There is little chance of you getting involved in a sword fight nowadays, but there are more than enough reasons to buy a medieval helmet even now. It could be for roleplay games, Halloween, shooting a film, or simply due to the fascination toward them.
Regardless of your reasons, you would want something that’s not only historically accurate but also has a quality build. Those two factors are what can make finding the best medieval helmet somewhat baffling.
This article will review the best options out there to help you with your hunt for a quality helmet.
5 Best Medieval Helmet Reviews
Generally, historians consider the medieval period to be starting from around the 5th to the 15th century (give or take a few decades). Here are some of the top helmets imitating the designs from that period.
| Image | Product Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
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Nagina International Crusaders Templar Helmet | Check Price |
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Sara Nautical Medieval Viking Helmet | Check Price |
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Nagina International Medieval Visored Templar Helmet | Check Price |
1. Nagina International Crusaders Templar Helmet
The first helmet that we have for you was common among the templars. Although the templars started around 1119, these helmets saw popularity in the early 13th century. And they lasted for a while before the authorities disbanded the group in 1312.
Upon looking at this helmet, the first thing you will notice is how intricate the details are. It comes with a sleek-looking brass lining that gives you an authentic look, making it look even more in place if you use it for theatre or drama.
And that bit is essential regardless of your purpose, as it can often be the distinction between a believable portrayal and an unrealistic one. Another impressive side about this helmet is its build quality.
It uses high-quality 16-gauge carbon steel – a kind of steel with a higher amount of carbon. That structure ensures higher durability, with little denting and scratching over time.
Another crucial bit regarding helmets is comfort. Without proper lining or padding, a helmet like this can turn out to be rather uncomfortable and even painful in some cases. Fortunately, this product comes with quality inner leather headlining, which makes things comfortable.
That said, a unit like this also requires sufficient breathability and ventilation. Otherwise, the user can feel out of breath pretty quickly. This helmet has ventilation holes on the front that ensure proper ventilation to prevent that.
Also, this helmet is 12 inches in height and 8.5 inches in width and depth in terms of dimensions. Another bonus from the manufacturer – Nagina International – is the included stand, which is 16 inches in height and pretty decent in quality.
Pros
- 16-gauge carbon steel build
- Authentic look with attention to detail
- Premium bronze finish looks excellent
- The dimensions are suitable for most users
- Inner leather headlining ensures comfort
Cons
- Not sufficient strap holes
- Can have some dents in some cases
2. Sara Nautical Medieval Viking Helmet
As the second pick on the list, we have a Norman armor helmet from Sara Nautical. They were also known as Gjermundbu – Viking age helmets. As you probably know, the Normans were Vikings who settled in the medieval Duchy of Normandy.
But enough of the history lesson, now let’s get into the details of the helmet itself. A property that you should always pay attention to before purchasing such a product is its dimensions, as an unsuitable one can render it unusable.
This helmet’s dimensions are around 13 inches (L), 9.8 inches (W), and 8 inches (H). Therefore, it can fit effortlessly for most people, but users with comparatively smaller heads might find it a bit too big for their requirements.
As we said earlier, the helmet needs to come with a padded interior or lining. That property can ensure a comfortable experience if you need to wear it for more than a little while and even prevent any feeling of claustrophobia.
That’s why it comes with a leather lining underneath, which can also prevent your hair from getting stuck. Another impressive bit is the price of this product, which is pretty reasonable for what you get out of the box.
There are a few caveats, though. The first one is that the faceplate’s size seems slightly more extensive, and it can occasionally get some dents. Nevertheless, it provides pretty good quality materials for the price, so we can’t complain.
The helmet also has chainmail in the back, which adds to its authentic look. Moreover, it has golden accent pieces around the faceplate and the head, giving it an attractive and original exterior, which we appreciate.
Pros
- Can easily fit large head sizes
- Chainmail in the back
- A reasonable price tag
- Comfortable interior leather lining
- The helmet has an authentic look
Cons
- Its build quality could be better
- A bit too big for smaller heads
3. Nagina International Medieval Visored Templar Helmet
Medieval helmets that manufacturers produce now must be historically accurate, especially if your purpose mandates it. For instance, if someone uses such a product as a prop, things won’t work well with inaccurate designs.
Our third pick comes from the trusted Nagina International – this time, it’s a visored Barbuta helmet. If you don’t know what that is – Barbuta (AKA Barbute) is a type of war helmet that existed near the end of the medieval period, designed by Italian soldiers.
As we spoke of essential purposes, something that can be pretty helpful is a quality lining. Otherwise, the metal can hit your head hard during movement. This helmet comes with a quality inner pad with leather strip cushions.
In terms of size and dimensions, it should suit well for most head sizes. That means children can wear it as well (e.g., for Halloween). However, that would undoubtedly require adjustability to some extent, which this product does provide.
There is a leather strap that can allow you to make the helmet stay in place even if you have a smaller head or want your kids to be able to use it. It can also help you bear the weight more effortlessly, as it’s around two kilograms.
The weight might seem slightly heavier than some helmets, but the material quality plays a role here. It uses high-quality steel that’s one millimeter in thickness and can handle a bit of wear and tear with ease.
This unit comes with a visor that you can wear open or with support. And this bit is something that boosts the authenticity of the helmet, giving it an excellent look. Overall, this product is terrific on all fronts.
Pros
- Large size fits most heads
- The chin strap allows adjustability
- It won’t break the bank
- Interior lining with leather
- Decent build quality
Cons
- Quality control needs some work
- Can be a bit heavy for some
4. SZCO Supplies Close European Helmet
If you are an armor enthusiast, you probably know that one of the most popular helmets during the medieval period was the close helmets. These were common around near the late medieval and Renaissance times, coupled with heavy armors.
This pick is from SZCO Supplies – a brand well-known for products of high caliber. The helmet is entirely handmade, and it features a quality design that gives it an authentic look that you may require for many purposes.
What makes such helmets unique is that there is no opening in the front, which gave the fighter total protection against the enemy. However, such a closed design can create an issue regarding breathability and ventilation.
Therefore, this helmet has ventilation holes on the visor to prevent the user from feeling uncomfortable or claustrophobic. And as long as we’re on that subject, we should mention that this helmet comes with an attached visor.
The product uses high-quality 18-gauge steel that will prevent any dents with ease. However, there is one issue. As the steel is not stainless, you might need to polish and oil it to keep it from rusting over time.
Another issue is that this is a large helmet that covers not only your entire head but also your neck. Therefore, as you can imagine, it weighs quite a lot (slightly over six pounds). Wearing it for an extended period might not be easy.
However, that is not to say that it’s impossible to wear it for long. The product is 15 inches in height, which is decent for most users. Lastly, the pricing is relatively reasonable for the material quality of this helmet.
Pros
- Uses quality 18-gauge steel
- Entire product is handmade
- You can wear it with ease
- There’s an attached visor
- Proper ventilation on the visor
Cons
- Can be somewhat heavy
- Not resistant to rusting
5. Nagina International Medieval Roman Centurion Helmet
The Roman Empire is one that many history enthusiasts find intriguing – and with good reasons. This empire had significant territorial holdings with a substantial military force that was surprisingly skilled at war, which was an important reason behind their success.
Moreover, if you’re eager to learn about armors and helmets, you will find that they were exceptionally skilled at that too. Therefore, our final product is a medieval Roman helmet – and yet another one from Nagina International.
But enough with our fascination toward them, let’s get to the helmet now. It features a beautiful design that follows the original one (which was most likely created by the Gallic smiths) with a red crest on top.
This red crest comes attached through a buffer-arc steel strip, which stays in place even during movement. Furthermore, you can attach or detach this crest strip depending on your needs (fun fact – the Romans wore it to look more intimidating).
Another impressive characteristic of this product is the quality material, namely the 18-gauge, 1-millimeter carbon steel, which ensures excellent durability. However, you might occasionally need to oil it to ensure that it stays shiny and free of rust.
The helmet also comes with a neck and a cheek guard, as you would’ve seen on an original one. Those two parts, along with the upper side and lining of the helmet, have golden accent pieces to get the look to perfection.
Moreover, this unit comes with a chin strap to allow you to adjust it depending on your head’s size (the original dimensions are 9″ (H) x 8″ (W) with 25.12″ circumference). Another little bonus is that it comes with a stand.
Pros
- Authentic design inspired by the Gallic smiths
- Suitable for LARP, dramas, or films
- Durable 18-gauge carbon steel
- Detachable crest strip
- It comes with a stand
Cons
- You might need to polish it
- The stand’s quality could be better
What to Look for Before You Buy?
There are two aspects of buying a helmet of this sort – the first is knowing what you need and what would fulfill those requirements. The second aspect is the helmet’s physical qualities – the materials, buckles, and everything in between.
The brief guide below can help you with that.
Material and Build Quality
Knowing what the materials are in the helmet you buy can save you from many headaches over time. Firstly, the metal should be of high-quality and sturdy so that it can prevent most dents and scratches – which are pretty standard for a helmet.
Many helmets come with subpar steel that rusts in no time, and that’s something we’d want to avoid. Some manufacturers pre-oil their helmets to ensure that they retain their shiny look and prevent corrosion over time.
Historical Accuracy
If you’re buying a medieval helmet, then you would want it to be as historically on point as possible. It might not always be a big deal, however. For instance, if you require a helmet for fantasy-related purposes, it may not matter as much.
But for most of the buyers, it probably does matter. Many manufacturers don’t pay much attention to the era-specific details of the helmets they produce. For example, some helmets include modern-looking buckles that feel entirely out of place.
The helmet needs to look realistic, especially if you’re using it for shooting. Therefore, we put our effort into ensuring that our top picks provide that historical accuracy to prevent you from having any issues related to that.
Adjustability and Comfort
A significant portion of this section relies on the historical aspects, e.g., you shouldn’t be having a removable visor if helmets from that era did not. But some things will depend on the manufacturer, including things like padding and buckles.
Padding
This portion can have a noticeable impact on your experience of wearing the helmet. Having quality padding underneath the helmet is necessary, as it not only helps you stay away from hurting your head but also makes things more comfortable.
Therefore, try to check whether the product has a decent padded interior if you want the experience to be more enjoyable. And some helmets may not have them at all, depending on what you’re buying.
Fit and Adjustability
If you have worn such helmets before, you probably know that the fit could be an issue. And if that happens, you might have a hard time keeping it on your head, especially when moving.
Therefore, you might want to get something that comes with a buckle or strap to allow you to adjust it to your head. And it doesn’t necessarily need to look out of place, as many manufacturers create such mechanisms without losing its look.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I recognize a medieval helmet?
The term medieval refers to the period around the 5th to 15th century, and that’s the primary reason behind the name. Therefore, all you need to know is whether the helmet design matches the units of that time to determine a medieval one.
Which is the best medieval helmet?
As you probably know by now, the medieval period wasn’t a short amount of time. Hence, there have been lots of different helmets – each of them was tweaked to be the best-suited option for its time. Some heavier, some lighter, some bigger – you can see why it’s a difficult question to answer.
Are armets and closed helmets the same?
Although people often confuse these two helmets because they share some similarities, they are not the same. Armets generally have two individual cheek plates that you can open sideways (or up) to get your head in, while close helmets have one unified piece that you hinge upwards.
Did all medieval helmets have padding?
Well, they didn’t always have paddings in the way that we imagine them now. In the early times of the medieval period, people often wore padded coifs to keep things light and comfortable. A few centuries later, many helmets had linings sewn into them.
What was the most popular helmet in the medieval period?
There can be quite a few contenders for that title, depending on the time. For example – great helms, nasal helmets, armets, closed helmets, sallets, bascinets, and a few more. Not only the time but the geographical location also plays a role in popularity.
Final Words
Be it for LARPing, shooting a short film or series, cosplaying, or as a passion – medieval helmets are fascinating. What makes them even better is their variation, but that also makes it hard to choose the best medieval helmet. The reviews above should help you with that.
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