How to Choose a Riding Helmet
Your riding hat is the one piece of kit you should never cut corners on. Here is how to choose the right one and get it fitted properly.
Horse Riding Equipment · 7 min read
Your riding hat is the most important thing you will ever buy for riding. A hat that meets a current safety standard and fits your head properly is designed to help protect you in a fall, and it only works if you get both of those things right. If you are buying your first one, it is easy to feel lost among the standards, styles and prices. This guide walks you through it in plain English.
Which riding hat safety standards should you look for?
Every riding hat sold for riding is tested against a safety standard, and the label inside tells you which ones it has passed. In the UK you will most often see references to PAS 015, VG1 and Snell E2016. Each involves a slightly different set of impact and crush tests.
The catch is that different activities ask for different standards. Many competition bodies and riding clubs publish a list of accepted standards, and that list changes over time. So before you buy, check the current rules for the riding you do, then make sure the hat you like carries one of the standards on that list. If you only ever hack at home, aim for a hat that meets a widely accepted standard anyway; it is simply good sense.
How do you measure your head for a riding hat?
Hat sizes are based on the distance around your head in centimetres. Take a soft tape measure and run it around the widest part of your head, roughly a centimetre above your eyebrows and ears, keeping it level all the way round. That number is your starting size.
Treat it as a guide, not a final answer. Heads vary in shape as much as size, so two people with the same measurement can need very different hats. Use your measurement to narrow the choice, then have the hat checked in person.
Why does professional hat fitting matter so much?
A hat can only do its job if it sits correctly on your head. A trained fitter checks that the shell suits your head shape, that it sits level without tipping forward or back, and that the harness holds it firmly in place. A good fit feels snug all the way around, with no pressure points and no gaps where you can rock the hat about.
Fitting is quick, usually free, and makes a real difference, so it is well worth a trip to a shop that offers it. If you are buying for a child, remember that a hat should fit now, not be bought big to grow into.
What are the different styles of riding hat?
Once safety and fit are sorted, the style comes down to your discipline and personal taste. The main types are easy to tell apart.
Skull caps and event hats
A skull cap has a smooth, round shell with no fixed peak, and is usually worn with a silk cover. It is the traditional choice for cross-country and jumping, where a soft peak that will not catch on a fall is preferred.
Dressage and showing hats
These have a neat fixed peak and a low-profile shape for a smart, classic look in the arena. Many are available in a matte or suede-effect finish to suit the ring.
Vented, everyday hats
Hats with air vents keep you cooler on warm days and during hard work, which makes them popular for general schooling and hacking. The vents make no difference to how the hat is worn; they simply add comfort.
When should you replace a riding helmet?
Replace your hat after any fall or heavy knock, even if you cannot see any damage. The layer inside that absorbs impact is designed to work once, so its protection may be reduced after a single blow. The same goes for dropping it onto a hard floor.
Even without a fall, materials age. Many manufacturers suggest replacing a hat every few years with normal use, and sooner if it is worn hard. One firm rule: never buy or accept a second-hand hat. You have no way of knowing whether it has been dropped or crashed, so you cannot trust the protection it offers.
How much should you spend on a riding hat?
A more expensive hat is not automatically safer, because every hat on sale for riding has to pass the same tests. What you tend to pay more for is a lighter shell, better ventilation, a more refined finish and extra adjustment. Spend what your budget allows, prioritise fit over looks, and remember that the right hat at a sensible price, correctly fitted, beats a pricey one that does not suit your head.
Are extra features like MIPS worth it?
Alongside the core standards, you will see hats advertising extra safety technology, the best known being MIPS. This is a low-friction layer inside the hat designed to reduce the rotational forces that can occur in an angled impact. Some riders value the added reassurance, while others would rather put the money towards a lighter shell or a better fit. There is no wrong answer here, because a hat without these features still has to pass the same core safety tests. If a hat with extra technology fits you well and sits within your budget, it is a sensible choice, but never let a feature tempt you into a hat that fits worse.
Other details worth noticing improve comfort rather than protection, and comfort is what keeps a hat worn correctly. Look out for adjustable dial-fit systems that let you fine-tune the fit through the day, removable and washable liners that keep the hat fresh, and good ventilation for warmer weather.
Looking after your hat
Keep your hat out of direct heat and away from chemicals, which can weaken the materials. Wipe the shell with a damp cloth and, where the lining lifts out, hand-wash it to keep things fresh. Store it somewhere cool rather than on a sunny shelf or in a hot car, and carry it in a hat bag to protect it from knocks.
When you are ready to choose, browse our riding helmets and arrange a fitting, and take a look at body protectors too, which are the other key piece of safety kit for many riders.
Frequently asked questions
No. Riding hats are tested for the specific risks of horse riding, including the height of a fall and the shape of impacts. Use a hat made and certified for riding.
Not necessarily. All hats sold for riding must pass the same safety tests. Higher prices usually buy lower weight, better ventilation and a nicer finish rather than extra protection.