RothcoPith Helmet

I was surprised. Many years ago I had a real pith helmet with the full suspension harness. I doubted that the simple band of this helmet would suffice to maintain an adequate amount of air all around the head. But it does work just fine. Because air can flow freely around the head, this hat is cooler than sun hats that have a close-fitting band.If anything, I would rate this helmet above the authentic pith helmet because this plastic is much lighter than is pith and therefore more comfortable. Despite that light weight, it is sturdy. My helmet has taken several hard impacts without damage.Prior to buying this, my standard sun protection was a wide-brimmed nylon hat. That hat had a tendency to catch wind when I would be driving my tractor and would blow off unless I had its chin strap snugged. This helmet seems to have a different aerodynamic design and has never blown off despite the lack of chin strap. While it does have an elastic band that probably could be used under the chin if necessary, that seems to be primarily a cosmetic feature to imitate the functional chin strap of authentic pith helmets.I first bought one of these for my wife. She was so pleased with it that I bought a second one for my own use. She has a small head, I have a large (7-3/8) head. The headband has a wide range of adjustments and it is very comfortable for both of us.The terry cloth sweatband will probably need to be replaced at regular intervals.I have read the critical reviews of this helmet and can only think that the item description and construction of the helmet being sold in March and May 2018 are not the same as they were previously.We are farmers in Hawaii so it is important for us to have a good hat for protection from the sun of the tropics. We have gone through many hats over the years, and this is proving to be the best we have found. In addition to great sun protection, being plastic and having the broad brim it also is a good rain hat. When this hat deteriorates, as it surely will, I will buy another.

I had an original pressed fiber helmet from my time on the range in the Marine Corps. When I got out I wanted one that would hold up in the Florida rain, heat and mugginess without falling apart. This helmet meets those needs. The headband on the inside easily adjusts to fit all sizes of heads. This model has sweat pad in the front to keep sweat from rolling into your eyes. The airflow keeps your head cool in the heat. It keeps the sun out of your eyes and keeps it from burning your face and neck. Lightweight and sturdy. The only gripe I have is that the color is a tad on the lighter side when compared to my original. See the second photo for color comparison. But other than that an amazing product.

If you can get past the looks, this hat/helmet is the ideal form of head protection from the elements. I don't mind how it looks, but my wife thinks I look ridiculous wearing it. For what it's worth, this is the exact hat/helmet USPS couriers wear in the sun/rain.I've owned this helmet for a few years now and wear it primarily for fishing in my canoe and working in the yard. Due to the internal suspension system, it is noticeably less hot to wear than a regular hat that sits against your head collecting sweat. Air can pass between your head and the helmet shell and heat can dissipate through the holes. The plastic construction provides a few substantial benefits: First, it means that the helmet is fully waterproof and works as an excellent rain hat to keep your head/face/glasses dry. Second, it cannot be stained by sweat, mud, concrete, fish slime, etc., and is easily washed clean. Third, you don't need to worry about maintaining the shape of the helmet like you do with some full brim hats. Fourth, this thing actually provides some decent physical protection from things like low-hanging branches, hail, dive-bombing birds, etc.All in all, if you aren't too embarrassed to wear it, this hat/helmet is an exceptionally practical form of head protection. The only suggestion/improvement I would offer is to add some type of retention strap to keep it on your head in high winds. The elastic band on the brim is really just for looks. Although I find the shape and weight of the helmet to keep it in place most of the time, there have been very windy days that I had to take it off while out on the water so it didn't blow into the water. I'll probably add a retention strap/cord at some point.

On my first hike with this sun helmet, I encountered rain followed by heat & humidity (Phoenix, Arizona in September). It was immediately obvious why the ancestors of this hat were used all over the world by explorers. It's lightweight, keeps the sun off your entire head and neck, and keeps you dry. The ingenious design of the inside keeps the hat mostly off your head. The bowl shape directs air over your scalp and out the tiny holes in the top as you walk along. I have never had another head covering that breathes as well as this one. It's like you're wearing just a sweatband. If there is a significant wind, just pull down the chinstrap. It keeps the helmet on your head and you barely notice it.I now know why all the postal workers wear these. Honestly, I don't know why more people don't use sun helmets for outdoor recreation.

As close to the standard look of a USMC pith helmet as you can probably get. I typically wear a jungle boonie in the humid heat of Virginia and my head cooks. This helmet is fantastic because it blocks the sun better and there is great ventilation around the entire circumference of the head with the assistance of any breeze. This will be my standard head gear for sunny humid days in the future. The only reason I rated 4 stars is it would be great if there was a way to release the heat out of the top of the helmet on still days... but you can't have everything.

Fits and works perfectly!