DefinitelyDressage.com

Although the helmet awareness group and annual event seems to have fizzled, many retailers are doing sales for safety awareness this week.

Just in case you need a new, or a spare helmet, or are ready to upgrade to MIPS. I've been riding in a TraumaVoid Lynx for two years now, but I'm going to try the Uvex Exxential II MIPS helmet, which will hopefully be more vented for summer schooling.

Online retailer sales I know of:

SmartPak
Dover/Dressage Extensions
Big Dee Web
Mary's Tack and Feed
Adam's Horse Supply
Riding Warehouse (best prices on Charles Owen)
Tack of the Day (and I assume Bit of Britain)

Thank you for the reminder! I'm a huge CO fan, and the My PS MIPS has served me well, but I need to track down the uvex to try on. Those vents will come in handy in the Texas heat!

SmartPak does free returns, so I figure there's no risk giving it a try. I know some other places change their return policy during these sales, so best to double check that. I had a $10 off coupon too, so it was like $130 out the door.

My new helmet (Uvex MIPS) just arrived. It has a lot of nice features, especially considering the price point. The chin closure has multiple "clicks" to fine tune the snugness. The harness has little sliding locking pieces so the V where your ears go can be adjusted. The liner has cutouts to allow for better airflow. It is definitely lighter weight than my TV Lynx. Overall, it is more on the round rather than oval for fit. I wear a 7 1/8" and bought the M/L and it works well. Hopefully I'll have a cooler head next summer, but at minimum I can swap between this and my other schooling helmet when the liner gets sweat-soaked!

I have taken to removing the liner from my helmet after a ride and it is working so much better to allow it to fully dry before I ride the next day. I just leave it in the drawer or locker next to the helmet. (Wouldn’t help for multiple rides in a row.) I also ordered a second liner so I take it home to wash a bit more often.

The helmet promotions got me to break down and finally order the One K Celestial helmet in navy that I have been longing after for six months or more. Maybe it’s too much bling but I don’t care.

@Straightforward How is the Uvex MIPS after a year of wear?

It really hasn't had a ton of usage - I still like my TV Lynx better, so I use it when it's not hot, including morning rides during peak summer. The Uvex is definitely cooler though!

I've actually been storing my helmet over a can of Damp Rid all summer, and it's been working well to dry it out between rides. Last summer I made up a little concoction of tea tree oil and isopropyl alcohol in a mister bottle and also mist my helmet liner with that to keep the funk at bay. There are one or two other essential oils mixed in for scent, but the tea tree and alcohol are really the keys for keeping bacteria at bay.

SmartPack didn’t have the Uvex in a size that would work for me, so I went with the tried and true CO MYPS. They are pricey, heavy, and lack real airflow, but no headache from a slightly wrong fit!

The innards do come out for washing.