Frequently Asked Questions

Safest Helmet Studies: We are often asked which are the safest helemts for the equestrian world.

The safest helmet is one that fits your head.

Each standard in the world tries to test for a particular accident. Depending on the accident you have, depends on the best helmet to wear. Helmets that meet multiple standards are designed for a wider range of conditions. The snell standard has been set to be the one with the highest fall onto steel. This is great when falling on concrete, but can result in the helmet being less suitable when falling on grass. The PAS015 standard is the only one where the helmet is tested for resistance to crush, of particular interest to eventers.

A helmet is designed to stop the brain bruising or vein rupture by providing stopping distance and a more gentle landing. It is this bruising that causes the brain to swell and cause more damage to the surrounding cells as the skull can not expand.

Imagine a stunt man jumping from a building onto a pile of cardboard boxes to break his fall. Firstly, he wants enough cardboard boxes so he doesn't crush the pile & hit the ground.For me, being over 200Lbs, I would want triple wall boxes to break my fall. However, if a small child was falling, they may not have enough force to break the first triple wall box and they would have no protection.

A helmet uses microscopic bubbles which the designer can adjust the load at which they break. As the severity of the test increases, the designer makes them stronger.

When falling on to concrete, the force is in a small concentrated area and so the bubbles burst. Fall on to grass or sand, the force is spread over a larger area and the bubbles can fail to burst. It is a known trick that to kill someone without leaving a mark, you hit them over the head with a sand bag. The force is transmitted to the brain without any point loading. [ Police note: All research is in the interest of science.] We have examined helmets where the person is dead & the helmet has shown no damage.

We are involved in a study with the University of Dublin, Eire in which we have instrumented helmets on steeplechase jockeys to measure the forces reaching the brain through one of our eventing helmets. This is an ongoing 3 year project, but is the first time ever in any sport that deadly blows to the head are being studied on live people. It is going to lead to a much greater understanding of how to make a helmet really safer, rather than safer in the test lab onto steel.

Following an accident:

If you have an accident whilst wearing your Charles Owen Helmet please fill in the Accident report form online or request one to be posted to you. Helmets can be checked if they are returned to our manufacturing facility in Great Britain.

How often should you replace your helmet?

There have been a number of studies on ageing on motorcycle helmets. One french study, found that a particular helmet type had a 10% increase in cracking per year of age. This was because a UV safe plastic had not been selected. However, new helmets passed the standard fine. Fibreglass shells [ which we use] were shown not to be affected by UV or solvents in stuff like hoof oil. The pigment used in black paint is extremely effective at absorbing UV. Styrofoam is very sensitive to heat. It is made using steam and will start to melt at 158F. That is why you shouldn't leave the helmet to cook under glass. Using the dishwasher, to clean the helmet is also not advised, though I have come across this technique quite often. Once a store had a spotlight pointed at a helmet at a distance of 12 inches for six months. The helmet when removed had a 4 inch size hole burnt through the styrofoam. After 5 years of regular use, your helmet has probably had a few knocks, the padding has started to collapse, the helmet will be a little loose and it will not look pleasant. [NB Other manufacturers may suggest a different lifespan]

The GR8 Emblem:

When the helmet was first made, the emblems were hot melt glued as a very safe method of attaching a metal component. In use, we discovered that the badges would sometimes break away and we set about to find a safe way to rivet the badge.

The helmet needed retesting and recertification which took some time. The riveted badges have a logo that is 5/8" across.

Any helmet is guaranteed against any manufacturing defect for the first year with either replacement or repair by us. This problem is a defect.

Many wearers often prefer to continue to wear the helmet rather than return it, so we do send out badges FOC.

Cleaning Your Hat:

Cleaning of the interior of your helmet should be done using Charles Owen hat cleaning products or foamed detergents or shampoos and water followed by vacuum drying the lining. Iit is important to use the minimum amount of water as helmets are difficult to dry and can easly go mouldy. With any cleanig agent it is important to try a small section first to establish any allergic reaction.