Which Stormtrooper helmet should I buy?

Some of the Star Wars Stormtrooper helmets currently available to buy

There’s never been a better time to buy a Stormtrooper helmet. The only question is, which one? 

There are two things to consider - your budget and whether you want to wear it or just display it. Some are made as a costume wearable and some are prop replicas intended for display. Anovos produce costume wearables and EFX produce prop replicas. There are Lucas Film licensed helmets and even fan-made helmets. 

For the gallery photograph above I've selected helmets which were broadly comparable. For example I've included the top of the range Rubies helmet, which is their ‘collectable’ edition. The Shepperton Design Studio helmet in the photograph is their cheapest 'Battlespec' edition. 

You often see helmets referred to as 'Stunt' or 'Hero'. Basically, a Stunt helmet is the term used for a helmet which appeared in background shots of the film. A 'Hero' helmet had better attention to detail so it could be used for close-up shots. You'll find much more about this on the fan websites.

This is more of an introduction than in-depth guide.

The comparison table below shows all the different versions available from each maker. At the bottom end of the scale is the Rubies two piece costume mask. At the top end of the scale is the Rolls Royce of  Stormtrooper helmets made by Shepperton Design Studies with their 'Hero' helmet.

Maker	Version	£*
EFX https://efxcollectibles.com		269.95
Anovos https://www.anovos.com	Original trilogy pre-assembled	200.00
	Kit version	120.00
Shepperton Design Studios http://www.originalstormtrooper.com	Hero	499.99
	Stunt	449.99
	Standard	299.99
	Battle spec	200.00
RS Propmasters http://www.rspropmasters.com	Jim Dowdall Signature Edition	324.99
	Stunt	299.99
Hasbro https://www.hasbro.com	Black Series	89.99
Rubies https://www.rubies.com	Supreme	72.70
	Classic	39.98
	Standard (mask)	35.00

(April 2017)

*The prices I’ve shown are from different sources including Amazon, eBay and makers own websites. Some prices have been converted to British Stirling so there may be some slight variation. One thing to bear in mind is the additional costs of postage/packing plus import duty and taxes if buying from the USA. This can make what seems to be a good buy, much more expensive and less attractive. In which case a helmet by Shepperton Design Studios may prove to be a better buy. No doubt it's the same vice versa. VAT and import taxes into the USA must make the Shepperton helmets rather pricey.

If you have a few thousand pounds going spare then you can of course go for the 'full monty' and fulfill a childhood dream by treating yourself to a complete Stormtrooper outfit. Some of which are so good you could qualify as an instant film exta! Since there's now such a wide choice of Stormtrooper helmets you can choose to speciliase in collecting just Stormtrooper helmets and all their variants. However, this will require a good size budget and lots of space to display your prize helmets.

To the uninitiated, they all look the same. However, start to delve deeper and you realise there's more to it than meets the eye. The devil is in the detail. Changes were made to the production props with each new film. The first helmet props seen in Episode IV A New Hope were hastily made using improvised techniques and materials. All this has been examined in great detail elsewhere so I've included some reference links further down.

One of the good things about Disney owning the star wars empire is that it’s keen to cash in in the blossoming market for Star Wars prop replicas and costumes. That's good news for fans because it leads to some exciting new products for collectors.

I was shocked when I discovered that the former Star Wars prop replica maker Master Replicas disappeared into obscurity. I had previously purchased several of their products which I imported directly from the USA. They were expensive then, but many were limited editions and made to a high standard (even if it was in China).

A boxed Master Replicas Stormtrooper helmet 2007

 

I picked up a Master Replica Stormtrooper helmet from Play.com (now gone) when they were selling them for about half price. I think I paid about £45 instead of the full retail price of around £89 (if my memory is correct). I was impressed with the helmet. As with Master Replicas products it was more of a display item but could be worn and had some very basic foam padding inside. That was back in 2007 and it was certainly the best around for that money at that time. I couldn’t believe they could make such a good helmet for that price. Then I spotted the “Made in China” sticker. We have some things to thank China for.

Master Replica helmets still come up on eBay from time to time and go for around £150-£200. Considerably more than what I paid! However, there's more choice now and for around £200 you can get something equally good if not better. Some of the limited edition versions made by Master Replicas sell for over £1000!

Master Replicas

 

Is it worth spending around £200 for a 10 year old Master Replicas helmet?

Master Replicas

Master Replicas interior had minimal foam padding

The detail on the Master Replicas helmet was excellent

For the purist who wants a ‘screen accurate’ helmet it has to be either Shepperton Design Studios or RS Prop Masters. With Shepperton Design studios you’re getting something which is handmade from the original producer*. It doesn’t get much closer to an original prop than that. But is it too good? It’s made from the original molds, which were not perfect and produced a slightly asymmetrical helmet. This could actually disappoint some. In the face of increasing competition, Shepperton Design studios, have wisely produced a ‘Battle Spec’ helmet for the budget conscious which comes in at a competitive £200. RS Prop Masters produce what's considered to be one of the most accurate prop replicas, including imperfections found on the originals.

*Without meaning to open a can of worms, it's worth noting that hardcore fans are unhappy with claims made by Shepperton Studios and have pretty much blacklisted their helmets. However, claims and counter-claims aside, the helmets look pretty good to me. If you're interested in finding out more about this controversy, you can enter the debate here:
http://www.therpf.com/f45/original-anh-stormtrooper-helmet-armor-just-facts-102219/

Before you know it, you’re collecting Stormtrooper helmets because each one is slightly different - one for display, one for wearing etc, etc. That's fine if you have the budget and space to display them. My Master Replicas helmet was on display for quite some time before finding it's way back in the box due to lack of space. It's one of those things which should be on display or it's not really worth keeping. If you're a natural hoarder/collector like me, then just the fact you own it gives satisfaction - even if you can't find anywhere to display it! 

The Anovos helmet kit version looks to be excellent value. The only thing that puts me off is having to pay postage, packing plus import duties from the USA, which bumps up the price considerably.

I almost didn’t include Rubies because they’re of a much lower standard, but decided to include their ‘supreme’ collectors edition helmet. To be fair they’re more like cheap costume wearables rather than collectors items. Probably fine for children or adult fancy dress parties where you could use it as a urinal in an emergency. Don’t expect much and you won’t be disappointed.

Hasbro Rogue One Stormtrooper helmet

If you want a Stormtrooper helmet, but aren't prepared to stretch to £200 for something which is nice to own but not useful, then I would recommend the Hasbro helmet. It doesn’t matter that the ‘voice changer’ microphone doesn’t work, it still looks good. There’s nothing else around this good for the money. It's not an original trilogy version since it's based on Rogue One, but it's close enough and looks great. Although Hasbro are a toy maker, this is certainly more of a collectable than toy and good enough to satisfy most fans. It's not classed as a prop replica because of the voice changer modifications. This one looks good on display or as a costume item. Only hardcore fans would notice it's not an original trilogy helmet. I think it will probably be a future collectable even though it's produced in large numbers. Many are being modified by owners so 'untouched' versions may be sought after. Some have wondered whey they even bothered adding the voice changer. I suspect this could be down to the terms of their licence. Without the voice changer it's almost in direct competition from the likes of Anovos and perhaps EFX.

Update: I decided to buy a Hasbro Stormtrooper helmet and it arrived at the end of May 2017. I paid £72.28 from Amazon. I can remember my Master Replicas helmet was very well packaged inside the cardboard box. It had that strong kind of suction molded plastic in two half's which offered excellent protection. The Hasbro helmet comes in three separate pieces inside clear plastic bags. There was just one piece of protective cardboard on the top, otherwise the items were loose within the box. In fact the box lid was only secured with one small piece of clear sellotape which looked as if it had already been opened. I adjusted the inside strapping before assembling the helmet as that was easier. The helmet sections clipped together with some firm but careful force. At first there was a gap between the top piece and bottom at the back, as reported by others. However after some further careful pressure applied to various points, the gap almost completely closed. Fully assembled it looks excellant. Whilst a little uncomfortable to wear, it looks excellent on display, preferably with a stand. I didn't even bother to check the voice changer as I already know it's poor. Whilst it's not a replica and therefore not likely to get approval from the 501st, it's good enough for most fans.

If you see one you like then I would just buy it while you can. Some companies are producing them under a licence, which has a limited life span. Don't expect the same helmets to be still available in the coming years. Master Replicas is proof of that. The good thing is that the best helmets retain their value and will always sell second-hand.

Just when I thought I'd referenced all the main contenders, I came across two more helmet makers, RS Prop Masters and CFO (Cast From Originals). I've not added their helmets to my photo gallery for now but included RS in the comparison price table. RS Prop Masters specialise in making helmets which are as screen accurate as possible, in the true spirit of the original props. The team their sound like dedicated enthusiasts so 'helmets off' to them. CFO (Cast From Original) were founded in 2009. They offer "the rarest replicas all cast from original props, moulds or production made pieces available nowhere else". I couldn't find a website but they have a Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/castfromoriginal/?ref=page_internal

Shepperton Design Studios 'Hero' helmet

Here's a promotional video for the Hasbro Stormtrooper helmet:

I'm only really scratching the surface here but hopefully that’s enough of an overview to wet your appetite. For more detailed reviews, check out some of the many fan websites and YouTube videos.

The choice is yours!

If you're interested in further information about the origins of the Stormtrooper helmet and further comparisons then I recommend visiting here:

Stormtrooper helmet blog

http://www.starwarshelmets.com/

 

This Youtube channel is also a great source Star Wars Replicas

This original Episode V screen used prop helmet sold for $120,000 in October 2015

Real screen used prop helmets seen at 'Star Wars Identities' exhibition, London 2017

 

I was lucky enough to visit the Star Wars Identities exhibition at London in June 2017. I took the opportunity to get some photographs of the Stormtrooper helmets on display. These were all from the Lucas Film archive. Despite the fact that they were in a glass cabinet, I managed to get some reasonable closeups of helmets from each film in the original trilogy. 

Episode IV - A New Hope

These next photographs are one of the prop helmets used in Episode IV. Apparently, 50 helmets were produced for use in the first film. What becomes apparent on closer inspection is that this example was made from a sand coloured plastic, brush painted with white gloss. On the third picture, you can even see where the paint has dripped when it was painted. The paint has cracked and fallen away from areas at the bottom of the helmet. If you can remember the quality of the original screen projected Episode IV then you know that such imperfections would never be seen on all but the closet shots. This helmet has the standard plastic lenses and was therefore not one of the few used for very closeup shots. On this helmet the nose piece was hand painted silver and had holes (the black areas).

Original Episode IV Stormtrooper helmet prop

Silver paint has been used for the nose piece

You can see from this photograph where the white paint has dripped when it was painted

Cracked paintwork reveals the original khaki/sand colour

Green plastic lenses were used for the eyes

It looks like the detailing on the cheek is a hand-painted sticker.

Detail on the Hasbro helmet

I still like the Hasbro helmet as it's an example of how the helmet was intended to look (apart from the voice changer conversion).

Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

The most notable difference with this next prop helmet is that the nose area is completely black with no holes. There is also some sand coloured residue on the bottom which suggests it may also have been painted. The white surface is much smoother so it may have been spray painted. Some of the yellow residue looks like it may be from glue. In the fourth image there is a web strap hanging down so it may have been fitted with a helmet liner. The label attached to it gives the Lucas Film property details.

Here's a video made by Star Wars Helmets.com which features an  original prop from the Empire Strikes Back. The video mentions there are no Episode V helmets in the Lucas Archive collection - except for the two on display at Star Wars Identities!

Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

This prop helmet is a 'hero' version because it has the 'blister' eye lenses used for close-up shots. In this example the nose has holes. Notice how the mic tip on the left side has been pushed in slightly.

This closeup shows stickers were used for some of the detailing. I can understand now why some fans want to own an 'imperfect' replica since that's just what the original props were like. Peeling stickers and brush painted detail give it a unique appeal.











I managed to get a few photographs underneath this helmet. I wonder if the name written inside (K. Huston) was the actor who used it?










Here's a full costume used in Episode V on display at the Identities exhibition. This helmet is not the same as the one in the previous pictures. Both have the 'blister' type of plastic eyes. Notice how the 'brow' sits very low on this example with no white plastic visible below it. 

A Stormtrooper Costume used in Episode V

Rubies?

I came across this rather sorry looking Stormtrooper being used as a prop in a cafe. From a distance it looks quite good. However, he's lost the mouthpiece to the helmet. Looking closely at the helmet you can see that it's not very good quality and I suspect is one of the Rubies helmets. I think he swapped his blaster for some Christmas tree lights. I'm not sure about his armour, but it looks like a reasonable copy of the real prop.