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@Todd
Here's what I'm thinking re: grills and helmets... Because I feel like telling you all where I'm at.
Kayak polo helmets and cages seem good. The cages are light and the bars not too thick. Helmets have vents too. The Pro-tec ones look good. You can get quite open canoe polo cages which would be great. Unfortunately I haven't found any here in the uk so you'd have to cut out some bars.
Heavy helmets suck. Especially when they have no vents either. Ice hockey helmets seem heavy and cover too much of the head. Hurling helmets seem better but have bulky foam inside. More pro ice hockey helmets have lighter padding plus memory foam inserts. You'll need something to wick sweat away from the forehead. Cages for these helmets are good but you need some support around the neck area. Canoe grills are easier to attach and hold their position. (Can't adjust once fitted).
Baseball, American Football, and Softball helmet all seem bulky and heavy. The grills for them have thick bars. Fixcraft cage is just a baseball one (I think) It's a nice set up with the Bern but something much lighter would be better. And Berns make you sweat.
Cricket helmets seem good though actual helmet may be a bit oversize.
Grills are the best I've seen and bars are relatively thin which helps with vision.
Some have more wires than others. They hold a good shape and don't need to be held down with a chin strap.
Todd's verdict:
Cycling helmets can be found cheap. They have vents and are really light. The downside is they can smash easy or might have to be changed over sometimes.
You want the protection without the weight right?
Easy enough to replace. I've seen some decent ones in the sale recently for £20 etc.
If you want something more durable get a low profile bmx helmet with a ton of vents.
Cricket cage. Lighter the better and attach it to a cycling helmet. Titanium ones are almost half the weight of steel. You don't want them to weight the front of the helmet down.
I've recently seen new ti grills for £30 online on offer.
If you attach them right they should last well. Mallets and balls to the face will be fine. (tilt grill up to give better eye protection)
A fall might break it if the cycling helmet is a mega light ventilated one. MTB ones look tougher.
Protect your face. I keep getting closer and closer to a big mallet swings. The UK champs final frightened the shit out of me when challenging low for the ball. Even those with the best mallet control will swing to hit the ball. And I don't want to back out of any challenge 'cause I'm scared.
I've bought a Masuri Ti grill and will be attempting to attach it to my Ekoi city helmet which is incredibly light. I hope it works out.
The end.