As fans and tailgaters, we always want to show our support for our team. Whether it is in the parking lot sporting your favorite jersey or on the highway with traditional window flags, fans are never shy about showing the world who they root for.
We recently discovered a new way to show off your team pride on your tailgating vehicle and you can show that support at full highway speeds. We had a chance to test out and review the Smack Hat, a full sized football helmet that attaches to the roof of your vehicle via non-marking magnets.
As you can see from the accompanying photos, the Smack Hat is a football helmet that is fitted with heavy duty magnets that will not mark up or chip your car’s paint. It is designed to go on the roof of your car and allows you to show your team spirit on the highway.
The instructions tell you two things you should not do when using your Smack Hat. 1) Only use it on the roof of your car. I am assuming you should not use it on the hood because it could block your ability to see the road and therefore become a driving hazard. 2) The Smack Hat is certified to withstand winds up to 80 MPH. That means if you are driving into a 10 MPH headwind, you should keep your vehicle at 70 MPH or lower in order to ensure the Smack Hat does not come off your vehicle.
When I received my sample of the Smack Hat I was a bit skeptical that a pair of magnets would be able to hold it onto the top of my car at full highway speeds. Naturally because we tend to test things fully here at TailgatingIdeas.com, I placed the Smack Hat on the top of my car and took it out for a spin. (For those of you long time readers, you may notice that gone is the Black Lincoln Navigator and it has been replaced by a Nissan NV Passenger Van.) I hit the California freeways and immediately hit 70 MPH. I was paying attention to the roof of the van in case the Smack Hat did become dislodged it would make a noise along the top as it flew off. Never heard a thing and drove for about 10 minutes at 70 MPH. Once I exited the freeway and parked I checked to see if there was any movement or if somehow the Smack Hat had migrated a bit. It hadn’t moved. It was still in the same exact place I had placed it when I first got it out of the box.
The next test was an extended drive down to San Diego from Orange County this past Monday for the Chargers vs. Broncos Monday Night Football game. I set my cruise control at 75 MPH and was on my way. I was unsure if I was getting any headwind so I thought it would be good to play it safe and keep it at 75 MPH just in case there was a wind over 5 MPH coming at me. The whole 90 minute drive to San Diego the Smack Hat stayed on and was the subject of a number of motorists passing me with the thumbs up and pointing to the football helmet on top of my car. Obviously the other fans on the way to the game thought it was unique and pretty cool or they just would have passed me without any acknowledgement of it.
Upon arriving at my normal tailgating location at Qualcomm Stadium, those who normally tailgate around me first noticed the new vehicle and then asked me about the helmet on the top of my car. When I told them it was a helmet that attaches to your car via magnets and can be easily removed when you are not on the way to the game, they were stunned. I probably took the Smack Hat off the top of my car four or five times during the course of the tailgate because so many people couldn’t believe a helmet would stay on top of your car at such high speeds held on by only magnets.
Based on the fact the Smack Hat enables you to show your pride and support for your team not only in the parking lot but on the way to the game, we are going deem the Smack Hat “Tailgate Approved”.
The Smack Hat comes in all 32 NFL team helmets and 92 NCAA teams. In order to find out if your college football team comes in a Smack Hat, visit smackhat.com. Regarding price, there is no difference whether you prefer to buy an NFL or NCAA Smack Hat. All Smack Hats are priced at $88.50 with additional shipping added during checkout. The good news is that if you want to get a Smack Hat in time for this weekend’s game, they do offer expedited shipping including 2Day and Next Day delivery options.
For more information or to buy a Smack Hat for yourself, visit smackhat.com.