Concussion, which is also known as mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is the #1 cause of death in children and young adults in the US. In football, brain injuries are the main causes of about 65% to 95% of all casualties, according to The Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.). In addition to this, football injuries associated with the brain occur at the rate of one in every 5.5 games. Furthermore, a report indicates that once an athlete has suffered an initial concussion, there is a great probability of experiencing a second one is said to be 3 to 6 times greater than an athlete who has never sustained a concussion. Having one of the best football helmets will prove to be essential safety protection as proven in many studies.
For those who are looking for the appropriate helmet to buy, here are some of the most frequently asked questions that you may want to know.
Is there a need to upgrade to an adult helmet?
As an adult, the sports activities that you will be engaging in will be a lot tougher than when you were a kid or a teenager. That means you will need a stronger helmet to keep your head, neck, and face protected. As to when you should upgrade to an adult helmet, should usually be around middle school, when there are so much rigorous physical activities that you, as a student, or an athlete will be participating in. So, that will be between ages 12 and 14.
Youth and adult football helmet differs primarily in the material used in creating designing and manufacturing the helmet. Youth football helmets are constructed with ABS plastic. This makes the helmet lightweight and durable. It is designed to withstand a great amount of force. But such pressure or force is nothing more than a large child can create.
Adult football helmets, on the other hand, are constructed with a stronger, lighter-weight polycarbonate material, that is designed to offer maximum protection for unusual impact force, especially in helmet-to-helmet contact.
How to find the right-fitting helmet?
Before you look for the best football helmet, you need to know the exact measurement of your head as this will be your guide when buying a new helmet. Just use a tape measure or a string to do that. Get the measurement of your forehead by wrapping the tape measure around your head an inch above your eyebrows. The forehead pad of the helmet will rest here. Compare the measurement that you get with the measurement on the size chart indicated on the product page of the helmet that you want to purchase to make sure that you will get a perfectly-fitting helmet.
How does a perfect-fitting helmet fit?
A perfect-fitting, comfortable helmet is crucial to get the right protection. It does not always have to be costly, however. To make sure that you get the right sized helmet, you’ll need to fit a few options.
Make sure that the shin strap fits well, not too tight nor too loose. There should be no space between your temples and the inner helmet liner or padding, as well as between the jaw and the jaw pads.
For a helmet that comes with an air liner and/or inflatable jaw pads, you will need to have the crown inflated before trying it on to make sure that the helmet is sitting properly on the right places and that there are no visible gaps anywhere. If your helmet slides off or rotate on your head as you try it on, then it is not the right size or the straps may have not been properly fitted.
What is the usual weight of a football helmet?
Helmets can vary in weight (from about 3lbs to almost 5lbs) since they come with different paddings, shells, designs, and facemasks. This is an important consideration when buying a helmet as it can affect how you will perform while you are wearing the helmet. The lighter the helmet, the longer you can wear the helmet without straining your neck muscles. Be mindful that protective helmets weigh more, so you need to know what to expect with the helmet before you actually buy it.
If you are thinking of buying a football helmet, you will need to consider factors such as your age, skill level, personal needs, as well as your budget. If you are just starting, you may just consider buying one that will fit your budget. This should be done after understanding your personal requirement, most importantly, what the league you will be playing for requires.
For high school players, wearing adult football helmets is required. These helmets are made tougher for better protection as an adult wearer will require. They come with polycarbonate shells, advanced liner systems, padding, lighter and more durable facemasks, and better quality chin straps to protect wearers from greater impact forces while playing on the field. Since these helmets come with a lot of additional benefits, they are usually heavier than helmets made for a younger wearer.
What are the features that you should look for in a helmet?
Most football helmets come with the same standard features (shell, inner padding, face mask, chin strap, and possibly a liner). Although the types of materials used in the production of the helmet may vary, all use the same basic design. There are brands that continuously develop, test, and implement advanced technologies into the helmets they build to ensure that they will provide better protection, comfort, and performance than competitors.
These advanced features include Thermoplastic Urethane or TPU Cushioning, TPU Air Liner, Helmet Stabilization System, Quick Release Face Guard System, Inflatable Jaw Pads, and so on.
Do you have any recommended brands?
There are many brands of football helmets that you can choose from. Some of the better-known brands and models include Riddell 360, Schutt ION 4D, Xenith, VTD helmets, and Schutt Vengeance Z10, Air XP Pro.
Again, when looking for one of the best football helmets, you will need to consider several factors, including your league’s requirements. For older players, adult helmets are required as these type of helmets are made to provide the kind of protection that standard helmets made with ABS plastic cannot provide.
Before deciding which helmet to go for, consider looking into the features mentioned above and try several helmets on your head before actually buying one.