A ski helmet is an essential safety item when skiing or snowboarding, whether on the slopes or freeriding. It can be difficult to find the right helmet, goggles or visor, head size, comfort and price... We explain everything here!
Whether on or off the slopes, a ski helmet is an integral part of your winter sports protective equipment, whether you're skiing or snowboarding. Choosing a ski helmet doesn't have to be a headache, but there are several criteria to bear in mind.
Having a ski helmet that's the right size and properly adjusted is, unsurprisingly, the most important thing for your safety. Grégory, product manager for ski helmets at Decathlon, gives you all the details you need to optimise your adjustment and be well protected on and off the slopes. For text lovers, everything is explained below!
How do I choose the right size of ski or snowboard helmet?
For your safety, a helmet must be perfectly adapted to your head shape. To start, measure the circumference of your head with a tape measure: pass it over your ears, eyebrows and the widest part of the back of your skull (on the occiput). The objective is to measure the largest circumference of the skull. If you don't have a tape measure, use a shoelace and measure with a ruler.
Decathlon offers the following sizes:
- Adult: S (52-55 cm), M (55-59 cm), L (59-63 cm)
- Kids: XXS (44-49 cm), XS (48-52 cm), S (53-56 cm).
If you're between sizes, we recommend you opt for the larger size for greater comfort - as long as you adjust the settings correctly.
Once you've found your perfect helmet, there are a number of things you can do to adjust it so that you're safe on your skis or snowboard. All our helmets are fitted with an adjustment wheel at the base of the neck to fit the shape of your head as closely as possible. The chin strap should be adjusted under the chin and you should be able to place a maximum of two fingers between the skin and the strap. Make sure it is not too loose: in the event of a fall, the helmet could move and protect you less.
Also, although the settings are similar for kids’ helmets, you need to know how to get them to try it on properly. See our article on how to choose a kids’ ski helmet!
Some of our ski helmets are equipped with MIPS® technology : Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. The purpose of MIPS® technology is to reduce the rotational energy of an impact and thereby reduce the risk of brain damage. The low-friction layer (yellow layer under the helmet liner) allows multi-directional movement of 10 to 15 mm during certain oblique impacts. This is to reduce the rotational force transmitted to the head and brain.
Speaking of safety and impact, we'd like to take this opportunity to remind you that in the event of a serious knock, you need to change your ski helmet. The impact can greatly reduce its resistance and therefore your protection in the event of an accident. Apart from these circumstances, it is recommended that you change your equipment every 5 years.
Once you've mastered the size and adjustment of a ski helmet, you can look at the criteria depending on your preferences. There are currently 2 types of ski helmet on the market: classic helmets and visor helmets. There's no rule here, both have their advantages: Your turn to play!
Ski helmet with visor
More and more common on and off the slopes, ski helmets with visors have a number of positive points. Dizzies won't forget their goggles at home, and goggle wearers will enjoy the comfort of being able to wear them without discomfort while skiing. The visors are, of course, interchangeable, so you'll always have good visibility, whatever the weather. Finally, ski helmets with visors often offer a wider field of vision and therefore tighter blind spots. More safety, more visibility = more thrills!
Classic ski helmet
If your helmet doesn't have an integrated visor, you'll need to wear it with suitable ski goggles. We recommend that you try on your helmet with your goggles to make sure that the contours of the helmet and goggle fit correctly, to avoid any unwanted (and rather unpleasant) air intake. We also recommend that you choose ski goggles over sunglasses: since they don't provide full coverage, they offer less protection, not to mention the more common risk of breakage in the event of a fall.
Once you've chosen the model of ski and snowboard helmet with the size that guarantees you the highest level of safety, you can still pay attention to a few criteria, particularly for your comfort, which can vary depending on the price of the products.
Ears
Your comfort and hearing ability may vary depending on whether the ears are flat or "3D". Make sure you don't feel any discomfort when you try them on: no one wants a twisted ear to spoil the fun on the slopes!
Ventilation
Depending on how hard you ride, you can opt for a helmet with more or less ventilation. Some will have fixed ventilation and others adjustable: to be fine-tuned according to your exercise habits.
Lining
It’s easily detachable and washable in all our ski and snowboard helmets. This is a good opportunity to remind you to wear only very thin liners under a helmet in very cold weather: any additional object can alter the apprehension of the impact and therefore alter the protection.
Now you know the (not-so-secret) secrets to choosing the perfect ski or snowboard helmet. If you really want to know EVERYTHING, let's talk technology and standards! There are 3 technologies involved in the design of a ski or snowboard helmet.
ABS TECHNOLOGY
A "hard" layer on the outside of the helmet surrounds the EPS (polystyrene) inner layer, the most common technology on the ski helmet market. This is ideal for beginners and young ski enthusiasts.
IN-MOLD TECHNOLOGY
The outer layer is made of polycarbonate, moulded directly onto the inner shell. The result is lighter than its ABS counterpart, and the level of protection is equivalent, however In-Mold helmets are more "fragile": the outer shell is more sensitive to everyday knocks.
Hybrid technology
No surprise here, it's a blend of the two technologies! The top of the helmet is ABS and the bottom In-Mold. This helmet will appeal to more freeride-oriented skiers and snowboarders, providing protection from external objects that can be encountered off-piste (branches, rocks, etc.), while being lighter than a 100% ABS helmet.
Are you still there? Let's finish off with a quick look at the legislation governing ski helmets! In fact, this category of product must comply with a very precise framework by conforming to standard EN 1077:2007, which is specific to ski and snowboard helmets. Of course, all our helmets comply with the legislation. There are 2 standards:
- EN 1077:2007 Class B, known as "soft ears"
- EN 1077:2007 Class A, known as "rigid ears," with a larger coverage area than Class B.
It’s also possible to have a helmet that meets the double standard EN 12492:2012 + EN 1077:2007 Class B, making it suitable for skiing and mountaineering. This type of helmet is particularly popular for ski touring: its light weight and high ventilation levels are important factors in preventing overheating during exercise.
That's it, this time we can say that you know everything about everything! We'll just add the last word, because we can never say it enough: when skiing and snowboarding, whether on the slopes, freeriding or ski touring, ALWAYS wear a helmet. And don't forget that the magnificent terrain offered by the mountains in winter is a shared experience: let's enjoy the thrills of the slopes, while being responsible.
Enough moralising, let's take a look at our selection of ski helmets: all prices, all levels, all skiers & snowboarders!
