Helmets - some advice on what to buy

[scottishskier]

Hi,

I haven't been on here for a while but promise I will try and drop my more often! I'm thinking about buying a helmet for the first time. I've never worn one til now but recently I've been getting faster and trying out more adventurous terrain. I've also had a go at snowboarding and banged my head (nothing serious) whilst learning and I'm heading out to France for a season (longer time on slopes= more risk?).

Anyway for above reasons and general safety I'm thinking about buying a helmet and I've done a search on here and found some good advice. My main question is about price though. I'll be buying in the UK and it seems the prices of helmets range from about £40 to well over £150. Is a more expensive helmet safer? I'm a bit skint and if I buy a helmet I will need to buy new goggles as well, but if cheap helmets aren't as good then I'm not sure if I should maybe not bother, save some money and buy a good one later on. What do people on here think?

 

[Jillian]

To compare helmets for safety, you can look at the labels stating which standards the helmets comply with. Also the fit of the helmet will affect safety.
So, if a less expensive helmet fits well, is comfortable and complies with the same standard as a more expensive one, it is worth considering. The more expensive one may have more features or simply be a more upmarket brand.
Smith make an adaptor strap for their goggles - other companies may do so as well??
Hopefully you will find a solution that fits your needs and your budget, with the help of the Divas here and a friendly ski shop!!

 

[lovebug]

I dont know what options you have available to you, and it really is worth spending some time trying things on. You may just find that the one that fits best is cheaper and just as safe. Picking the actual helmet was easy for me - a GyroFuse - it just felt the most comfie of all the helmets I tried on. After that, my main decision came down to which pattern to get. I want to look cute on the slopes after all! Also, if you love your goggles, bring them along and make sure that they actually work with your helmet. Not all goggles that are helmet compatable seem to actually fit well with all helmets.

Without getting into the whole "to helmet or not to helmet" debate, I have found that like a seatbelt it feels so wrong to click into my skis without a helmet on. I mine. My head is warmer and the helmet is so comfortable I kinda forget its there. Plus my hubby and I can knock heads on the lift and not worry about it

 

[MaineSkiLady]

I don’t know how the whole labeling concept applies to helmets that are sold outside of the U.S., (especially those made in other countries) but there are 2 testing institutes here: ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and SNELL https://www.smf.org/stds.html. Not all helmets are evaluated by SNELL. I know that Leedom definitely is. I would agree that looking for these “seals of approval” might be a helpful guide.

Either way, the impact protection of any helmet is going to be better than no helmet.
So, if I were you, I would try on (bring your goggles) and go for the best comfort and fit. No wiggling room, it should be snug, but if you wear a balaclava in very cold weather, also bring that along to make sure there’s sufficient room for it. Most newer ones now offer good ventilation. A good fitting helmet doesn’t even feel like it’s on your head.

 

[PNWSkier]

I had a difficult time finding a helmet that fit my head comfortably. I don't know if I have a strangely shaped head but the only brand that I really fit was Boeri. I was hoping to get Giro because I kept seeing them on sale and on SAC. I also tried just about every helmet in several ski shops. I ended up spending more than I wanted but my helmet fits. If I were you I would try a bunch of different helmets and then price compare the ones that fit. You might find like me that you are limited to a few to choose from.

 

[shnu]

I don’t know how the whole labeling concept applies to helmets that are sold outside of the U.S., (especially those made in other countries) but there are 2 testing institutes here: ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and SNELL https://www.smf.org/stds.html. Not all helmets are evaluated by SNELL. I know that Leedom definitely is. I would agree that looking for these “seals of approval” might be a helpful guide.

Just went through this thread and found it very interesting to think of this labeling/safety standards. So I was searching for the european standards and found the one that deals with ski-/snowboardhelmets, EN 1077 from 2007. Couldn't find the complete standard, but here, and here you can get the idea, that there is a certification standard for helmets. And I'm of the opinion that most well known brands have this certificate. So if a cheaper one fits and is certified with EN 1077 it should work.

As mentioned before, the best would be to go shopping with you goggle. Try some before you make your decision. I bouhgt my Scott - just noticed the EN 1077 - about 3 years ago and spent something between 70 and 90 EUR on it. It was not the cheapest but the most comfortable for me. And fortunately my Anon (bought it after I got the helmet) fits.

I saw the RED Trace for example for 60 EUR, I think that's okay. Of course, if you want some extra features like an integrated audiosystem it will be more expensive