Bringing a helmet to your next airsoft game may be a smart decision because there are some advantages that do not meet the eye at first, but certainly exist and you will be glad to hear about them. Now, wearing a helmet is not rocket science, nor is the helmet a rocket, but some players enjoy the benefits of helmets while others do not and sometimes regret it.
So, should you wear a helmet to your next airsoft game then?
Wearing a helmet is not necessary, but may protect you not only from the incoming BBs that would otherwise cut you, but may also protect you from unexpected objects that you may bump into while playing the game. It is smart to wear one and they add up to realism.
In short words, that will be it, however, there are also other things to consider regarding helmets in order to decide whether you are a helmet guy or not.
A helmet is a protection against the objects you may encounter
Airsoft can hurt but the hurling airsoft BBs are not the only dangerous objects that you have to avoid while playing, there are objects like branches, door frames, window frames, rocks, and similar unexpected objects that may appear in front of you in the middle of the boiling bloody battle.
When you are under an adrenaline rush it is easy to forget about moving your head for that inch and a half and it is exactly what causes the worst injuries in airsoft.
As a matter of fact, most players who have experienced serious injuries while playing airsoft have not received them from BBs. The most popular serious injuries include concussions from hitting heads off concrete objects like those mentioned above or twisted ankles.
Helmets may not save you from twisted ankles unless you wear them on your feet but certainly will protect your head from breaking the nearby window frame and therefore ruining it for the players who come after you.
BBs when fired from a high-velocity gun at closer distances, may cause bleeding if they hit your scalp but it will not cause any concussion at all and the same may happen if a BB hits any other uncovered skin area on your body. Getting hit in the back of your head or in the temple may hurt more though, so in CQB this may occur quite often.
As a precaution helmets will protect you from BBs, but for this problem the average hat, bandana or balaclava will do the job. However, helmets are still better than any hat or bandana at close distances, consider wearing a helmet for CQB and see whether you like wearing it outdoors or not.
Helmets are a great place for your Go Pro
Do you like the idea of recording your awesome plays? I often regret moments in my life that were awesome and I did not record them on a film, however, you do not have to repeat my mistakes. Go Pro is a cool thing that will allow you to record awesome moments you spend on the fields and you can later show off in front of your friends, just be sure that you edit all those parts where you were getting obliterated and highlight the ones where you seemed to be the right hand of Rambo.
Helmets are the place where you attach your go pro camera, they are natural spots for recording because the angle is similar to your eye’s angle and the recordings look awesome. Most airsoft YouTubers use this angle when shooting their videos as well.
If you do not want helmets then you can attach your go pro somewhere else, like on your chest or shoulder, the angle may be a bit weird but certainly, the feet would be worse.
They add up to realism
If you care about realism more than anything else then you know that helmets are a must. Every single professional unit in the world wears helmets and there are many different shapes you can choose from.
Some players enjoy having the full uniform meaning that they will not miss a single part that makes it complete, the same goes for mixing parts of one unit’s arsenal. This means that mixing an American gun replica with the Russian uniform is strictly forbidden for some players, the same goes for helmets.
Are airsoft helmets sweaty?
Sometimes people choose to wear hats or bandanas because they think that helmets will accumulate too much heat and sweat their heads off. This is not exactly the truth, at least not always, if you find a decent helmet that is well-designed for airsoft it simply will not sweat much. Most airsoft helmets are manufactured with some sort of ventilation system, so the airflow can do its job.
Hats and pieces of clothing that you wrap around your head will probably sweat even more if you play on a hot day.
How much do the airsoft helmets weigh?
I own the old helmet from actual war, it is made out of full metal and I must say that it exercises my neck muscles nicely. However, most airsoft helmets are not full metal (they combo metal parts with polymer) and are far lighter so you do not have to worry about the weight.
Real helmets like mine weigh about 3 pounds. Most airsoft helmets weigh about a pound.
The weight is not an issue and it should not worry you because even after wearing it for hours your body will get used to it and you will forget that you ever put it at top of your head.
Can you use a motorcycle helmet for airsoft?
If you do not have an airsoft helmet and do not want to buy one, but you do have a motorcycle one, you can use it instead. As a matter of fact, everything that covers your head and is not oversized will work.
Motorcycle helmets are even better for overall safety and will probably cover more of the soft tissue on your head, however, if we are talking about full-face motorcycle helmets then you should expect them to sweat after some time.
Sweating is annoying and you do not want that, therefore it is important that you test the ventilation system on any full-face helmet and see whether it works or not.
A motorcycle helmet will also be great if you ever fall and accidentally hit the head off something concrete, but regular airsoft and other helmets also do a good job on this. Unless you play airsoft while riding a motor you will not utilize the potential of motorcycle helmets completely, but you will neither regret using them.
The conclusion on do you need one
The benefits of helmets are simply great, however, you may not need them. Experiment on the next few games with helmets, bandanas, balaclavas, and similar stuff and see what you like the most. Sometimes all the advantages of a certain equipment or a gadget become irrelevant if you are simply not comfortable wearing or using it.
If you like the idea of wearing helmets in airsoft, I can recommend one choice on Amazon. Although there are many models you can find on Amazon, in my opinion it’s important that attachments such as GoPro or flashlights can be attached to it. Additionally, it’s useful to combo it with a full face mask because it means extra valuable protection for your face and it looks absolutely menacing.
If you play airsoft in winter times then you may need something that will warm your head, so perhaps you should have different clothes for different environments and the same applies to helmets. Also if you see that the sun is often a problem because it keeps striking your eyes, consider finding something that fixes that problem, adapt, improvise, and overcome it.