Helmet Innovations - Part 1

Football helmet technology has changed and advanced rapidly over the last 7 years. The sport has always been tough and in response to growing concern over concussions new technology has been developed and put on the playing fields. The rapid change really began with the introduction of the Riddell Revolution helmet in 2002.



The Revolution debuted with extended jaw protection as a part of the shell and what Riddell called Z-pads which were inflatable jaw pads. Riddell had conducted some extensive studies on concussions and their research revealed that most concussions were the result of a blow to the side of the head, not the top or front as often thought. Since the release of the helmet, Riddell claims that the Revolution has reduced the chances of getting a concussion by 31% for those who wear the Revolution. The helmet generally sells for about $175 on the Riddell website. You can see the Revolution at the following link:

Riddell Revolution

Riddell has since introduced the Revolution IQ and Revolution IQ HITS helmets. There are minimum changes to the shell and facemasks. These changes are all about the interior padding and innovations that allow the helmet to be worn by a player who might have suffered several concussions. The Revolution IQ helmet costs around $209 and has Riddells latest interior padding innovations. The Revolution IQ HITS is an entire system. The helmet costs $999 and requires the purchase of the HITS system and antenna separately. Having the system allows up to 6 players equipped with IQ HITS helmets to be monitored during game action. The helmet provides information on whether or not the player is at risk for another concussion based on the force and type of blows the player has received. You can also buy an IQ HITS helmet for a single player and download the information from the helmet after game action to see what hits and such the player received during the game.

After the release of the Revolution in 2002, Schutt followed quickly with their helmet meant to reduce concussions. The Schutt DNA helmet was introduced in 2003.



The DNA featured the introduction of Skydex® TPU Cushioning which Schutt felt was an innovative new type of interior cushioning. I was once told by a Schutt sales representative that the DNA stands for Doesn't Need Accessories which was a direct shot at the fact that the Revolution required some new types of accessories (clips, z-pads, etc) to be purchased in order to maintain the helmet whereas the DNA did not require any new accessories. I have never seen that explanation of the acronym anywhere else, so I don't know that it is true. The DNA generally costs around $175 but is most often sold without the facemask which requires the buyer to purchase the facemask separately and brings the cost up to around $215. Here is the link to the Schutt website page for the DNA:

Schutt DNA

Next time we will look at the recent influx of several new designs introduced by both companies and the appearance of new helmet developer and manufacturer. Stay tuned.