helmet decals vs paint

Why You Should Use a Decal vs. Paint On Your Helmet

If you’re an athlete with a love of sports like football, hockey, biking, skateboarding—or really anything with a dose of danger—then you probably have a pretty close relationship with your trusty helmet. Just like your tight-knit teammates, your helmet has probably helped you, or even saved your life, on more than one occasion. As most athletes know, helmets are part of your identity. From officially bonding you to your team to creating a customized look to express your unique personality, empty helmet space screams to be covered in something special. However, this desire for extra flair also comes with some words of caution. After all, professional helmets are masterfully designed to protect your head as built and without modifications. Even adding minor changes can potentially cause damage your helmet—and make head injuries far more likely. But don’t think this means that helmets must be left plain, colorless and boring to maintain their safety. There are many ways to design an attractive, fun helmet while preserving its protective qualities. However, some methods are undoubtedly safer methods than others. Two of these most common helmet decorating methods are decals and paint. While both techniques can produce beautiful results, only one has high marks for safety—decals. If you’re looking for a true one-of-a-kind look, there’s no denying that paint offers a level of customization that decals often can’t imitate. Unfortunately, painting your helmet can make its wearer more vulnerable to injury. When it comes to decals though, new technology has evolved leading to a new generation of extraordinary, personalized and professional-looking decals that also provide the utmost in athlete safety.

How Paint Damages Helmets

Sure. It’s a helmet’s job to get banged up. As long as it’s high-quality, there’s nothing wrong with a little wear and tear. In fact, many athletes love it when their helmet looks like it’s weathered some epic gameday battles. However, certain decisions cause severe damage that can affect the helmet’s overall strength and durability—such as painting it. Though not all paints cause problems, some may damage your helmet beyond repair and potentially cause serious injury. First off, certain paints—especially spray paints—contain chemicals and solvents that degrade the helmet’s protective elements. These paints do more than just damage the plastic. As paint seeps into the helmet’s holes and cracks, it can also cause the polystyrene, also known as Styrofoam, to disintegrate and melt away. Another major helmet decoration foul occurs when people sand off the original design so they can repaint over it. NEVER do this. It’s too easy to sand a little too deep into the protective barrier of the helmet. If breached in any way, it’ll exponentially increase the likelihood of damage which exposes your delicate noggin to harm. If you do a quick online search, you’ll see people showing off their painted helmets with gusto as they say it’s perfectly safe. Honestly, if done completely right while carefully using proper materials, it can be. Still, keep in mind that a small mistake can end up disastrous. So, if you’re determined to paint your helmet, there are ways to safely do so. It’s just important that you do your research carry out the process to ensure it fully upholds the helmet’s integrity.

Painting May Void Your Warranty

As mentioned earlier, helmet companies and their designers diligently construct every detail to ensure the head of every customer is as safe as possible. They also know that any adjustment to their designs can compromise that safety. That’s why it’s common for helmet companies to void the warranty of any product that’s been altered. Well aware of its risk to helmet safety, this usually includes paint. Furthermore, if you do sustain a severe head injury, the helmet company can remove themselves from liability if any paint was applied. However, if used according to official specifications, decals will not void any warranty. This makes decals a perfect option to show off a great look, while still ensuring you’re fully protected in every way.

Modern Decals Have Evolved

If you think paint is the only way to achieve a colorful, eye-catching helmet, think again. Today, endless options exist when it comes to designing a customized, gorgeous design with helmet decals. From adding bright, metallic eagle wings to a football helmet to a growling tiger’s face encompassing an entire hockey goalie mask, there’s little limit to what modern decals can do. It’s also much safer to apply decals to helmets than paint. As long as you’re purchasing decals from a reputable vendor, any adhesive, chemical or other material used are safe for use on any athletic helmets. Lastly, it’s not only easy to apply a new decal—it’s easy to remove a decal as well. Try doing that with paint while preserving its integrity. With decals, players can continue to use their helmets season after season no matter how their tastes, or their teams, keep changing. If you’re ready to order incredible, high-quality helmet decals, trust the expert team Sportdecals.com. Our family-owned company has 40 years of decal experience. Call on us for all of your athletic helmet decal needs including football, baseball, hockey, lacrosse and more at 800-435-6110 or get a free online quote here anytime.
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