Fiberglass Hard Hats
Fiberglass hard hats were the primary hard hats used by industrial workers during the 1940s. State of the art during their time, they were the first hard hats that addressed the three primary concerns on the work site – blows to the head from falling objects, electrical hazards, and extremely high temperatures.
They replaced the earlier aluminum hard hats which although provided an excellent hard shell to shield against extreme heat as well as blows to the head, put workers at risk for injury or death by electrocution because aluminum is a potent conductor of electricity.
For a short period fiberglass hard hats were considered the best all around hard hats, first providing an exceptional balance between heat resistance and electrical insulation.
However, what was thought to be an acceptable level of impact resistance turned out to be a false assumption.
Concerns were made about the several incidences during which an object, heavy enough and at a high enough velocity would strike the hard hat and crack or pierce the shell.
This drove companies to create the thermoplastic hard hat in the 1950s, which quickly replaced fiberglass hard hats due to their superior impact resistance, albeit a reduced level of heat resistance.
Thermoplastic hard hats remain the most commonly used hard hats to this day. However, fiberglass hard hats still remain popular in a few industries, and are especially recommended for workers who are consistently exposed to high temperatures, such as in steel mills, mining, and fire fighting. In fact, under such conditions fiberglass hard hats retain their protective properties better than thermoplastic hard hats.
At the time of this writing, there were two primary companies that still produced fiberglass hard hats, Fibre Metal and MSA. We’ve already done a write up about Fibre Metal hard hats in a previous post. For the purposes of this post, we will be covering MSA’s popular fiberglass hard hat, the Skullgard Protective Cap, model 10069360MSA.
This hard hat is suitable for a wide range of industries mining, oil and gas, welding, iron working, chemical, nuclear, hazardous materials, utilities, paper/pulp, sandblasting, and agriculture.
It provides excellent resistance to heat, rated to maintain its structural integrity up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit radiant heat.
The low profile design of the Skullgard helps the wearer avoid bumping his head against ceilings, walls, and structures while working in tight spaces.
With a non slotted, smooth hard shell, it ensures the worker will not become caught if in the event an object strikes the cap, or if the worker needs to squeeze through certain areas. This feature is especially helpful to those who work in mines.
Ratchet suspension makes it easy for the wearer to adjust the fit with a simple turn of a dial.
The Skullgard fiberglass hard hat complies with all ANSI Z89.1-2003 Type I Class G safety standards (protection against top-side impact, high heat, and low voltage).
If you are interested in purchasing this model, you can usually get it for around $80.
There are also two other versions of this hard hat available. Model 460389 comes with a lamp bracket and cord holder, and is especially made for miners. For those who work in welding, model 482002 may be more suitable as it is equipped with Welder’s lugs.
Aluminum Hard Hats
Aluminum hard hats were one of the earliest types of hard hats worn by workers.
Invented in 1938, they replaced the original hard boiled hard hat of the 1920s, which were made out of steamed canvas, glue and black paint. They were the first hard hats that offered substantial protection against blows to the head.
However, they had one major flaw. That is, they were highly electroconductive, which placed onto the wearer a large risk of injury or death caused by electric shock, as they often had to work with or near electrical sources such as wiring, machinery, rail systems, and lightning.
With advances in hard hat manufacturing techniques and stricter ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards, the aluminum hard hat became obsolete, making way for the polycarbonate hard hat and polyethylene hard hat in the 1950s, and today the carbon fiber hard hat. These newer types of hard hats offered both impact resistance and protection from electrical shock, as well as heat. To this day, they remain the standard hard hat type for much of the industrial world.
Although they are now primarily purchased as memorabilia and collectors items, aluminum hard hats are still used today in some industries, namely related to forest, oil-gas drilling, demolition, and logging services. So only a few companies produce them now, with updated designs to better conform to ANSI standards, however they are still not approved for work around electrical hazards.
If you are interested in purchasing an aluminum hard hat, the most notable brand in this specialty niche today is Skull Bucket, which at the time of this writing was produced by Cri Corp. The Skull Bucket meets all ANSI Z89.1-2003 standards for a class C helmet.
Model FBAH is very popular. This is a full brim hard hat that offers 360 degree coverage from the sun and flying debris to all sides of the head.
The hard shell is constructed out of heavy gauge aluminum so it is highly resistant to cracking on impact. Furthermore, it has a reinforcement place riveted to the inside walls, also making it resistant to denting on impact and thus providing a second layer of protection to the wearer.
It is equipped with a four point ratchet suspension system that features a dial at the rear which the wearer can turn to precisely adjust the fit. Not only does this allow for a more secure and comfortable fit, but it makes adjusting the fit intuitive, so the wearer can make the necessary adjustments without having to take off his hard hat while he is working. This helps to make sure that the head fully shielded at all times, and never exposed to any unexpected accidents.
The Skull Bucket Aluminum Full Brim Hard Hat usually sells for about $65. It is available in a number of different colors, such as white, silver, red, and pink, and orange.
If you are not a fan of full brim hard hats, the company also produces model CBAH, which is a cap style aluminum hard hat that features only a front brim. It will also usually sell for about $65.
Hard Hats For Sale
If you wear a hard hat to work, chances are your job is both physically and mentally demanding. You probably put in lots of hours every day too. So why not make it a little entertaining by wearing a hard hat that has some fun designs on them? Or why not wear a couple different ones throughout the week? Check out these cool looking hard hats for sale.
Camouflage has always been a popular design. Do you admire your country’s military personnel? Do you love watching old Vietnam war movies? Then a camo hard hat is perfect for you. We really love the look of The AO Safety Realtree Pro Hatchet Hard Hat, model 46146.
The graphics on it are so well done that at first glance it looks as if there is real foliage on it. This hard hat includes all basic required safety features such as a four point ratchet suspension and high density polyethylene hard shell. It also features a UV protective coating, and a soft cushioned vented headband. It costs around $30 – $50 depending on where you buy it. ANSI Z89.1 1997 Type 1, Class C & G.
Or maybe you are fond of the World War II era fighter planes? Then we recommend the Jackson Safety Flyboy hard hat, which features the iconic shark face on the front and pretty blonde on the side.
This hard hat includes four point ratchet suspension, smooth dome, and low profile design. Usually sells for $25 – $30. ANSI Z89.1 Type 1, Class C, G, and E.
Perhaps you don’t want to blend in with your surroundings as you would with the camo hard hat shown above, but instead want to really stand out. Then check out this hard hat decked out with flames. It’s called the Real Fire Hard by AO Safety, model 91277.
This hard hat is equipped with HDPE hard shell, four point ratchet safety suspension, UV blocking finish, and vented soft cushion headband. You can purchase it for around $30. ANSI Z89.1, Type 1, Class C and G.
Want to show off your inner rebel? Are you the type of person that listens to hard rock or heavy metal on the way to work? You will love wearing the Undertaker Safety Hard Hat by Jackson Safety, model 138-3021527. This white hard hat features a grinning Hellraiser skull with burning eyes.
Comes with 4 point ratchet suspension unit, 4 pt ratchet suspension, and is slotted so that you can attach hard hat accessories such as a face shield and ear muffs. Price is around $26. ANSI Z89.1, 2003, Type 1 Class E.
Feeling a little patriotic about the good ole USA? Wear the stars and stripes proudly with the AO Safety American Flag hard hat, model 91275. The front end features striking white stars that stand out amidst a rich blue backdrop, while the sides proudly show off the familiar white and red stripes.
It comes stocked with four point ratchet suspension and is vented to reduce heat build up and increase circulation of cool air. It costs around $30. ANSI Z89.1, Type 1, Class C.
Full Brim Hard Hats
Use full brim hard hats if you need heavy duty, comprehensive head protection. These types of hard hats feature a brim that spans the entire circumference of the head, providing coverage to not only the front, but also the sides and rear.
Pyramex makes some full brim hard hats which are quite good. The brand was established in 1991, making it rather young when you compare it to other brands such as MSA, Fibre Metal, and Bullard, whose beginnings go all the way back to the late 19th to early 20th centuries.
Yet that hasn’t stopped Pyramex from being one of the most respected hard hat brands today, and for Pyramex to hold its own against these industry giants is quite impressive.
In fact, one of its models, #HP24111, was the #2 top purchased full brim hard hats on Amazon at the time of this writing. It has been very well received by customers, who have given it nearly a 5/5 star rating.
At first glance there doesn’t seem to be anything too spectacular about it. It’s not even a carbon fiber hard hat but we thought it was worth talking about it on our blog. It is made out of high density polyethylene, which is the usual material used to make most hard hats these days. It doesn’t have an eight point suspension, and not even a six point suspension, which you find in premium models. It just has a four point suspension, which is quite basic (the more points, the better the balance and shock attenuation)
But it does have some neat features that are not found in your average hard hat.
The hard shell features rain troughs on the sides and back. When water hits the hard hat it will be channeled away from your face so you can work safely and efficiently with unimpaired vision. These come quite handy when you are working in inclement weather on a busy job site.
This model also has a lower profile design than most other full brim hard hats, which should make it easier to maneuver around equipment and other structures found on a job site. This design also lowers the helmet’s center of gravity, which allows for better balance but also lowers the amount of torque on the neck and shoulders as you move your head from side to side while working.
And although it was already pointed out that suspension unit is only a basic four point system, Pyramex does make up for this by incorporating a ratchet fit adjuster, which is quite unique because you typically only see this in premium hard hats. Ratchets are preferred by most customers because they make it much easier to adjust the fit of a hard hat than standard pin lock fit adjusters, which work by clamping together two nape straps via a series of holes and pins. Furthermore, the dial-like operation allows for a more precise adjustment than pin lock system, which really helps if you are in between hat sizes.
Universal accessory slots allow you to attach various peripherals such as chin straps, ear muffs, face shields, and head lamps, making this a highly versatile that hard hat that can be used for a wide range of jobs on the work site.
The Pyramex HP24111 full brim hard hat sells for about $13 per unit, which is quite a steal if you consider the nice little extras that you are getting.
There are several colors available, including navy, forest green, orange, red, heather grey, and yellow. The most popular color, however, is black.
Fibre Metal Hard Hats
There is hardly a hard hat brand that can match the quality and craftsmanship of Fibre Metal hard hats. Fibre Metal has been designing protective headwear since 1905.
The best selling Fibre Metal Hard Hats are the Roughneck Series hard hats.
Fibre Metal Roughneck hard hats are constructed out of fiberglass.
Fiberglass hard hats were popular up until circa 1950, but are now a rarity these days. They have been largely replaced by polyethylene hard hat, as well as carbon fiber hard hat models. The reason for this is fiberglass is generally considered an inferior material to protect against blows to the head. Older fiberglass hard hats often cracked with a heavy enough blow, while polyethylene and carbon fiber have shown to be nearly indestructible against such blows.
However, fiberglass has always been known for its superior heat resistance compared to other hard hat materials, and that is why they are still the preferred type of hard hat in industries where workers often work in environments that experience elevated heat levels, such as steel mills, mining, aerospace, and fire fighting.
What Fibre Metal has done with its Roughneck hard hats is quite amazing to say the least. These hard hats are made out of a proprietary injection molded fiberglass that makes them more robust than the fiberglass hard hats of the past. Known as P2N, this material is about thirty seven percent stronger and retains exceptional impact resistance up to 325 degrees Fahrenheiit, way past the melting point of polyethylene (248 to 266 degrees Fahrenheit).
What’s even more fascinating is some tests have shown P2N to be about eight times stronger than the polyethylene hard hats primarily used today. This can very well change the industry once again and put fiberglass hard hats back into the mainstream, giving workers a hard hat that is highly versatile, able to protect in a wide range of environments.
One thing that you will greatly appreciate about Fibre Metal hard hats is nearly every model that we know of will come with an eight point suspension system, while most other hard hats will come with only a four point suspension system. The points in reference simply mean that the internal crown straps that create the buffer zone between the hard shell and head balance weight and impact at eight points around the hard hat. The more the better. Most other hard hats will only offer half the comfort and protection as they will come with a four point suspension system. Furthermore, the suspension unit in a Fibre Metal Roughneck hard hat are ratchet operated, which allows the wearer to fine tune the fit by turning a dial found at the nape. Most other hard hats will not have this premium feature, and must be adjusted via a series of holes in which pins or studs must be inserted, which may or may not provide a precise fit.
On a Fibre Metal Roughneck helmet, you can even adjust the tilt of the head band to further customize the fit.
This model meets all ANSI-Z89.1-2003 standards for a Type 1 Class G hard hat.
If you are interested in using a Fibre Metal Roughneck hard hat, you can purchase one for about $25. Available colors are white, black grey, green, navy, red, yellow, and orange.
MSA Hard Hats
MSA hard hats are the most recognized and trusted brand of hard hats in the world.
The company manufacturers several different models.
If you are simply looking for a well designed, basic hard hat, take a look at the MSA Safety Works Hard Hat, model 818068.
This is a cap style hard hat with front brim. Constructed out of high density polyethylene, the hard shell provides a high level of protection to the user’s head, as this material is almost impossible to shatter or penetrate.
This hard hat is part of MSA’s classic V-Gard series. All V-Gard hard hats feature a molded, embossed V design at the top of the hard shell, which provides extra head protection by attenuating impact, should a falling object strike the wearer’s head.
The hard shell is slotted, so you can attach a number of hard hat accessories, such as face shields, ear muffs, and visors as you need them.
You can find the MSA Safety Works Hard Hat at several online merchants and shopping portals. When you purchase this model, it will usually come stocked with MSA’s Staz On suspension system, which is quite good. The head straps are constructed out of Nylon, so it will be much softer on the head than the plastic suspensions straps that come in most other basic hard hats. Furthermore, the Staz On suspension unit makes it easier to adjust the fit of the hard hat, as it is based a sliding positive locking mechanism. To tighten the fit of the hard hat, just squeeze the nape together and the headband will click into place as it is being tightened. To loosen the fit of the hard hat, just lift the release lever and re-adjust as desired. This can all be done with one hand and without the need to take the hard hat off, which keeps the user’s head protected at all times while on the job. The suspension systems of most other basic hard hats use a pin lock mechanism, which works just like a waist belt, adjusted by inserting the pin(s) found on one end of the belt into the hole(s) found on the opposite end of the belt. These are a bit more cumbersome to adjust as you often need both hands and a good feel to adjust. Many customers find that they have to take off their hard hat and actually look at it to adjust it, which immediately puts them in danger for head injuries if on the work site.
This hard hat is available in a number of different colors, including blue, orange, red, green, purple, tan, grey, and black. Perhaps the most popular colors, however, are white and yellow due to their high visibility. When working in busy, hazardous environments, these two colors are the most likely to get you noticed. Yellow is often the choice for those who work during the day, and white is often the choice for those who work when the sun is down.
If you are interested in purchasing the MSA 818068 Safety Works Hard Hat, you can usually get one for just under $10, which is one of the best deals going.
If you want to check out some of MSA’s advanced hard hats, take a look at the MSA Skullgard Full Brim Hard Hat.
Hard Hat
Wearing a hard hat is often required when you work hazardous occupations such as construction, mining, metal works, and warehousing. Many times, employers will not provide hard hats, and workers must purchase their own hard hats.
If you want a high quality hard hat, take a look at the hard hats produced by Mine Safety Applications, a company that has specialized in the creation of safety equipment since 1914. It is, in fact, the world’s leading manufacturer of safety products. So when you purchase a MSA hard hat, you can be confident that your safety is in good hands.
One model that we like in particular is the MSA Safety Works 10006318 Hard Hat. Not only is it one of the best selling hard hats, but it is also consistently one of the best rated hard hats on the market.
This model features a full brim, so it offers protection all around the head. However, unlike traditional full brim hard hats, it has a shorter front brim that allows users to have a better view of what is in front and above them. This feature is especially helpful for those who work in mines, and other work environments where workers have to constantly check the activity above (i.e. weak structural integrity of tunnels and shafts) in order to keep safe. And in the event that debris or other objects may fall and strike the head of the user, not only will the top of the head be adequately protected, but also the face, ears, and neck.
There are several merchants that will sell this hard hat online, and it will usually come stocked with one of MSA’s premium suspension systems. This suspension system consist of Nylon internal head straps, which are much more cushion and is comfortable than the plastic head straps that come with standard suspension systems. Furthermore, Nylon is a breathable material with moisture wicking properties, so using this hard hat will keep the head cooler and dryer than when wearing the typical run of the mill hard hat. Furthermore, this premium suspension system comes with a ratchet device found at the back of the helmet, which is used to tighten or loosen the fit of the hard hat with the turn of a knob. This is very important, especially in places where there are several safety hazards above head, because the user won’t have to take the hat off in order to adjust the fit, as is the case with standard hard hats. This means that the head will be fully protected at all times.
It’s not a carbon fiber hard hat, but it is a high quality hard hat with a high density polyethylene hard shell that does a fantastic job of deflecting blows to the head. The shell has MSA’s popular V design at the top, dubbed V-Guard, which disperses shock and dulls the impact of any object that may strike the head.
One thing to note is that you may find that this hard hat is non slotted. Although this means that you won’t be able to attach accessories, this ultra smooth design can be advantageous in places where objects, both free falling and stationary, tend to drop from above frequently. In places such as this, it is just as important to protect the worker from injury caused by getting caught onto something as it is to protect the worker from head trauma.
This hard hat meets or exceeds the ANSI Z89.1 1997 safety requirements for a Type I, class E & G helmet.
If you are interested in purchasing it, you can usually get it for around $17.
Hard Hats
There are several different types and models of hard hats available. If you are looking for a suggestion, here you will find a review on one of the best models.
The Mine Safety Applications Skullgard hard hat, model 475407, is consistently a top selling hard hat.
Standard hard hats feature a front brim, concentrating the level of protection on the front end of the head and face. The Skullgard hard hat, on the other hand, features a full brim to offer 360 degree coverage and provide a higher level of protection from blows coming from any side. Furthermore, the full brim provides more protection from the various weather elements such as the sun and rain. That way, when wearing this particular hard hat your face, neck and shoulders won’t get sun burned or wet.
The MSA Skullgard is very popular among workers of all sorts of industries, but it is a particular favorite of steel workers, who work in mills where temperatures run high. This is due to the laminated resins that make up the construction of the hard hat. Laminated resin has excellent thermal properties, being able to keep cool even in heat extremes. Moreover, the material is much lighter than the high density polyethylenes used in most hard hats, yet provides exceptional hard shell protection to the wearer.
When you purchase this hard hat, it will usually come stocked with a premium ratchet suspension system, which allows for precise fit adjustments via a turn dial found at the back of the unit. The user will be able to adjust the fit of the hard hat without having to
For this reason, many customers have said that it is one of the best fitting hard hats available.
This suspension system also allows the user to adjust the fit of the hard hat without requiring the user to take it off, which ensures that the head is protected at all times while on the work site.
Although it is not made out of carbon fiber, like a carbon fiber hard hat it is extremely light weight like, yet still possesses a high level of impact resistance. While your average polyethylene hard hat will weigh about two pounds, the MSA Skullgard weighs about fifteen ounces. Furthermore, hard hats made out of laminated resins last much longer than hard hats made out of plastics. It is also one of the most comfortable hard hats that you will ever wear, so you may want to switch to it if your neck and shoulders get fatigued or sore from wearing a standard hard hat all day.
This hard hat meets Type 1 (top impact) and ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2009 (Class G) safety guidelines.
If you are interested in using a hard hat like the MSA Skullgard, it doesn’t come cheap. While the average hard hat costs around $25, an MSA Skullgard hard hat costs around $80. Is it worth the price? Consider the fact that it is one of the best selling hard hats on the market despite the price. The excellent craftsmanship put into it is unmatched.
Available colors are white and natural tan.
Custom Hard Hats
Custom hard hats and printing services are available if you need your hard hat designed in a particular way.
You will have a number of design options when buying custom hard hats.
A basic package offered by the various custom hard hat outfits will allow you to place a single 1 – 2 color logo onto one side of the hard hat. An example of this can be seen below.
Some service providers, for an extra fee, will be able to accommodate a more elaborate design themes. One popular theme, for example, is the “Patriotic” themes. So if you are feeling particularly proud of your country, you can deck your hard hat out with flags or other symbols of your nation. Below are examples of hard hats with USA, Canada, and Mexico themes.
Another popular choice for customers are the various sport designs, in which you can customize your hard hat with the decals of your favorite teams. Many custom hard hat companies will even have pre-printed hard hats of the most popular sporting teams from the NFL, MLB, NCAA, and NASCAR.
We are not aware of any places that would make a custom carbon fiber hard hat. However, at the time of this writing a hard hat by AOSafety that had a carbon fiber look to it as available. Here’s a picture of it.
It’s really made out of high density polyethylene, which is currently the typical material used in hard hats. After carbon fiber it is the lightest material in which to make a hard hat, and is highly resistant to shattering and piercing. This hard hat meets all ANSI Z89.1-1997 Type 1, Class C & G specifications, and complies with OSHA regulations.
The most popular hard hat model used in custom work is the MSA V-Gard 1-Touch Hard Hat, pictured below. MSA is a respected global brand in the protective equipment and personal safety industries. Since 1914, the company has specialized in development, manufacturing, and distribution of safety gear for people who work in hazardous work occupations, such as mining, construction, firefighting, the military and homeland security.
The MSA V-Gard 1-Touch Hard Hat is also made out of HDPE, so it too will provide a high level of protection in a relatively light weight package.
The patented V design which protrudes from the top of the helmet provides enhanced protection by attentuating shock better than the traditional smoother hard shell design.
It comes with a four point suspension system, which means the configuration of the underside straps connect and disperse shock at four different points on the helmet. This is pretty standard, as we have seen other models that come with a six point, and even an eight point suspension system (the more the better the shock dispersion capabilities). However, the material used in the 1-Touch susepension straps is Nylon, which provides more cushion and comfortability than standard plastic suspension straps. Furthermore, is designed in such a manner so that you can adjust the fit with only one hand, even while wearing the hard hat. Traditional pin lock systems need more work to adjust as you have to unpin and unbuckle the head strap (like a belt for your pants). This often requires the users to take the hat off, which leaves the head vulnerable to injury.
This model meets all ANSI Z89.1-2003, Class E specifications.