If the time has come to buy a new polo helmet, either because your old one has suffered a knock, you have been wearing the same for years or simply your country's policies have changed, please do not let the money be the main factor to be considered.
YOUR MANTRA SHOULD BE: Safety first.
Here are 10 essentials you must follow when acquiring a new polo helmet:
1. Fit, the key to safety.
The safest polo helmet is the one that completely adjusts to the shape of your head. This is the reason why you should always check that you are using the right size and that you feel comfortable in it.
Fitting does not mean luxury or expensive, it is just to make sure you have the helmet that best adapts to your morphological conditions. Keep in mind that the helmet should always be adjusted by a professional when you buy it for the first time.
2. Check the size
The best way to be sure that your helmet fits correctly, is being certain about your measurements. Ask someone to help you measure your head.
3. Try the breathable options
A polo helmet should be safe, but also should keep your head airy and ventilated. If your head gets overheated it would be difficult to focus on the game, and scoring will be really complex. This directly affects the game score.
4. Cleanliness as key to durability
For keeping your helmet clean, use only specific products for polo helmets. We do not recommend abrasive soaps and, when possible, wash it with water only in case you do not have the specific products.
5. Heat is the enemy
Do not leave your helmet inside the car when it is under the sun for a long time, and do not wash it with hot water, as this may melt or weaken the polyurethane layer that covers it.
6. If you fell and your helmet suffered a knock, you must change it
Every impact makes the micro-bubbles pop inside the polyurethane layer. These are precisely the bubbles that absorb the impact and that way, when it gets to your head, the hit has been weakened. If your polo helmet has suffered a knock, it will not work the same and you will be in danger.
7. Do not lend your polo helmet – or borrow it –
When you use your polo helmet, it fits your head and, over time, you find that perfect position of the buckles that makes you feel comfortable and safe at the same time. When you lend your helmet, its shape changes. For this reason, avoid also borrowing an article that is for personal use, without mentioning that we all wear different sizes so you will not be 100% protected.
8. Do not place your hair inside the helmet (in case you are long-haired)
If your hair is long, try to keep it outside the helmet, as this affects the way your helmet fits. If you like to wear your hair tucked in, we recommend having two helmets, one bigger than the other. On the contrary, the helmet will be too big for your head when you wear your hair down.
When you wear your helmet with your hair up, be sure that the hair tie is under your head and not inside the helmet, to avoid any uncomfortable point of pressure or, in case you receive a knock, it becomes something serious.
9. Wear only an approved polo helmet
It is important to check the current regulations for polo helmets because, as you know, each organization or control office has specific policies in order to take care of the polo players, according to their country of origin. So, in case you buy a polo helmet that is not in force, you will not be able to use it in the main polo competitions or tournaments.
It is also important that the helmet you are using has different certifications, so that you can use it inside and outside your country, in local or international events.
10. Look for a certified brand.
Buying a polo helmet is to completely trust a brand. It is proved that helmets are one of the gears that most prevent injuries and, over all, situations that put in danger the life of players. So, you should be very careful when you decide the brand of your helmet and do not let money be your priority.
Now that you know these points, try to keep them in mind when you buy your helmet. In the long term, you are taking care of your health and your money at the same time, as it is more expensive to buy a cheap helmet that will easily break or that will not protect you enough.
It is not essential, but it should be, and it is an innovation. Polo helmets are constantly enhanced. Krono Polo, for example, uses the F1 technology and has introduced materials such as carbon and aluminium fiber, which improve the levels of resistance and protection.
Bespoke is also important. To wear a polo helmet that you feel identified with, helps with your confidence and motivates you to use it the whole time. Sadly, many people do not wear helmets because they think they are not ideal.
Go to www.kronopolo.com and find out the different designs we have for you, or try our customisation option.
Written by: Santiago B. Posada
Translated by: Olga María Giraldo.