Pyramex Ridgeline Full Brim Hard Hat

The Pyramex Ridgeline is one of the best-selling hard hats on Amazon, with more than 18,000 ratings. It's easy to see why. You get a full brim hard hat with a ratchet suspension and an electrical rating for well under $40, and often under $20 in white.

The shell is high-density polyethylene. It meets ANSI Z89.1 Type 1 and is rated Class E, so it's proof-tested to 20,000 volts. The full brim shades your face, ears and neck and sends rain away from your collar, which makes it a popular choice for road crews, landscapers and anyone outside all day.

The standard version has a 4-point ratchet suspension that you can adjust while wearing the hat. Pyramex sells a 6-point suspension that converts the hat if you want a more stable fit. The brow pad, suspension and headband are all replaceable, so you can refresh the inside every year for a few dollars.

The Ridgeline also comes in a range of finishes, including matte and shiny graphite patterns that look like carbon fiber. They're popular because they look good, but they are standard polyethylene hard hats with a printed finish, not real carbon fiber. A vented version is available if you don't need the electrical rating.

It has the usual limits of a budget Type 1 hard hat. There's no side impact rating and no chin strap, and the 4-point suspension isn't as stable or as comfortable over a long shift as the 6- and 8-point suspensions on more expensive hats.

If your site now requires Type 2, Pyramex makes a separate Ridgeline T2 full brim with a 6-point suspension and an optional Mips liner. For a cheap, reliable Type 1 full brim, the standard Ridgeline is the one to buy.