Turn Out

This summer has been a weird one for me - no showing, no schooling (off property) and no lessons. I'm basically a wild person who does things with no direction or goal. With Riders4Helmets coming up this weekend, and having recently discovered that BOTH of my Tipperary helmets are way over due for a replacement, I'm trying to fit my helmet taste into my current and future riding schedule.

Helmets didn't used to matter, back when I was jumping scary huge things and falling off a lot...

I've had a "Show" helmet designated for several years now. For a while, it was an IRH that ended up giving me awful headaches. I generally schooled in a Troxel, and from there, discovered Tipperary. And I've been loving Tipperary things for many-a-year. However, they've discontinued their Skull Cap, which robs me of my obvious choice of helmet; I've had a Sportage for hot weather, a Skull Cap for XC and have used my "show" CO JR8 for dressage and show jumping for the last couple of years. I've always had a "pretty" helmet that wasn't very rider-friendly, temperature wise, and would default back to the Tipperary Sportage if it was hot. I'd rather get around XC in the saddle than get some sort of heat related malady from wearing a "nice" helmet for the photos. 

Despite the smile, this helmet was squeezing my brain into a migraine. I show jumped in my Skull Cap.

I dearly love my Tipperary Titan. I do. But it's old. And it's hard to find a replacement, especially when local tack stores (of which there aren't tons to begin with) don't generally carry skull caps. And since no one on the internet seems to be willing to actually say, "Skull Cap 4 fits like Blah other helmet in our line minus the brim, obviously" it makes life hard. Ugh. Plus, I looked damn cute in my Tipperary Titan:

Despite reservations, I did try on a One K Defender at the tack shop last weekend... and while I'm not making an all star face, I didn't hate it the minute it went on my head...

Perhaps I need to go a bit selfie crazy and try on all of the helmets I have, now, to compare. I have a list of wants (washable liner being paramount) and, so far, the One K is hitting all of them. I just wish I could try it on (and then run through the store/house to test the ventilation) before buying... but I guess there's always a return policy! I feel bad wanting a $160 helmet when I could buy a $60 Tipperary Sportage, but I'm such a sucker for my covers... and the look... and ____ that it's hard to not want the skull cap. 

How do you feel about helmets? Are you loyal to one brand? Does anyone else have helmet related anxiety after purchasing something that really doesn't fit?