the ballistic helmet to be the better choice, but I see a lot of popular YouTube content creators prefer the bump helmet.

 

[CamoDeafie]

People with night vision typically have helmets. Bump helmets, or ballistic, depending on personal preference and envisioned use. When I got my helmet I considered the ballistic helmet to be the better choice, but I see a lot of popular YouTube content creators prefer the bump helmet.

Because YT/IG "influencers" with guns and gear don't want 5+ pounds of crap on their necks regardless of how beefy or wiry they are night vision devices with counterweight can get heavy, plus the weight of ballistic helmet? Not always good for neck and spine bones if not trained with the weight of ballistic helmets.