Helmet recommendations--UPDATE

[Mareless]

I am toying with the idea of getting back into the show ring (after about 25 years . . .). There is a barn not too far from me that hosts a series of schooling shows in the summer, and this seems like a logical way to dip my feet back into showing without going overboard in time and money spent (to say hubby is wary of this showing talk is a vast understatement; he was around at the tail end of my previous show ring days.)

I figure I can come up with (used) show clothes fairly easily and cheaply, and I have a pair of nice tall boots that are in good enough shape for showing.

What I would need to invest in is a new helmet. My old show helmet is, well, OLD. Outdated and not up to current ASTM standards. I've been riding in schooling helmets for the past two decades and since I knew I wouldn't be showing, I went with fun colors on my helmets.

What I am thinking of doing is getting a new, black, helmet that I could use for the show ring (and 'real' dressage shows if I wanted to continue showing in the future), but also for everyday riding if I ended up not going back to showing after all. I don't want anything with bling, just a nice comfy helmet that would also be show appropriate. I have a fairly small head for an adult-- my schooling helmets have both been size small, and I think my old show helmet was a 6 3/4.

Any budget-friendly recommendations?

UPDATE 1/3/18: I procrastinated buying a new helmet, but after a (spectacular) unplanned dismount on Dec. 27 that resulted in a concussion, I finally decided to retire my old schooling helmet and get a new one. I ended up going with a OneK Defender. It was the first one I tried on, and it was love as soon as it touched my head. So comfortable! As my dd said: it's like putting a pillow on your head. I did try a couple others (the tack shop was out of IRH) in my price range, but I kept coming back to the OneK.

[StraightForward]

It depends on what you mean by budget friendly, since helmets start at like $40 and go up to $1,000 these days.

I really like the OneK helmets. Super comfy and fit my noggin well. I took a pretty hard fall in a OneK scullcap and it really protected my head. The OneK Defender Matte would be a good choice for schooling since the Suede versions will pick up more dust. I also like that the chin harness seems to stay adjusted. The helmet is no good if the chin harness is loose and it comes off in an accident.

There are nice looking cheaper options that would be fine for showing in as well. I personally hate the dial-fit helmets though, which is what many of the cheaper options have. I took a very minor spill in one of those years back and the harness broke on impact so that my head was loose inside the shell and I whacked my temple. My head felt worse after that little slide off a barely trotting, 13.3h pony than the other fall off a huge buck from a 16H warmblood.

[Moutaineer]

Depends on the shape of your head, but I have a One-K Defender in navy that I like a lot, and a black Charles Owen JR-8 (their cheap one ) that is nice, also, and doesn't make me look like a mushroom, compared to my Tipperary T2, which while very comfortable and safe, was completely hideous.

Both of mine are suede finish, but I keep them in their bags so they don't get too gross. (And the One K has a removable washable liner.)

I dislike the dial fit ones, too. Very hard to really get a good fit and not very comfortable.

But you really need to try them on as the various manufacturers cater for all different head shapes, and the best one is the one that fits you properly.

[calvin]

I like the One-K too! I always ride with a helmet cover, to keep the helmet itself cleaner for my very occasional forays into showing / clinics.

[NancyP]

I also have a small head .... 6 3/4.
The OneK fits well.
The IRH IR4G is also a good fit and comes with 2 liners