The Best PPG Helmet & Headset Combo!

Starting out in powered paragliding, I like many others, went learned about the sport on Youtube.  Once I was in the phase to search for helmets I was very overwhelmed with prices ranging from $200 – over $1300. Do I build my own?  Do I drop $1,300+ on a new helmet?  Hit up ebay for the MX-03 or Yueny China helmets?  Piece together my own with a Sena and two way radio adapter?   Buy a PPG Helmet and headset designed for the PPG sport?

So what did we do?
All of the above.  Yes, we bought, borrowed, and built all of the above combinations and I’d like to share what we’ve learned:

Our Thoughts?

• Building a helmet (tried X5 different brands based on Youtube DIY videos): 
  • PROS:  color options, cost, and quick delivery from Amazon.  
  • CONS:  Comfort, quality of materials, fit was just not there, chin straps, and poor venting (most always open).  Expensive inadequate avionics options, needed to dig a bit to find comfy gel ear seals, and at the end by the time we added it all up we weren’t saving much at all and still had a bike/skate helmet on our head.
• PPGs $1300+ helmet:
  • PROS:  Looks cool, quality of materials, and you’ll get some attention about how much you spent on a helmet….if your into that kinda thing
  • CONS: COST, color options, and cost again
• China Helmets (MX-03 PPG Helmet & Yueny Helmets):
  • PROS:  Low cost, dual PTT on both sides of helmet, ok sound quality when volume up all the way.
  • CONS: Overall quality lacking.  You can feel the poor quality in the foam on the ear cups (very thin lining and weak foam), shell itself not as durable, chin straps feel like cheap back pack straps, poor audio through microphone, and PTT button feels very flimsy.  Audio connector on the MX-03 is soldered and hand assembled, worked great for us the first 3 months, then started having shorts and lost communications regularly…..re-soldered, heat shrunk….this fixed for another month.  We ended up buying a whole new connector and that fixed the problem thus far.  NO/LIMITED BLUETOOTH OPTIONS
• DIY SENA Helmet:
  • PROS: Colors and delivery timing
  • CONS: Cost, reliability, connection options to two radios, batteries to charge (Sena SMH10 & Sena 10R), and delayed communications while in intercom mode.  Hated the fact I had to charge 3 devices to go flying.
• Helmet and Headset for Designed for PPG  – ICARO Solar X Powered Paragliding / Paramotoring Helmet + Micro Avionics Bluetooth Ear cups
  • PROS:  Quality, weight, cost, delivery, reliability, adjustable, WAY quieter, noise canceling microphone,built in reliefs for running wires, open/close vent, and many awesome color options.   
  • CONS:  LED on inside of ear cup, easy to forget they were left.