Continuing on with our theme of being prepared for crisis’ that may occur and how it would work on females, we take a look at the Galvion Caiman Bump Helmet System. We recently reviewed Galvion’s Viper A3 Mission Ready Ballistic Helmet and had our female subjects give their feedback on that helmet. Today, we are looking at the lighter weight bump helmet and see what it has to offer. To refresh our readers what we are doing, we see a lot of video’s out there showcasing ballistic and bump helmets and they are typically shown on males. But what about the females out there? We had a few criteria that we wanted and the number one item that we wanted was a helmet that was Made in America. There are quite a lot of companies out there that are outsourcing their helmets to China, but we wanted to promote American Made Products. We reached out to Galvion and they were gracious enough to send us a Caiman Bump Helmet Systems to try out on females. We recently did a segment on Plate Carriers and how well they work on females, so why not try helmets.
Just a recap on the Galvion Company, “18 years ago, we began as Revision Military, selling world-class protective eyewear. Over the years, we have expanded and diversified our portfolio of products and capabilities significantly. In 2019, we sold our protective eyewear business along with the Revision name. We continue to collaborate with Revision on projects that demand flawless lenses, but our Armor, Power and Advanced Concept divisions move forward under the new corporate name Galvion.” Galvion is located in Newport, Vermont and its facility houses all of their major armor and helmet program production. By owning their own facility, it makes them easily acceptable for customizing helmets for each customer’s needs and specifications.
***Full disclosure, the subjects do not have to wear helmets for their full-time jobs and this is their first experiences with helmets in general.***
Disclaimer from Galvion:
The Nerv Centr power management product line is available to the general public, active and retired military, tactical/law enforcement users, and sports enthusiasts alike, however the products are only available for shipment within the United States.
Batlskin Viper and Caiman Helmets and Head Protection lines are available for military and law enforcement unit level buys and are available for individual civilian purchase in the U.S. and Canada only and may require approval for U.S. Export control. At this time we do not offer our Batlskin helmets or helmet accessories to individual end users internationally.
For U.S. and Canadian customers, please note that at this time, the Batlskin Caiman Ballistic Helmet System, Caiman Hybrid Helmet System, and Caiman Bump Helmet System, and Viper Standalone Long Rails are only available for federal, government, and military purchases.
Caiman Bump Helmet System Specs:
- Weight: 1.75lbs (26oz) (Medium Size)
- Caiman Mount Kit includes:
- Wilcox® L4 Series Shroud
- Rail System
- APEX Liner System
- Hardware Kit
- Sizes (Circumference)
- S – 530 – 570mm / 20 ¾ – 22 ¼ inches
- M – 560 – 590mm / 22 – 23 ¼ inches
- Lg – 580 – 610mm / 22 ¾ – 24 inches
- XL – 600 – 630mm / 23 ½ – 24 ¾ inches
- XXL – 620 – 655mm / 24 ¼ – 25 ¾ inches
- Compatible with Mandible Guard, Visors, NVGs, Chem/Bio Masks and communication devices
- High Cut Option Only
- Color Options – Tan and Black
- Price – $529.99 plus Shipping
Warranty Information:
Galvion warrants its products to be free of defects in material and workmanship for the following periods after the date of first sale from an authorized dealer:
- Batlskin Helmet shell: 7 years
- Batlskin Helmet components-non consumable (fit band, hardware, buckles): 3 years
- All other Batlskin products-including consumable components (comfort layer, impact pads, retention system): 1 year
- Nerv Centr Power Systems: 1 year
Only the original purchaser of a product is eligible for warranty coverage. If a product is found to be defective by Galvion, in its sole discretion, Galvion’s only responsibility shall be limited to repair or replacement of the defective product. Galvion will not be responsible for any costs, losses or damages incurred as a result of loss or use of product.
Discounts:
“Galvion is committed to supporting the men and women who have served and continue to serve. We offer a 30% discount to veterans, active duty military members, law enforcement personnel, firefighters, EMTs and first responders via ID.me, a secure, easy-to-use identification verification platform—to process all military and law enforcement discounts.” The process to get accredited with ID.me is really easy and takes a few minutes to sign up for it. Only thing needed is a way to upload a valid form of Departmental or Military ID and have an email that coincides with it like a departmental email address.
How to properly Measure for proper fitment:
When ordering your helmet, please use this chart below on how to properly measure your head for proper fitment.
Conclusion:
After our subjects were able to adjust the helmet to fit their heads properly, it was pretty cake from there, compared to the Viper A3 Ballistic Helmet.
Pros:
- Breathes easily
- Light Weight
- Could wear hair in multiple fashions (Down, Braided)
- Can easily add ear protection by attaching to rails.
- Shouldering of rifle easier.
- Easy to adjust
- Price Point
Cons:
- No Ballistic coverage, but it is a bump helmet after all and is good for general use.
- If ladies have longer or thick hair, you have to wear it a certain way (up) to sit properly or just wear it down.
Here are the average grades for Range of Motion (ROM), Level of Comfort, Ease of Use, Adjusting, and Overall Ranking from 1-5, 1 being the least and 5 being the best:
- ROM – 3.75
- Level of Comfort – 3.75
- Ease of Use – 3
- Adjusting – 3.25
- Overall – 4.25
All-in-all, the subjects liked wearing the Caiman Bump Helmet again over the ballistic helmet due to weight. If you are in the market for a great American Made Helmet, then check out Galvion to see if it’s right for you. Also, hopefully this will help out or females when trying to find a right helmet and make it a bit easier to find one for your significant other. Most importantly, train with your equipment and get familiar and use to wearing it, especially for longer periods of time. Take it out to the range and shoot with it on, so you’ll get a feel for it. If wanting to purchase a Caiman Bump Helmet System or any other Galvion products, send an email to customercare@galvon.com.
Again, this bump helmet was liked by all reviewers and will work for most users with the appropriate sizing. The subjects reviews are just their own, so keep that in mind. Again, the female subjects do not have to wear helmets and this is the first experiences with helmets. This review is for the average female just looking for a way of protection and for something that is designed for quick deployment and be carried in their vehicles or kept at home in the event something goes down.
As always, ya’ll be good and be safe!
