Snowboarding Forum - Snowboard Enthusiast Forums banner

Helmet Suggestions...What do you wear?

14K views 63 replies 40 participants last post by  Mattfondren 
#1 ·
After nearly turning my brain into mashed potatoes the other day, I've accepted the fact that it's a good idea to ride with a helmet if I still want snowboard, or eat solid foods, past the age of 50.

So I'm looking for suggestions. Anyone happy with their helmet? Fit-wise, weight-wise etc...
 
#2 ·
Smith Variant Audio edition. It's super light, super comfy, full of vents and it has built in tunes. But really, it will all come down to personal preference. Just go to your local shop and start trying 'em on until you find one you like. Oh, and bring your goggles, that way you know they fit with the helmet.
 
#3 ·
Smith Maze:
Positives:
-Great fit, doesn't move around especially when locked down my goggle strap
-Great ventilation, open up or cover up vents on demand
-Ultra-light, can barely feel it on your head. Advertised as the lightest on the market and I don't disagree.
-Great goggle integration, at least with Smith goggles, Oakley Crowbars, or Spy Platoons.
-Warm, no need for a beanie, especially with the included ear pads
-Great protection, can withstand a head hit on ice at fairly moderate speed, from experience

Negative:
-Expensive, but you get what you pay for
-Ear pads jams in-ear headphones straight into the ear canal, painful but helps seal audio better
Great helmet.

It's the helmet that I currently use, and will continue to use until something lighter comes along.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I fell hard my first time riding. In fact I did it twice. I swore never to ride without a helmet again regardless of how good I may get. I realize that I can not only catch an edge at any point just due to bad conditions or something in the snow I didn't see but also because of someone sitting in the trail where they shouldnt be. Or a mistake collison from someone out of control. I can get bone damage fixed. Brain damage I can't.
Okay enough of the soap box.....


I have two helmets.
-Giro (L) which I no longer wear. Joint is huge and makes me look like I should ride the short yellow bus to school. Great protection though.

-Smith Allure (M) Yes its a females helmet. Didn't know that when i bought it. Oh well....so long as its not girlie colors I dont care. I like it lol
Fits great and has a furry lining inside. Low profile, comfortable and very light.

Might buy one of the higher end Smith helmets next season though
 
#10 ·
Another vote for the Smith Maze. Kept my noggin intact so far, and I've tested its durability a few times. Light weight, comfortable, and also has goggle vents in the front to prevent them from fogging.

But I'd still suggest trying several on and get the best fit with your head and goggles.
 
#15 ·
Well depends if you want a helmet just to protect you from pain or actual injury. If it's just pain get whatever helmet you want, but safety I would go with Giro or RED. They are the few companies that have their helmets actually certified.
 
#16 ·
I like my new Bern Watts Hard Hat about 100 times more then the RED Avid I recently cracked. Its a little heavier but its nice and my head feels alot safer. Check out the "Hard Hat" tech, its different and worth considering.
 
#18 ·
This man speaks the truth. I have a Bern Watts and love it. Warm and low-profile. Some dont like the "Hard Hat" tech as it uses Brock foam for multiple impacts. Its not technically "snow sport" certified but it will get the job done and is more comfortable in my opinion than EPS. Plus if you take a small knock to the dome on a rail you wont need to replace it, unlike most helmets that use EPS which is a one hit wonder.

And on a super positive note you wont look like this...
 

Attachments

#19 ·
+1 for the smith maze.

they fit great and if you take out the ear flaps and wear a beanie underneath, no pressure points due to headphones and goggles fit comfortably underneath or overtop the helmet.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I just bought a Smith Variant (non brim) for $70 shipped. It's normally more than twice that. The helmet is very comfortable. My 57cm head fits the medium perfectly. With just a few cranks of the boa wheel, it fits like a glove. It's light weight (not nearly as light as the maze) and doesn't look big on your head. I wear Von Zipper Fishbowl goggles and the brimmed helmet fit well, but I ordered the non-brim version. The liner inside is antistatic, antimicrobial, and anti-odor. It completely lines the inside of the helmet and can be removed. If you remove it, you could probably wear a thin beanie with the helmet. The ear flaps allow you to insert headphones.

Regardless of which helmet you buy, get one that fits your head and goggles. Your head should be in contact with as much of the inside of the helmet as possible to prevent a small contact patch in the event of impact. Comfort and temperature control it important as well. It's also important to buy now because the prices are getting under half MSRP and selection will start to dwindle.
 
#23 ·
Wow...thanks for the feedback guys.

I went and tried on the Smith Maze and Holt which were both light and comfortable. I tried a Giro Shiv but they didn't have my size. A Bern Watts EPS and Macon but didn't have my size in either of those. I'm going to try to find another local Bern dealer and hit a few more shops to see what pro-tec is all about.
 
#27 ·
I have the protec riot, i believe, it is the andreas wiig pro model...has a brim and stylish shape, as well as being one of the certified ones out there . I really like it. you can keep the head padding in and no beanie, or take it out and it fits perfect with a beanie. perfect goggle fit for my electrics as well.

had a smith holt before, and like my protec way better

Amazon.com: Pro-tec Riot Andreas Wiig Snow Helmet: Sports & Outdoors

heres a lil more info from protec themselves

http://pro-tec.net/riot-snow-helmet.php
 
#25 · (Edited)
Bern Watts, and helmets in general

I have a Bern Watts EPS helmet and really like it. It is comfortable and deep. From what I could gather, the EPS version is certified for a very hard impact but after any significant impact it should be replaced. The hard hat version can take multiple impacts but is not certified for a very hard one. For that reason, I am in favor of the EPS; my brain is important!

I am a huge fan of helmets--I'm a psychiatrist and I've seen what can happen when people have traumatic brain injuries :p When choosing a helmet in general, I think it's important to try a lot on and see what feels good, since heads are different shapes even if circumferences are the same and the helmet needs to fit with your goggles.
 
#28 ·
glad you're leaving the clan of park kids who think they're too cool to wear a helmet...i see far too many
IMO it's just asking for a concussion considering 4/5 times i fall i hit my head. i'd be dead by now :thumbsdown:

make sure the helmet fits on your ears right or else it kills them after a long day of riding
 
#29 ·
Just to be clear about Hard Hat tech. You are not buying the multiple-impact foam as a money-saving choice. It is a brain saving choice you have to make for yourself..

About 10 people wearing helmets have died crashing into trees in CO this year, and while I have ZERO stats, I bet you less than 20% of them were using the Bern or POC tech. Snowolf has given a great breakdown of this in the past, as a reason he does not wear one. If you are travelling 30+ mph and slightly out of your ability, you aren't respecting your body or protecting it no matter what kind of helmet you wear.

The EPS helmets may save your life when they crack, they may not. Its possible to have many softer hits with an EPS helm that will cause concussions. The hard hats are designed to take falls like 10-12 mph, maybe slipping off a rail, or bouncing your head as you miss a landing, and protect you from concussions. When I cracked my last helm, I was riding very slowly, switch, on a very icy day, scorpioned real hard, and my head hurt bad for like 3 weeks after, right where the crack was. In that situation I think my new Hard Hat would have performed much better for the hat and for my skull.

The better I get, the more time I am taking to get down the mountain, enjoying more of all teh natural features, riding slower. All you dipshits just crawling out of beginnerdom and thinking its time to go fast, slow the fuck down or YOU WILL DIE.

cheers.
 
#30 · (Edited)
Snowolf has given a great breakdown of this in the past, as a reason he does not wear one.


link plz? I actually spent most of the last two seasons snowboarding with a helmet before ditching the stupid thing. I'm only interested a new helmet now since I've been venturing into the park. And that's only due to crap conditions this season. I've run into plenty of trees sans helmet :rolleyes: and I'm still alive so I guess I'm riding inside my ability level :dunno: I think I did more damage to the poor trees then myself :(

I'd really prefer to not wear one at all so I've love to see this evidence.


Except I think the Bern Watts in White would look cute with pig tails and the rest of my kit so I can't decide :laugh: Might need different goggles tho
 
#31 ·
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top