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Bulletproof vests have offered protection for people's bodies for years, but they're of little use if an assailant aims at the wearer's head.

While bulletproof helmets are typically heavy, conspicuous and expensive.

Now, one designer claims to have found a solution. He has created a lightweight, 'stylish' baseball cap that can repel a range of ammunition.

A Michigan-based company has designed a bulletproof baseball cap (shown). Called BulletSafe its hard panel makes the cap bulletproof against all handguns up to a .45ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). However, the protective panel is only located in the front of the cap, meaning the sides and the back are not protected

However, the protective panel is only located in the front of the cap, meaning the sides and the back of the head are not protected.

The hard panel makes the cap bulletproof against all handguns up to a .45ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol).

It is inserted behind the front third of the baseball cap, fits close to the wearer's forehead and is made of high-strength material usually used in ballistic plates to stop rifle fire.

The cap's inventor, Tom Nardone from Birmingham, Michigan described it as 'a much friendlier form of protection than a helmet'.

The 44-year-old said: 'In this case, the panel will be thinner than rifle plates and will be used to stop handgun rounds, which typically have about a quarter of the ballistic energy of a rifle round.

'When it is shot with a handgun it will stop the bullet with very little deformation. This will spread the energy of the bullet over the area of your forehead.

'A powerful handgun like a .45ACP has about twice the energy as a hockey shot, so being shot in the head wearing this hat will hurt as much as being hit in your hockey helmet by two hockey snapshots at once.

'It will hurt, but the difference between that and being shot in the head is immense.'

The cap's inventor described it as 'a much friendlier form of protection than a helmet'. A test of a prototype product is shown. The idea to create the bulletproof cap came about when Tom Nardone's company, BulletSafe Bulletproof Vests, was asked if it was going to introduce a line of ballistic helmets

While the cap protects wearers at the front, the sides and back don't contain bulletproof panels so provide no protection. However, the inventor said the cap is 'a much friendlier form of protection than a helmet'. The exact distance at which the cap can repel a bullet has not been revealed

The idea to create the bulletproof cap came about when Mr Nardone's company, BulletSafe Bulletproof Vests, was asked if it was going to introduce a line of ballistic helmets. 

'The plate material is not new, it is being used in rifle plates today, but that side of the project required some calculation,' continued Mr Nardone.

'We built a firing prototype from some existing materials and tested it to make sure the concept worked and that a panel of our size wouldn't fold or buckle.

'Then we started working on making such a panel fit in the baseball cap. We have been working on it for about 11 months.'

He continued that the firm will spend the next months building moulds and pressing the panels.

They will then be tested to the current bulletproof standards before being put into production. 

The exact distance at which the cap can repel a bullet has not been revealed, and will depend on further development and testing.

He said: 'Our vests sell mainly to security guards and I couldn't imagine walking into a bank and seeing a security guard wearing a ballistic helmet.

'It just seemed ridiculous. I could see the need for some bulletproof protection for the head, but not a helmet.

'In the US, some officers and guards wear baseball caps on duty. It is actually fairly common when they patrol outside as it keeps the sun out of their eyes.

'Most police departments try to dissuade officers from wearing sunglasses because they want them to be able to make eye contact with the public.

'Officers and guards usually wear neat looking, dark coloured hats. I decided to see what we could fit for ballistic protection inside one of those.

'The cap is meant for police officers, security guards, and anyone who wants protection without intimidation.' 

From left to right is a polymer mock-up of the panel, a paper pattern, and a shooting sample made from a helmet section. Mr Nardone's Kickstarter campaign for the headgear has already raised more than £4,800 ($7,500) of its initial £2,250 ($3,500) target

When bullets strike the cap (shown) they do not penetrate as far as the wearer's head, keeping them protected from shots that hit them straight on. The cap will be made publicly available near the end of 2015. A black version costs £83 ($129), but those backing the Kickstarter project can buy one for £64 ($99)

Mr Nardone's Kickstarter campaign for the headgear has already raised more than £4,800 ($7,500) of its inital £2,250 ($3,500) target. 

A black version of the cap costs £83 ($129), but those backing the Kickstarter project are offered the hats at a discounted price of £64 ($99).

Alternatively, Kickstarter backers can pay £96 ($149) for a custom hat in various colours and styles.

The cap, which comes small, medium/large and extra large, is expected to be available in November this year.

Mr Nardone said: 'When the caps are ready in late 2015 they will have been tested to stop most of the handguns people will see on the streets of the US.

'It will provide that level of protection over the front third of the baseball cap. The cap will save your life if you are shot in that area.

'It will be bulletproof for all handguns up to a .45 ACP. It is tested at a very short distance, but will work against further ones as well.;

However, he added that the cap won't stop a bullet from most rifles.

'The cap will be tested in an independent ballistics lab to a standard set forth by the US National Institute of Justice, who sets the standards for bulletproof vests and helmets, so everyone will be guaranteed that it works as promised.'