Without a helmet to protect their ears, wrestlers risk permanently scarred and disfigured ears. A condition called cauliflower ear is extremely common in wrestling because of the constant pounding that the ears end up getting. In the standing position, the fighters grind their forehead against their opponent’s ear and temple for an advantageous maneuver. A good takedown is often achieved by driving through your opponent with your head and often landing with your ear against his hip. The ears also take a constant beating from being ground on the carpet. With all this friction against the direct skin and cartilage of the ear, it doesn’t take long before an injury occurs. The most common injury includes a separation of the skin and cartilage that creates a painful, inflamed sac of fluid. This is an acute injury that requires minor surgery and definitely some time off the mat. Without surgery, the acute swelling will subside, but the space left from the separation will remain and will eventually fill in again and leave a scar each time. While some seem more prone to this problem than others, it is serious enough to wear hearing protectors literally every time you fight.
Despite the potential drawbacks, severe pain, possible surgery, and even permanent disfigurement, most fighters are surprisingly negative about wearing helmets. During the season, you will see almost every fighter wearing a pair in tournaments. However, this is because the helmet is mandatory in school sports. Real opinions come to light out of season. Unless the match requires it, you will see few wrestlers wearing ear protectors. Most of the time you train with them and when they ask you why, you will find very few favorable answers. The fact is, wrestlers hate hats. It’s the moms and wrestling trainers who like it and make them use it. The other fact is, you can’t fight any tournament that really matters without it, so it’s here to stay. With this in mind, it is wise to choose a brand that offers the best protection and performance while being the least intrusive. This is why you will also see most of the wrestlers in tournaments wearing the same brand of wrestling helmet, Cliff Keen.
After a legendary wrestling coaching career, Cliff Keen had worked in the industry long enough to know what athletes needed to perform at their best. It began producing and selling wrestling gear in 1958 and has been going strong for over 50 years creating teams that have been the staple of the sport since it began. With innovative supplies that referees and athletes use in tournaments and practice rooms around the world, Cliff Keen is perhaps best known as the father of wrestling helmets. As a true testament to his genius, the original traditional helmet design he created has changed very little since its inception and is still widely used today at almost every level of wrestling. Compared to the few brands that dare to offer competition, the Cliff Keen headgear offers the lowest profile, the most secure fit, and the highest performing hearing protectors in the business by far. As time has passed, only Cliff Keen has developed wrestling hearing protection further by producing three different models, Signature (Traditional), Twister and Tornado.
The Cliff Keen Signature harness is also known as the ‘traditional’ model and is perhaps the most widely used in all of wrestling. It is made of a round, hard plastic cup covered with firm, padded foam that fits over both ears. Foam is an important part of the original Cliff Keen patent from over 50 years ago, as it is firm enough to withstand tons of abuse rolling on the carpet and still forms a comfortable padded contact on the surrounding skin / head. ear. The hard inner cup offers complete ear protection and the padded outer foam has a slippery surface so it glides well against the mat during combat. Four straps hold the Cliff Keen Signature Harness in place and give it a very sleek profile close to the head. These ear protectors are very lightweight and fully adjustable for a perfect fit. The adult size Signature helmet can also be adjusted to fit youngsters, but you may need to shorten the straps by cutting them with a pair of scissors.
The advantages of Cliff Keen Signature Traditional helmets are many and somewhat obvious, as they remain the best-selling ear protectors of all time. They are super tough and can last for several seasons if you take care of them. This includes wiping the padding with antibacterial soap wipes to keep it clean and hydrated. Most fighters, however, neglect their Signature helmet and simply toss it in their bag until the next tournament and this will eventually increase wear. When Cliff Keen Traditional hearing protectors begin to wear out, the padding will develop cracks that can harbor bacteria and lead to skin infections. Fortunately, the Signature helmet is very affordable (under $ 35 at most stores) and many fighters opt for a new pair each season. Adjusting the traditional Cliff Keen helmet is tricky and is often done just before first use. Tighten them tightly and they will loosen a bit after training several times for a perfect fit. A well-worn Signature helmet set that needs to be adjusted is often more of a problem than it’s worth as the padding / cup will cause small grooves in the straps and make it almost impossible to change them.
The Tornado Fighting Helmet is a later model from Cliff Keen that is definitely a step up from the traditional Signature style. These ear protectors are a successful attempt to improve the few shortcomings that traditional helmets may have. Based on a revolutionary design from research actually done by NASA, the Tornado helmet is 43% lighter and significantly cooler to wear. They also have a headphone that helps amplify the sound so you can hear your corner coaches better. The Cliff Keen Tornado harness straps are made with material straps and a velcro / snap system that is much easier and faster to adjust compared to the classic Signature model. The padding on these wrestling ear protectors is also much softer and more comfortable against the skin. While the Tornado may ultimately perform better than the traditional one in the short term, it does not appear to have the longevity that the Signature harness typically has. If there is any downside to the Tornado style, it is with the padding. Towards the end of its life, the pads of the ears begin to soften too much, lose their elasticity and become flat. This is when it comes time to buy another pair, however it should last for a full year of training abuse.
The latest addition to Cliff Keen’s family of wrestling helmets is called the Twister. While this model is another attempt to improve something that needs very little, it is closer to the Tornado than to the Signature. The Twister has the same basic layout as the Tornado harness, so it has the same great performance benefits; cool, comfortable, extremely light, easy to adjust and with good sound quality. The main difference between the two is that the Cliff Keen Twister harness has only two head straps instead of three. For some, this is an advantage for an even faster / easier adjustment; for others, the 2 strap system doesn’t feel as secure. With the same type of head padding used in ear protectors as the Tornado, the Twister also has the same issues with padding that becomes flat over time. It should also be noted that Velcro strap systems tend to show wear considering how often the wrestling helmet is worn / removed.
When buying wrestling headgear, the variety list is somewhat limited. There are only a few other companies that offer wrestling ear protectors and most only offer their version of what Cliff Keen already masters. While this article mentions the pros and cons of the different models available, it should be noted that the pros far outweigh the cons. Wrestling is a tough sport and most gear (including shoes, jerseys, knee pads, bags, etc.) only last about one season, no matter how well they are cared for. Despite listing wear and tear as one of the disadvantages associated with the Cliff Keen harness in this article, these ear protectors last longer or at least as long as any other. In addition to a color or style requirement imposed by your team, the wrestling helmet is an individual preference. However, the fact is, if you choose something other than Cliff Keen, you are probably making a mistake.