Below are our top 10 choices for women’s soccer headbands and soccer helmets for 2020. The headgear is listed in the order they were ranked by the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings study, with a few tweaks in the order based on availability and ease of purchase.
In addition to listing the Virginia Tech rankings of the headgear, which you can read about here, we’ve also added a general average of consumer satisfaction as gleaned from product reviews found on the internet.
These ten picks encompass both thin and thick protective headbands and the full cranial coverage rugby/cap-style protective headgear that some goalies have started using professionally.
These are two fairly distinct styles and worth thinking about before you finalize your decision. If you have especially long hair that you prefer to wear up, the cap-style soccer helmets may need to modified a bit for comfort. Simply something to keep in mind.
Storelli ExoShield
The Storelli ExoShield Head Guard is the number one ranked women’s protective headgear in the Virginia Tech Helmet Rankings study and, therefore, is a great choice to help prevent concussions and other brain trauma in women who play soccer and other contact sports where risks are present.
You can read the Virginia Tech Helmet Rankings here and see the ExoShield’s five-star ranking.
Gamebreaker Pro
The Gamebreaker Pro soft shell headguard was the top-ranked “cap-style” soccer headgear in the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings study, receiving 5 stars. As such, this makes a great choice for women playing soccer and other contact sports.
You can read the Virginia Tech Helmet Rankings here.
The cap-style provides a rugby-type look that is more commonly seen on goalkeepers, but the foam and rubber used make it a good choice for traditional field players, too. It’s adjustable and gets decent air-flow, as well.
Unequal Halo 3
The Unequal Halo 3 is a great choice for women needing a protective headgear for soccer or other contact sports.
It has the look and feel of a headband, so it doesn’t stand out when you wear it, but it also received high marks when it underwent independent testing at Virginia Tech (Four stars and a 56% reduction in concussion risk). The only headband-style, protective headgear to beat it was the Storelli ExoShield. Read more about the Virginia Tech Helmet Study here.
Gamebreaker Multi-Sport
The Gamebreaker Multi-Sport Soft Shell Protective Headgear is another good choice to help stem the tide of concussions and other brain trauma in women soccer players.
The Gamebreaker Multi-Sport showed well in the Virginia Tech Helmet Rankings, garnering four stars and making it the second-ranked cap-style protection headgear overall. First place in the category went to another product by the same company, the Gamebreaker Pro.
Versatility is one of the Multi-sport’s strong points. As you may have guessed from the name, it can be suitably used in many different women’s sporting activities. It also comes in six different sizes (to ensure the proper fit) and 11 different colors.
ForceField Ultra
The ForceField Ultra Headband is a lightweight, affordable protective headband for women that comes in four colors (black, red, navy blue and royal blue) and scored three stars on the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings study. You can read the Virginia Tech Helmet Rankings here and see how it measures up against other protective headgear in the study.
Full 90 FN1
Unlike most other available soccer protective headgear, the Full 90 FN1 provides full cranial coverage. This extra coverage makes the Full 90 FN1 a good choice for female goalkeepers or women that want the greatest amount of cranial protection.
The FN1 has a 7 point adjustment system to ensure a safer, more comfortable fit and starts conforming to your head after you wear it a few times. For women with longer hair that they like to keep up, it has a ponytail opening.
Don Joy Hat Trick
The Don Joy Hat Trick protective headband for women is a solid entry into the larger headband-style marketplace. Overall, the Hat Trick scored middle-of-the-pack in the Virginia Tech Helmet Rankings study. You can read the Virginia Tech Helmet Rankings here and see how the Hat Trick measured up against its competitors.
The Hat Trick weighs only 1.6oz and has 4 adjustable velcro straps for the best fit possible.
Full 90 Premier
The Full 90 Premier is a solid protective headgear choice for women. The Premier has a lower profile than Full 90 FN1 or the Barnett Heat Pro, but it handles moisture pretty well and, overall, is fairly comfortable. You’ll grow accustomed to wearing it before long.
The Full 90 Premier comes in four colors: Black, Navy, Blue and Red. It also has an opening for ponytails for those women with longer hair that like to keep it up.
2nd Skull Headband
The 2nd Skull Headband for women ranked solidly in the middle of the pack for safety ratings in the VT Helmet ratings study. You can read the Virginia Tech Helmet Rankings here and see where the 2nd Skull Headband compares to other women’s protective headgear.
The 2nd Skull is lightweight, wicks moisture well and looks for the most part like a normal headband that one would wear. It is made in the USA, has a ponytail opening for women with longer hair and comes in black and pink colors.
Full 90 Select
The Full 90 Select is a reasonably effective choice for women’s soccer headgear that comes in three different colors: Black, Blue and Red. It’s a bit bulkier than some of the other options in its class.
The biggest strike against the Full 90 Select is that when tested as part of the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings it performed much less effectively than Storelli ExoShield or the Unequal Halo 3.
