Do helmets effect damage?

[gaznox 7]

I heard that helmets prevent players from getting knocked down when hit with a melee weapon in the head. Do helmets reduce damage from bullets?

[AP_Norris 1017]

I think ballistic helmets can ricochet bullets.

Not many helmets can actually stop bullets IRL though.

[Horatio 22]

I'm pretty sure the Bike Helmet protect against damage to the head, from melee at least:)

I recall Rocket saying this in one of his streams :)

[ianramos 47]

I've tested it myself: it does protect you from melee (at least from punches it does). I've been fighting with some guys and when I was using the helmet I couldn't get knocked out (got hit like 7, 8 times in the head). The other guys that were not using the helmet got knocked out with 1, 2 maybe 3 punches.

 

If you respawn and find a helmet soon, you will be protected from those annoyin fresh spawned dudes that cant see anyone and want to fight. ;)

[Luthor Chickenfeet 29]

Don't know about bullets but they definitely offer protection against axes. 

I'd logged in straight after the servers came online earlier as a new spawn and found an axe and helmet within a few minutes. 

Some swine crept up behind me and smashed me over the head with an axe (though I had nothing worth stealing, other than the helmet).

I heard the pinging noise, realised I'd been hit and turned around to find him standing there ready to swing again, so smacked him one. 

He managed another swing at my shoulder so I was bleeding, but he was obviously put off by the fact the helmet had warded off his head blow and tried to avoid me, but I did eventually land enough blows for him to die. B)

He had more loot on him than I have ever seen in game! But I managed to bleed myself unconscious whilst looting.   :blush:

[Flagella 69]

Bike Helmets reduce the damage by bullets to the head but do not stop them, it may stop you from dying but you'll get knocked out which in this version of the game results in the same thing but I shot a guy in the head with a bike helmet (with an M4), he didn't die then shot another guy without a bike helmet and he died straight away.

[kingochaos 131]

Bike Helmets reduce the damage by bullets to the head but do not stop them, it may stop you from dying but you'll get knocked out which in this version of the game results in the same thing but I shot a guy in the head with a bike helmet (with an M4), he didn't die then shot another guy without a bike helmet and he died straight away.

Cool, now we need you to shoot a guy with a kevlar helmet in the head, and one without and get back to us with the results.. :D

[Hvizeu 17]

A guy sprayed at me with and M4 from 10 meters away, i think he used the full clip, and i survived withouth any bleeding and just minor pain, i was wearing the army hat, gas mask, green raincoat, those army vests, some random cargo pants and army boots,... mind you most of my clothes got to the verge of destruction except the helmet, but it saved my skin from a nasty bandit.

[sharrakor 3]

From what I can tell, If you have a pristine helmet equipped and you get hit, it will then become ruined or worn. So always try and pick up the pristine ones when you see them.