Helmets with good side impact protection

[Gwyren 0]

Guys, I have a question for you.

First, to lay a bit of ground work. Last Sunday I skating up the boards, chasing a puck, with an opposing player right next to me. For some reason I wound up falling and, on my way down, the opposing player hit me in the side of his head with his knee (hip? I am not too clear what I was hit with) and drove my head into the boards. Heck, I felt my helmet compress, so I am imagining my head did some of the same.

I finished the game but started having issues later that night, so went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a mild concussion. No hockey until all the symptoms are gone.

The helmet is an NBH 4500. I have found no structural damage to the helmet while examining it after the game.

Here is my question. I do not have much doubt that the reputable helmets on the market protect against front impacts. But does anyone know which helmets do a better job of protecting against side impacts? My brain, which is still useful to me, does not need to be rattled more than necessary.

Thanks all.

[-venom- 0]

First off, ouch man. Hope you get over the symptoms fast and recover from it. Concussions are never fun.

As for the helmets, side-impact is one of those things that a helmet can only do so much for, being the nature and the shape of the helmet itself... I know a lot of guys swear by the older, bulkier helmets of years past... but the new ones are supposedly as safe as they've ever been.

Think of all the knocks on the noggin you've got on the rink, how many of them are full-impact from the side? Not too many.

My guess is that your helmet probably does its' job pretty well under most circumstances, and that 99% of helmets, you'd have suffered the same injury with, just because of the way you took the shot to the head.

That said, I know some people with Reebok 8ks and CCM V10s, and they have nothing but good things to say about 'em.....

[jsmart 0]

and I have a 9500 that I can only say good things about...not sure how it would do in a side impact crash but I would think it would do well...

I just upgraded from a 4500 and I can imagine it might not have the same protection as the 9500 just because the padding is harder than the the padding in the new helmets. I would think they cushion the impact better, and absorb the energy. Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

[cougarscaptain87 12]

higher end nbh helmets seem to have a more dense plastic shell ie 5500 and 9500, the easton helmets seem to have the same density of the the nbhs, i would stay away from the rbk helmets for side impact, they are extremly light and comfortable, but they can be easily manipulated even with light pressure, i wear the 8k but i only play inline hockey now and hardly ever recieve impact to my head. hope this helps as a starting point and good luck with your recovery. concussions suck big time.

[epstud74 24]

Seems like your helmet did its job. You probably could have been injured worse..If you have access to a LHS, I suggest you go in and spend a saturday afternoon trying on helmets and such..Do your research after all, you only are supplied with one brain. I'm sure your NBH 4500 is still good to go, but it wouldnt hurt to check on newer helmets...How old is your NBH helmet?

[Law Goalie 147]

and I have a 9500 that I can only say good things about...not sure how it would do in a side impact crash but I would think it would do well...

I just upgraded from a 4500 and I can imagine it might not have the same protection as the 9500 just because the padding is harder than the the padding in the new helmets. I would think they cushion the impact better, and absorb the energy. Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

EPP vs VN foam. It's been talked to death here and elsewhere. Completely different impact characteristics; most NHLers use VN; all goalie masks use VN (with the exception of Maltese gel kits).

[aarondevera 0]

and I have a 9500 that I can only say good things about...not sure how it would do in a side impact crash but I would think it would do well...

I just upgraded from a 4500 and I can imagine it might not have the same protection as the 9500 just because the padding is harder than the the padding in the new helmets. I would think they cushion the impact better, and absorb the energy. Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

EPP vs VN foam. It's been talked to death here and elsewhere. Completely different impact characteristics; most NHLers use VN; all goalie masks use VN (with the exception of Maltese gel kits).

+1

Pick up a bucket with EPP foam, rather than VN. I don't know if there's any helmet out there that's better for SIDE impact, specifically, but as long as it's a comfy fit, you're better off than you were before.

Oh, and a decent quality mouthguard wouldn't hurt, either. I'm currently using ShockDoctor's Gravity model, and I swear by it.

[Law Goalie 147]

Basically, that's what I was thinking. VN is certainly more durable and responds better to frequent hard, direct impacts (pucks, elbows, etc.), but EPP's rigidity probably makes it better for the kind of hits the OP is talking about.

That said, if you get nailed in an EPP helmet, it goes in the trash; it's a one-shot deal in terms of major incidents.

I think one of the big purported advantages of the Carbster (maybe?) was its ability to resist compression...

[eric42434224 1]

Also, it seems that the impact was not a common one. I am sure all helmets mentioned here are perfectly fine for impacts like pucks, sticks, etc. It seems like not only did you get hit by a heavy and hard mass, moving fast, like the knee of the other player, but that your head was between the knee and the board. That isnt going to happen often, and I am not sure any helmet would allow you to come out of that unscathed. Hockey equipment wont make you injury proof....it will give enough protection but it will be balanced with cost, weight, mobility, etc. I see a ton of pros use the 4500, so I think it will be ok. I would have it looked at just to make sure there is no damage to it.

[Chadd 916]

and I have a 9500 that I can only say good things about...not sure how it would do in a side impact crash but I would think it would do well...

I just upgraded from a 4500 and I can imagine it might not have the same protection as the 9500 just because the padding is harder than the the padding in the new helmets. I would think they cushion the impact better, and absorb the energy. Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

EPP vs VN foam. It's been talked to death here and elsewhere. Completely different impact characteristics; most NHLers use VN; all goalie masks use VN (with the exception of Maltese gel kits).

+1

Pick up a bucket with EPP foam, rather than VN. I don't know if there's any helmet out there that's better for SIDE impact, specifically, but as long as it's a comfy fit, you're better off than you were before.

Oh, and a decent quality mouthguard wouldn't hurt, either. I'm currently using ShockDoctor's Gravity model, and I swear by it.

If you use a helmet with EPP, make sure you replace it after any/every hard hit to the head. EPP foam is inelastic and does not bounce back from impacts.

[Gwyren 0]

Oh, and a decent quality mouthguard wouldn't hurt, either. I'm currently using ShockDoctor's Gravity model, and I swear by it.

That is the mouthguard I wear. However, again, I am not certain how well it works for an impact from the side of the head.

I wish I could find it (or was not too lazy to look for it), but I recall reading a piece on the NHL that stated concussions in that league were not coming from head on collisions - the protection was too good for that. The majority of concussions were coming from side impacts to the head, where the protection was not so well designed. I am thinking, but have no proof, that this is the case with hockey gear as well and was hoping to find a way to minimize the danger/potential damage to myself.

I know I cannot make myself impervious to injury playing hockey. But as someone who earns their living with their mind I would like to keep it as intact as I am able.

I am not bashing my 4500. I like the helmet. It is comfortable and fits well. It was made in late '06/early '07 (purchased in April '07) and the padding is not hard.

Again, I am looking for something that may provide more protection in that situation. It may not exist, but it does not hurt to ask/examine (as a bonus it may let me get the wife to let me go look at gear for an afternoon!)