7 top specialty sport equipment stores for athletes needing protective helmet gear

The best sport equipment stores for athletes who need protective helmet gear are Riddell, SHOC, Schutt, VICIS, BAUER, Sports Unlimited, and REI Co-op. This list was picked based on how closely each one focuses on your sport, the fit and compatibility help it offers, and how many helmet attachments it carries.

Sport focus matters because a football helmet, a hockey helmet, and a ski helmet are built to handle pretty different hits. Fit counts just as much, since a helmet that slides around or a visor that won't lock onto your shell can't protect you the way it should. With football playoffs, hockey, and ski season all overlapping right now, you're probably shopping for at least one of them.

Why the Right Helmet Gear Is Worth Getting Right

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about 283,000 kids a year visit emergency rooms across the country for brain injuries tied to sports and play. TBIs sustained in contact sports made up roughly 45% of those visits. Among boys, football led every other sport.

A helmet only does its job when it fits your head and every attachment locks on the right way. Your gameday safety gear has to match your exact helmet model, down to the facemask and the clips. Small parts like clips and screws are easy to overlook until one breaks.

Best for Complete Football Helmets: Riddell

Riddell is the best store for complete football helmets since its site lists six varsity models and six youth models in one place. You'll find the Axiom 3D and SpeedFlex on the varsity side and the Speed ND6 and Jet ND6 for younger players.

For a really personal fit, Riddell's Precision-Fit program scans your head in 3D and builds a one-of-a-kind pad set for the SpeedFlex Precision helmet. Riddell sells collectible replica and mini helmets too, so double-check that you're buying a game-ready model.

If you want a full football helmet with lots of fit choices, Riddell is a solid place to start.

Best for Helmet Visors Across Multiple Sports: SHOC

SHOC is the best store for helmet visors since it makes them for four different sports in one shop. That makes it a handy stop if you already own a helmet and just need to add or replace the visor.

SHOC treats its visors as protective eyewear for the field, with anti-fog coatings and an impact test for every visor. Returns stay open for 60 days, and orders over $75 ship free. 

Before you buy, check that the visor fits your exact helmet and that your league allows it. If your helmet's ready but your view could be clearer, SHOC's football helmet visors and the rest of its lineup are worth a look.

Best for Football Gear Beyond the Helmet: Schutt

Schutt is the best pick for building out a whole football setup since it sells helmets and the pads that go with them on one site. Its newest helmets are the F7 Pro and the F7 AiR, and the AiR comes in both varsity and youth sizes. You can design your own F7 AiR, too.

Schutt carries matching F7 facemasks and replacement parts. That way, fixing a broken piece usually takes a quick swap. For extra padding, there's the Guardian x Schutt Loop 2.0, a soft-shell headgear option.

If you're gearing up a player from helmet to shoulder pads, Schutt keeps it simple.

Best for Position-Specific Football Helmets: VICIS

VICIS is the best option for position-specific helmets since its ZERO2 line has versions made for linemen and quarterbacks. The linemen version goes by ZERO2 Trench.

Every ZERO2 has an outer shell that flexes on impact. Inside, small pods in six spots snap in and out, letting you fine-tune the fit without air bladders. VICIS sells youth helmets and a design-your-own option, too.

One thing to plan for: the ZERO2 works with VICIS's own 02 facemasks, so you'll want a VICIS mask if you ever replace yours. If your position puts you in a specific kind of contact, VICIS is worth comparing first.

Best for Hockey Helmets and Face Protection: BAUER

BAUER is the best hockey choice since you can buy a helmet and the parts that attach to it from the same shop. Its helmet section has helmet-and-cage combos and youth helmets for growing players. For face protection, you can pick from cages or athletic shields.

BAUER sells replacement chin straps and ear covers too, which really helps when a strap snaps mid-season. The store sticks to BAUER gear, so you'll be comparing models within one brand. If you play on ice, BAUER is probably your first stop.

Best for Comparing Football Helmet Brands: Sports Unlimited

Sports Unlimited is the best place to compare brands since it stocks several major football helmet makers on one site. For example, you'll see the Riddell SpeedFlex listed near Schutt's F7 AiR, with the youth AiR starting around $115.

Its side-by-side page for the Schutt F7 2.0 and VICIS ZERO2 is pretty useful, and it walks through fit, vision, and facemask options. These are store comparisons, so they work best next to independent helmet ratings.

If you're stuck between brands, Sports Unlimited makes the choice a lot easier.

Best for Ski and Snowboard Helmets: REI Co-op

REI Co-op is the best pick for snow-sport helmets since every snow helmet it sells meets the main safety standards for skiing and snowboarding. You can actually try helmets on at a local store, and REI suggests bringing your goggles to check for a gap at your forehead.

Online, the helmet filters let you narrow things down by weight or by a Boa fit dial. A $30 lifetime membership gives you a full year for most returns, which helps if a helmet starts pinching by your third day out. Members get 20% off snow shop services, too.

If your season happens on a mountain, REI Co-op makes it pretty easy to find a helmet that fits.

Which Sport Equipment Stores Fit Your Game?

Each of these sport equipment stores covers a different part of your helmet setup: Riddell, Schutt, and VICIS for full football helmets, SHOC for visors, BAUER for hockey, Sports Unlimited for comparing brands, and REI Co-op for the slopes. Start with your sport and whatever's already in your gear bag, and the right pick gets a lot clearer.

Want more help gearing up? Check out the other guides on our site.

This article was prepared by an independent contributor which helps us continue delivering quality content to our audiences.