Softball Helmets Review
Softball helmets deliver on fashion and safety
Softball helmets have the more challenging problem of needing fashion as well as effectiveness. Low profiles, sometimes cosmic designs, offer the allure of a fashion statement to young softball players, sometimes without considering the issue of safety. How do you pick out the right softball helmet? Are there some insider tips you need to know? What about ponytail batting helmets? The answer to these questions is that team sports have come a long ways and fashion is a must.
Most importantly, if you’re shopping for a softball helmet, make sure it has the NOCSAE stamp somewhere on the helmet. This is the governing body for standards and an important safety designation. Some of you may want a wire face guard and I suggest you try to get your teen used to wearing one. I’ll address some of the testing and softball related injuries later, but if you are looking for a helmet face guard, you don’t have to buy a permanent style face shield. Many of the batting helmets now come with snap in construction, so you can remove the wire face guard if you want.
Another critical feature is the fit. An obvious problem young athletes have is sizing and girls with a lot of hair have an even more difficult time with this issue of helmet sizing. Make sure the helmet sits snugly against your skull and not on top of a pile of hair. The helmet should not rotate and it should never slide down your forehead and shield your vision. Look for comfortable pads that stay in place as well as a fabric lining that provides for evaporation control. Some helmets are vented for improved air circulation, but you’ll need to be fitted for the helmet that is right for you. Don’t buy a batting helmet without the player present. In other words, don’t hope it fits.
Softball helmets come in a range of sizes, but none may be exactly the right fit. All helmets, unless you have one custom made, will have a size range with about 1/4 inch give, so if you are planning on growing your hair out, consider your helmet may not fit properly like when you had shorter hair.
Most of the major manufacturers offer batting helmets with six ranges from XS to 2XL. The smallest helmet will usually fit a head with a circumference of about 21 inches and the 2XL will accommodate a head with the circumference of about 25 inches. Get a sewing tape measure and wrap it around your head to get this measurement. Of course each manufacturer is different and every player should try on the helmet before getting into the batters box.
Do you wear a ponytail? In the past, if you were looking for a softball batting helmet, you had to use the boys style, but as the popularity of girls softball grew, so did the demand for softball equipment. Softball helmets can now be purchased with nearly every hair style in mind. This includes cutouts, ponytail ports and channels including low profile designs for ponytails.
