I have 5 different Padded Hats / Bump Caps so let me review them.



The Ribcap is a complete hat with built-in foam panels, so they fit well. They come in several styles such as baseball cap and beanie. It has the Best fit and comfort, but baseball cap has open back where the strap is, so the back of the head is exposed.

The Unequal Dome 3 and Linerz are inserts that go into your own hat. The Dome 3 is thickest, and has a squishy feel, so it has the best impact attenuation.

The Dome 2 is a denser foam rubber, so it feels heavy. But it is no longer available.

The Linerz is the cheapest insert. It uses foam that is harder but lightweight, which is ok because you don't want it to be too soft. It breathes well and Fits in standard hat but XXL is better

The Crashe Hat is a beanie style. It has 6 hard plastic inserts with thin rubber, so I don't recommend it.

The Unequal Dome 3 needs a larger hat to go into so get the XXL size like this Under Armour

Hat / Insert Thickness Price Website
Ribcap 10 mm $169.00 Protective Special Needs Helmets for Adults & Children | Ribcap
Unequal Dome 3 9 mm $49.95 Protective Dome Baseball Hat Inserts & Liners
Unequal Dome 2 6 mm
Linerz Inserts 6.5 mm or 3.3 mm $10.99 LINERZ BUMP CAP HAT INSERTS
Crashe Hat 4 mm $39.95 Protective Sports Hat | Head Gear Protection | Helmet Alternative | Crasche

Effectiveness
These padded hats and bump caps are very effective at reducing the acceleration/deceleration force of low-force impacts because they lengthen the distance and time that the skull has to come to a complete stop when impacting an object. It's these low-force events that concussives complain about the most, saying they bring back symptoms or set them back.

These padded hats are not effective in high-force impacts, such as a bicycle crash, because they don't reduce the impact forces significantly enough. That's why they are not meant to replace a bicycle helmet for cycling.

Why Protect the Head
Minor head bumps cause inflammation, which is damaging, and the inflammation is what causes the symptoms. If you look at the most severe PCS cases, multiple head hits are usually involved. But the impact forces were not enough to cause significant damage. And in extreme cases, Second Impact Syndrome can result in death, so it's very important to protect the head while the brain recovers and heals from concussion.

These hats will also reduce anxiety because they give you a sense of security, so you don't have to worry about hitting your head. And if you do hit your head, it will be a significantly lower impact so your brain won't over-react with excessive anxiety or inflammation.

I wear one of these hats every day and they have saved me more than once. One time I banged my head on the car door frame, and another time a broom stick whacked me on the head at a restaurant. So they are well worth it to wear, and most people don't even know there's a padded liner inside the hat.

Thank you so much for this! I'm going to be getting one as I have gotten worse with my anxiety after my latest concussion. Since I got 3 knocks in 1 month and I'm not sure how many were concussions I feel like 2 of them were, ever since the last knock I've been extremely sensitive to small knocks

These hats are great for mechanics and others who are habitually walking under low objects. They are useless for people with Concussion Anxiety Syndrome. It's like wearing ear pods that keep reminding you of your Concussion Anxiety Syndrome.

Treat the condition, not the symptoms.

People wear helmets for other sports all the time and don't get anxiety attacks from it. The foam lining in these hats is barely noticeable so it's the same as wearing an ordinary hat.

When someone has severely debilitating symptoms from multiple head hits, did they make the mistake of not relaxing enough???

Saying all symptoms are due to anxiety is not helpful because it does not address the underlying causes of concussion symptoms. There is more going on than just anxiety, and people know it. Yes, anxiety may contribute to concussion symptoms, and it may be a roadblock, but it's not the only factor and it's not the main factor.

The bottom line is that you need to protect the head while recovering from a concussion. At the very minimum that means stop participating in risky activities. If you can get through your concussion without banging your head, then great. But if head bumps become a problem, then more protection is needed.

These minor head bumps are not the cause of the symptoms.

The fact is simple. Many people who have been on this forum over the past 10+ years suffered from concussion anxiety syndrome. Those that addressed their anxiety issues recovered. Most needed medication to help them as they learned to not react to every head contact. Six months with an SSRI or SNRI helped them. The help of a therapist was rarely effective unless they could control their thought reactions of looking for symptoms because they expect to have symptoms.

The research done by the experts shows that 80% of these people who struggle with CAS or have prolonged symptoms had prior struggles with anxiety and/or depression.

If you look at what anxiety does to the brain, you'd see how this makes sense.

Secondary head hits, even minor head hits, are very very bad because they trigger excessive inflammation, which is damaging. The more head hits, the more the brain over-reacts and pumps out too much inflammation. If you look at the most severe PCS cases, the impact forces were not enough to cause severe symptoms. Anxiety alone was not enough either.

People with a history of anxiety struggle with prolonged symptoms because anxiety causes brain inflammation, and that inflammation contributes to the symptoms.

A lot of the foods we eat cause inflammation, especially sugar and refined carbohydrates. So those foods will exacerbate CAS sensitivities.

Anxiety treatment and concussion treatment should start with diet to reduce inflammation. Studies show that people who consume lots of refined carbohydrates and processed vegetable oils have higher levels of anxiety. So anxiety, concussion symptoms, and diet are all interconnected.


Aadopt a high fat / ketogenic / sugar free / wheat free / organic diet to help keep the inflammation down as part of your treatment.

• Stop eating sugar and refined carbohydrates (fructose, wheat, white flour) because they cause inflammation, lack nutrition, and are acidic.
• Replace wheat with whole grains such as Quinoa flour, Almond flour, or Chickpea flour.
• Avoid processed vegetable oils because they can cause oxidation and inflammation which is destructive. (Canola Oil, Safflower oil, Sunflower oil, shortening, Hydrogenated oils)
• Cook with healthy saturated fats such as Coconut oil, Olive oil, butter, or animal fats instead, and eat lots of it.
• Processed foods often contain the bad ingredients and added sugars so they should be avoided.

An arm or light elbow to the head in bed or brushing the door post in the car or these other light impacts like noted by DeanBJJ do not cause inflammation. The anxiety is the cause of the inflammation.

Anxiety and inflammation: What is the link?


The impact forces of the light bumps is no more that routine head movements. Walking, especially walking down steps is more G force than these light bumps. The tactile sensation of the head contact triggers the anxiety response that causes the inflammatory response.

Exposure therapy with frequent expected and unexpected head contact can help reduce the trigger response.

In that article it talks about the role of the Gut Microbiome on inflammation and mental health. An overgrowth of bad bacteria causes inflammation in other parts of the body, including the brain. That inflammation can cause anxiety and other mood disorders.

Diets high in sugar and refined carbohydrates feed the bad bacteria and cause increased levels of anxiety and inflammation. So do preservatives, medications, and artificial sweeteners. All foods are either anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory and we tend to eat too much of the inflammatory foods.

Then when another inflammatory condition comes along, like Post Concussion Syndrome, the brain can't cope with so much inflammation and then people struggle with long term symptoms and sensitivities.

So we're supposed to take a SSRI to compensate for our poor diet?

Treatment should start with a proper diet and a healthy gut microbiome. Stop eating the inflammatory foods. Stop feeding the bad bacteria. When you give the body optimal nutrition and optimal conditions, the brain will heal itself.

Not to argue at all....You can eat the best food and still suffer from mental illness and or depression....There is no SIMPLE FIX!

I agree that there is no simple fix. The human body is very complex. That's why treatment should be a multipronged approach - diet, microbiome, inflammation, head protection, gradual exposure, neurogenisis, and not just anxiety alone.

It seems like the worst PCS cases involve ssri antidepressants. My experience was a nightmare.