Helmet comfort

[proth0303 29]

I recently started playing hockey and picked up a new Bauer Re-Akt 75 helmet.  When I put it on it doesn't feel like a pillow on my head but it doesn't feel that bad either.  The problem is that about 30-45 minutes into a game I start to get severe pain in my temples.  I've loosened it up quite a bit but the pain continues to come back (albeit it takes longer after I loosened it up).  Do helmets have a break in period?  Is there anything I can do to help relieve the pressure at my temples?    

[chippa13 1844]

A properly fitted helmet should fit snug but comfortable. The pain could be either a poorly sized helmet or that particular model doesn't fit your head shape very well.

[tpedersen3118 58]

+1 ^

ive been looking at the ReAkt-75 myself. It is definitely a snug fitting lid. I wear a M in the Bauer 5100, however in the Reakt I found it runs small, with having to take advantage of the adjustments and fully extending the medium or going with a L on the tightest fit. Also, I believe it is more for an oval shaped head verses round. You may want to look at CCM or the Bauer IMS line. Did you try it on before you bought it?

[proth0303 29]

I did indeed try it and others on at my LHS before purchasing.  I have a big melon so I went with a L and the fit feels quite good (no gaps and it sits great on top).  The pressure on my temples is hardly noticeable but obviously it must be enough that in a game scenario it becomes quite painful.  I believe some of it comes down to me clenching my teeth (I use a mouthpiece) which does add strain to my temples.  

Back to my questions, is it safe to assume that the helmet will start to form to my head better over time?  If so, is there anything I can do to accelerate this process around my temples?  I've been racing cars/karts for a long time and anytime I got a new helmet it was snug in certain areas (typically the cheeks).  After 1-2 months of use the padding molding to my face and felt fantastic.  I would assume a hockey helmet would do the same but am hoping to speed this up in the specific trouble area.

 

[tpedersen3118 58]

10 minutes ago, proth0303 said:

I did indeed try it and others on at my LHS before purchasing.  I have a big melon so I went with a L and the fit feels quite good (no gaps and it sits great on top).  The pressure on my temples is hardly noticeable but obviously it must be enough that in a game scenario it becomes quite painful.  I believe some of it comes down to me clenching my teeth (I use a mouthpiece) which does add strain to my temples.  

Back to my questions, is it safe to assume that the helmet will start to form to my head better over time?  If so, is there anything I can do to accelerate this process around my temples?  I've been racing cars/karts for a long time and anytime I got a new helmet it was snug in certain areas (typically the cheeks).  After 1-2 months of use the padding molding to my face and felt fantastic.  I would assume a hockey helmet would do the same but am hoping to speed this up in the specific trouble area.

 

You will likely see some break in with time and sweat. The other thought is maybe adjust one side one notch looser than the other? This might allow for enough extra space for when your teeth are clenching but not enough that is will be a sloppy fit? Pure speculation but might be worth a shot.

[chippa13 1844]

No amount of wear-in time will take a helmet from "quite painful" to comfortable.

[proth0303 29]

8 minutes ago, tpedersen3118 said:

You will likely see some break in with time and sweat. The other thought is maybe adjust one side one notch looser than the other? This might allow for enough extra space for when your teeth are clenching but not enough that is will be a sloppy fit? Pure speculation but might be worth a shot.

Thanks!  It seems like a stretch but I'll give it a try.  I may see if I can use a little creativity to soften the foam at my temples and push them back a little (thought I read somewhere that someone did this with a spoon?).    

[proth0303 29]

Doh!!!  Did some more searching and didn't think that maybe when I close the cage it could be pushing the temples in.

[Buzz_LightBeer 962]

55 minutes ago, proth0303 said:

Doh!!!  Did some more searching and didn't think that maybe when I close the cage it could be pushing the temples in.

This, 100%. Stretch the cage out sideways and it should go away

[vinprun71 61]

I'd also ditch the mouth piece for a game. You have a cage, so it may not be necessary. Frankly, I only wear a mouth piece when using a visor. With my cage, I don't bother.

[krisdrum 223]

I just picked up a Bauer IMS 5.0.  I bought a Bauer 2100 a few months back and it was never really comfortable or fit that well.  Like you, not very comfortable on the sides of my head, which was probably made worse by the fact that I wear eyeglasses. 

The 2100 has an oval fit.  The IMS has a round fit.  The IW website is the only one I have seen that lists each helmet's fit profile.  I was instantly more comfortable in the IMS than in the 2100. 

[GloriousLeader 31]

1 hour ago, vinprun71 said:

I'd also ditch the mouth piece for a game. You have a cage, so it may not be necessary. Frankly, I only wear a mouth piece when using a visor. With my cage, I don't bother.

+1. Although I would go with slimmer mouth guard rather than ditching it altogether.

I've had similar pain in the temples with mouth guards. I went with soccer/basketball style slimmer mouth guard with upper teeth guard only and problem solved. Even with a cage, I would still recommend the mouth guard as getting the cage slammed into you chin can still cause your teeth to break. 

[titan1234 5]

8 hours ago, Buzz_LightBeer said:

This, 100%. Stretch the cage out sideways and it should go away

Went through this exact experience when I first got my M11 helmet - needed to stretch my 9500/9900 cages so the bars that fit in the J-clips would not cause the helmet to contract.  I used the sawed-off portion of a stick shaft to keep the cage sides apart and let it sit for a few days. 

Now that I think of it, I also did the opposite when I got another M11 helmet that was a bit snug, where I used the now-slightly-wider cage to help spread the helmet sides.

[proth0303 29]

Thanks for all the suggestions!  I checked the cage last night and stoopid me didn't do it with the helmet on my head.  I should've done it with it on my head to see if the helmet pushes out and the cage tries to push it back.    

I use a SISU mouth guard.  I'm a little hesitant to not use one but for 1 practice/game as vinprun mentions, it would at least help narrow down the potential issue.

 

[krisdrum 223]

39 minutes ago, proth0303 said:

Thanks for all the suggestions!  I checked the cage last night and stoopid me didn't do it with the helmet on my head.  I should've done it with it on my head to see if the helmet pushes out and the cage tries to push it back.    

I use a SISU mouth guard.  I'm a little hesitant to not use one but for 1 practice/game as vinprun mentions, it would at least help narrow down the potential issue.

 

Aren't the SISU intended to mold well enough that you can easily talk and you have to use your tongue or fingers to remove them?  If it doesn't fit tight enough to accomplish that, you might want to re-mold it.  You shouldn't have to clench your teeth to keep the guard in.  So you should be able to relax your jaw and see if that is what is causing the pain. 

[proth0303 29]

7 minutes ago, krisdrum said:

Aren't the SISU intended to mold well enough that you can easily talk and you have to use your tongue or fingers to remove them?  If it doesn't fit tight enough to accomplish that, you might want to re-mold it.  You shouldn't have to clench your teeth to keep the guard in.  So you should be able to relax your jaw and see if that is what is causing the pain. 

You are correct.  Mine is molded so I have to use my fingers to remove it.  The clenching comes from being tensed up, not to hold the guard in.

I'm going to keep trying but if I still have the problem in a few weeks, there will likely be a nice Bauer Re-Akt 75 helmet for sale... ;)

[rawkstar 45]

Had a similar experience, tried on the 75 and got pinching in my temples, then tried on the ims 9 and it fit perfect. They all fit a little bit differently, so try a few different models, clip the cage in, walk around a little bit see if any pressure points develop.

[proth0303 29]

Well, I spent a little time over the weekend really trying to figure out what was happening and looking in a mirror while closing the cage I saw how the cage was pushing the helmet back into my temples.  Since the cage doesn't do this in the normal state (not on my melon), I interpreted this as the helmet was stretching out when I put it on my head.  This led me to believe that I potentially did not have the right shape for my head type.  As one last ditch effort, I stretched out the cage a bit and it helped significantly but I still feel some pressure on my temples.  I tried on an IMS 9 over the weekend and I immediately noticed how there was little pressure on the sides of my head when compared to the Reakt 75.  I will be headed back to the store this week to make the purchase...

Lesson learned... my noggin is much rounder than I thought.

Thanks for the all the feedback!  I'm planning to skate with the IMS 9 several times in the next week or so and hopefully this fixes the problem.

 

[proth0303 29]

Quick update...  I bought the Bauer IMS 9 and skated with it a number of times in the past week.  I had absolutely no pain whatsoever and clearly the Re-Akt wasn't the right helmet for my noggin shape.

I'll be adding the Re-Akt to the "tuition" pile that I need to start selling before the boss notices all the stuff I've bought... ;)

[titan1234 5]

14 hours ago, proth0303 said:

Quick update...  I bought the Bauer IMS 9 and skated with it a number of times in the past week.  I had absolutely no pain whatsoever and clearly the Re-Akt wasn't the right helmet for my noggin shape.

I'll be adding the Re-Akt to the "tuition" pile that I need to start selling before the boss notices all the stuff I've bought... ;)

I had a similar experience when trying on the Re-Akt 75, it was a tad narrower than my old M11 (both in sz Medium) so I ended up with an end-of-life'd IMS 7.0.  Will note for future reference that the IMS 9 might fit me as well.