Ski Helmets

A few years back, wearing ski helmets was uncool but now everyone wears ski helmets. Whether it’s popular or not, wearing ski helmets can save your life. Concussions and serious brain trauma is one of the highest on mountain injuries from skiing, and can be prevented by wearing ski helmets. It’s not only kids and skiers in the terrain park who need to be wearing ski helmets, EVERYONE should be in a ski helmet. Unseen ice patches and collisions with other skiers or snowboarders (often who are less experienced than you) are causes of many head injuries on the mountain.

There are many different brands and price ranges for ski helmets and it can be tough to choose the right one. All the ski helmets carried by Bobs Sports Chalet are certified, which means it has been tested and rated for on mountain crashes and collisions. Once a helmet has been in an accident with impact to the helmet, the helmet’s structural integrity is compromised and should be replaced. Even if you can’t see cracking or damage, there is most likely damage on the inside of the helmet and it will no longer guarantee protection in another accident so DON’T RISK IT just get a new helmet. There are a few select helmets on the market that are “multi impact” which can be used after more than one impact, check with your helmet manufacture or product literature to see if you have one of these helmets.

Pricing on Ski Helmets
Are more expensive ski helmets safer? The answer is no. All certified ski helmets, no matter the price, will provide the same amount of protection. So why are some ski helmets more expensive than others? Style and features are the main factor in the price of a helmet. Generally a more expensive helmet will be more comfortable because of better padding, they have adjustable venting to easily regulate warmth, and most of the good ski helmets have an adjustable size dial to make the helmet fit better (and safer)!

The Difference Between Ski Helmets and Snowboard Helmets
There is no difference between ski helmets and snowboard helmets. They both will equally protect you in an accident and they have the same safety certifications. It’s also a myth that “Race helmets” are safer. The only difference between a race helmet and a recreational helmet is the race helmet has hard ear flaps to prevent gates from slapping your face when racing. With all this being said, it is true that some brands are associated more with snowboarding, and some are better associated with skiing but it is very common to see skiers in a “snowboard helmet” and vice versa. So don’t worry about losing style points or looking like a gaper, nobody cares what brand helmet is on your head. What you need to be concerned with is ski helmet fitting.

How Should Ski Helmets Fit?
A good fitting helmet should be snug but comfortable. Some of the nicer ski helmets also have a sizing adjustment so you can fine tune the fit perfectly to your head. It’s not recommend that you wear a beanie or hat under a helmet unless it’s “helmet compatible”.  Different brands fit better on different head shapes, and it’s tough to really tell if a helmet will fit you properly until you put it on. When you get a ski helmet on your head you want all parts of the inside of the helmet to make contact with your head.