One of the important elements of tactical gear is the helmet, which is used to provide head protection from fragmentation injuries by both servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and members of emergency services, law-enforcement agencies and humanitarian missions. To obtain reliable protection, it's important to correctly choose protection for your tasks.

When choosing a helmet, you need to consider 3 main criteria:
– Shape
– Size
– Material

A correctly chosen helmet will provide you with reliable protection from ballistic threats and at the same time won't affect your effectiveness.

Types of modern combat helmets

Most military helmets can be conventionally divided into three types by their construction: PASGT, MICH and FAST. Each of them has its own features, advantages and purpose depending on the conditions and circumstances of use.
You need to choose the helmet shape for yourself taking into account the specifics of your particular tasks and needs.

One-piece ballistic helmet (PASGT)

A one-piece ballistic helmet, or PASGT, is a classic helmet that has the largest protected area among all models on the market. But because of the covered "ears", such a helmet is mostly not used with active headphones. Also, it PASGT has no Velcro on the shell and no side rails for additional accessories, the use of which is necessary for performing certain tasks. That's why in a combat zone they mostly work in helmets of the type FAST and MICH.

Ballistic helmet with a high cut (FAST)

A military helmet with a high cut, of the type FAST, differs from the one-piece one in that it has higher side cuts and is also equipped with side rails and a front mount. With it you can use various communication devices, as well as ear protection. This type of helmet is best suited for special-operations soldiers who constantly use headphones.

Helmets with a low cut (MICH)

Helmets with a low or medium cut, such as MICH, have a larger protected area compared to FAST and protect the ears more. However, because of this shape, active headphones can only be worn under the helmet, not on it. In addition, active earplugs can also be used with MICH helmets.

Selecting a ballistic helmet

Regardless of the specifics of your service and tasks, a helmet must first of all provide reliable head protection. For this, you need to individually select the size, correctly fix the helmet on your head and make sure it doesn't restrict your field of vision.

Size

It's important that the helmet doesn't press and doesn't sit too loosely, otherwise the gear will not only fail to perform its main task but will also hinder you.

Helmet sizes can differ depending on the model and manufacturer. Our helmets are available in sizes from M to XL and correspond to specific numerical values:

• M — for a head of 53–56 cm
• L — for a head of 56–59 cm
• XL — for a head of 60–63 cm

You can correctly determine your helmet size on your own using a measuring tape:

• Stand in front of a mirror. Place the end of the tape at the middle of your forehead above the eyebrows.
• Draw the tape around your head through the temples and the back of the head to the starting point on the forehead. It's important that the tape is pressed firmly against the skull but doesn't dig into the skin.
• According to the number obtained, choose a helmet, being guided by the size chart.

Fit

After you've chosen your size, it's important to correctly adjust the helmet on your head so that it doesn't over-tighten the skull and at the same time doesn't sit too loosely — otherwise it may slip down over your eyes.

• Put on the helmet. Using the dial located at the back of the head, tighten the helmet on your head so that it doesn't wobble from side to side.
• Fasten the buckle under the chin and, using the side straps, tighten the helmet so that when you open your mouth you feel a slight load on the jaw.
• Make sure that the edge of the fastened helmet is at a distance of 1.5–2 cm from the eyebrows, and the side rails are parallel to the ground.

We offer helmets with different types of suspension systems: four-point, Ops-Core type, and a dial of the BOA / Team Wendy type. All of them provide reliable fixation of the helmet on the head, so the choice depends only on your preferences.

If you use a helmet with additional tactical accessories or communication devices, they must be attached before putting on the helmet.

Material

When choosing a helmet, it's also worth considering its properties, which in particular depend on the material. The most common today for making ballistic helmets are aramid carbon fiber (Kevlar) and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). In both cases the helmets have high strength, but there are also certain differences.

An aramid helmet better holds an impact and has minimal backface deformation on a hit. And besides, it withstands laboratory ballistic tests "with a reserve" (under the testing standard five shots are made — we always test with ten).

An analogous UHMWPE helmet will be lighter and cheaper and at the same time able to withstand fragments flying at a higher speed. However, unlike aramid, polyethylene has greater backface deformation and at -20 °C loses 10% of its ballistic properties. Such helmets are mostly recommended for use in places where there is no threat of direct combat contact.

As for protective properties, a ballistic helmet that meets the quality standards for protective equipment will have a class assigned to it under DSTU, or NIJ under the system used in NATO countries. We make Level 1 helmets under the State Standard of Ukraine. Today this is the most optimal combination of weight and protection class, corresponding to the threats in wartime conditions, where 90% of wounds are fragmentation ones.

Ballistic helmets from Ukrainian Armor

So, when choosing a military helmet, first of all consider the combat tasks that your unit performs. In accordance with the missions in which you'll participate, the level of threats and the need to use additional gear, choose the helmet shape — PASGT, MICH or FAST.

After you've decided on the type of helmet, you need to correctly choose its size. This can also be done in our offline stores, where our consultants will help you. A helmet that meets your specific needs and is correctly sized will provide reliable head protection and contribute to effective work.

We offer various helmet options so you can choose the one suitable for you, and we guarantee the highest quality. We use time-tested materials and test our products in the ballistic laboratory at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, so that you can be confident in the reliability of the armor.