I need a new skull cap. The very cheap, purchased-on-clearance one that I bought last year isn’t fitting me so well now that I’ve cut off 5″ of hair and all the padding inside of the helmet has compressed. There’s more slippage than I feel safe with, so I need something better.
The only other skull cap I’ve ever owned was a Charles Owen, and it was too round for my very long oval head. Granted, I don’t remember which model it was or how it compared, shape wise, to other models. So that’s helpful. The only other brand I’ve tried on was a One K and it was far too round as well. There are a lot of new brands and models out on the market since the last time I really truly shopped for one, but I’m not sure how all of them fit and I’m at a bit of a loss as to where to begin. There aren’t exactly a lot of skull caps in the shops around town, so I don’t have the luxury of trying a bunch on in person.
Since I really only wear a skull cap for XC, I don’t want to spend a ton of money. So – best long oval shaped skull cap under $200?
Of course the two that I’m most interested in, safety rating-wise and review-wise, are the Gatehouse RXC1 and the Champion Ventair Deluxe, which are only sold overseas. Typical.
But on the more entertaining side, while looking around at skull caps on random British websites (they have so many more options) I found plenty of helmets and helmet related accessories that I don’t want. Because it’s impossible for me to ever stay on task. And also because who wouldn’t be distracted by these things?
I call this one “My Starry Eyes Are Bleeding”:
Or the “Big Eq Barbie” (as dubbed by Karen):
Or the “I Always Wanted a Browband to Match My Horse”
Carry on…
breedrideevent.com 
The human browband is too much for me!
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THAT’S your limit? Not the other two??? LOL
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I am no help with skill caps, but OMG that is NOT a classy use of bling!!
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I’m no help, but I just had this problem. I got a totally reasonable looking Devon Aire for $12 on Zulily. For that cheap,as long as it’s ASTM (and it is) that’s a win.
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Those helmets are atrocious. Can’t help with skull caps, though. I’ve only ever seen CO ones.
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My starry eyes are bleeding as I type this. LOL. I’ve never tried on a skull cap, so also no help. I wonder though if there’s a more long oval CO skull cap since the helmets tend to fit more oval heads? You might try calling Bit of Britain since they have lots of CO helmets. They’ve been helpful when I’ve asked them about helmet fit before.
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why is it that all skull caps seem so bulbous compared to the more traditional helmet? my two helmets are the same company and everything, and while the regular helmet fits me better than any other i’ve ever tried on, the skull cap is way rounder and … idk, just *larger*. #frustrating lol
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I totally get the skull cap thing from a safety perspective and completely agree that safety is the #1 reason to buy head protection.
But they’re all so damn ugly.
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So damn ugly. Gonna jazz it up with a custom Sipp’s Silks cover, at least.
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Is Sipp Silks still in business? Their website is down. Woe!
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Yep, I emailed the other day.
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IRH makes a long oval that has fit my head terrifically well. Their Eventer Pro is a skull cap that fits in your price range. No, they’re not trendy or super fancy, but I’ve been happy with them for years as the best affordable fit for my head.
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CO in general don’t fit me as well, I also have a long oval head. However I have had luck with J3 skull. Its the only CO helmet that fits me, and no none of their other skull caps, or fancy CO helmets fit either. It however is pretty basic and doesn’t have fancy venting or anything. But works for XC and XC schooling, But I don’t wear it on a daily basis. Just figured worth mentioning. And I really like the extra padding at the base of the skull. Good Luck!!
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I’ll second Amanda on the IRH thing- they seem to fit people with long oval heads better than CO or One K do. And they aren’t terribly expensive.
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Omg whyy!! They are awful
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No help bc I have a CO Pro II
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The only helmet that’s fit my long oval head is a Tipperary. I have a OneK but I think I’m going to have to get something else because I want to cry by the time I take it off at the end of a ride. If you I’ll be checking to see what you find!
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Really? Tipperary’s are fairly round!
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I’ve found that the Tipperary helmets are very oval, actually! My husband wears one and it squeezes the sides of my very small, very round head. Worth a look, IMO!
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The only time I ever tried one (probably 3-4 years ago? Whenever they came out with the T4, because it was the only one of theirs I liked aesthetically.) it was definitely too round, and most of what I can find online is consistent with that experience. http://blog.ridingwarehouse.com/index.php/helmet-fit-tips-sizing-and-brand-comparisons/
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I’m zero help here, but curious to see what you decide on and how you make it pretty!
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No help on the skull cap, either. I agree, the sparkly “bow” and the browband aren’t my thing… but I actually like the “starry eyes are bleeding”… I’m not sure if I would wear it, but it really doesn’t offend me!
…of course, I still recall the days of western pleasure, and all the sparkly things….
For the record, I wear my helmet when I ride in western classes, too.
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What’s it like to have so much storage for your brains? Mine are tiny in my small, round skull.
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I have a big ol’ oval shaped bobblehead. But is it full of air or full of brains?
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