SMITH Scout Snow Helmet

Product Information

Goggle retainers are a simple but appreciated feature. The built-in clip holds goggle straps in place and helps reduce the risk of losing your ski goggles in a crash or otherwise. Designs do vary some—many budget helmets use a simple plastic piece that flips open, while higher-end helmets will have a more secure strap or cord design. Giro's goggle retainer systems are simple and easy to use Considering their design and shape alone, many bike and skate helmets don’t protect as much of your head as ski helmets do. They are also not designed for the same types of impacts as ski helmets. Each adjustable vent has two separate sliders for maximum temperature control. The adjustable ventilation is the primary feature that set the Vantage apart from the similar Variance, which Smith discontinued. The caveat here is predictable considering Bluetooth helmets are still in their first generation. While some reviewers loved the sound quality, convenience, and functionality-and found no issues with Bluetooth connectivity-others have disagreed. A few mentioned issues holding a connection with the older iPhone 8, while others don’t like the music sound quality or volume levels. All the reviewers we heard from were pleased with the phone-call quality and the microphone. However multiple users have complained that the function button on the Communication earpads is too small and pretty much impossible to use with ski gloves on.

Smith Scout Helmet | evo Smith Scout Helmet | evo

Other folks asking the “do I need a ski helmet” question wonder if they or their kid can just wear that trusty bike or skate helmet on the mountain. Short answer: not if you want to guarantee the best protection you can. SKI HELMETS VS BIKE AND SKATE HELMETS Unfortunately, we are unable to ship to specific zones as specified by our courier Parcelforce, due to surcharges. Please note that we are subject to our courier’s definition of the Scottish Highlands.

From teched-out and ventilated to simple budget options that still get the job done, below are our favorite ski helmets

You could run into issues like thinner EPS foam, no liners, a less protective outer shell, and so on. There are a couple of (generally pricier) non-ski helmets out there that can provide equal protection in two sports. But if you’re working so hard to find a loophole, we have to wonder why you’re being cheap about your brain. Multi-impact: This was an absolute must. Each model includes MIPS (or an equivalent tech such as POC’s SPIN). You can read more about MIPS in our section dedicated to explaining how the tech works. Just know that MIPS offers a wider variety of protection from impacts and multiple angles. If you are not home to sign for your delivery the driver will try your immediate neighbour or take it to your local Post Office for you to collect. If the Parcel Force depot is closer, your parcel will go there instead. The driver will leave a card informing you of where they have left your parcel.

Smith Scout Helmet - Fluid Lines, Colchester, Essex Smith Scout Helmet - Fluid Lines, Colchester, Essex

The primary reason we called out the Obex SPIN Communication is this: several other audio-integrated models have hit the market in recent years, but for whatever reason, they tend to be mediocre ski helmets, audio aside. Either their sizing is off or they are uncomfortable or they don't vent well, or some combo. But with the Obex SPIN, just because you want built-in Bluetooth doesn’t mean you should have to compromise overall helmet quality. HS1, HS2, HS3, HS4, HS5, HS6, HS7, HS8, HS9, IV1, IV2, IV3, IV10, IV11, IV12, IV13, IV14, IV15, IV16, IV17, IV18, IV19, IV20, IV21, IV22, IV23, IV24, IV25, IV26, IV27, IV28, IV30, IV31, IV32, IV36, IV40, IV41, IV42, IV43, IV44, IV45, IV46, IV47, IV48, IV49, IV51, IV52, IV53, IV54, IV55, IV56, IV99 It’s also warm and comfortable, made so by wool ear pads that reviewers routinely praise. And, it’s safe. There are a few final factors to keep in mind when dialing in a proper fit. For one, we strongly recommend opting for a helmet with a Boa dial (or similar technology). Some designs, like the Giro Emerge, use adjustable padding instead, but there’s simply no substitute for the wraparound cinch of a rear dial. Second, if you see a helmet that claims to be one-size-fits-most, we advise steering clear even if your head circumference falls within the listed parameters. Something so accommodating just won’t fit as well as a more fine-tuned size.If you’re still on the fence, you can always grab waterproof Wireless Earbuds for the Outdoors, just make sure they fit snug under your helmet. Our one issue with this is depending on how it fits and conditions, sound can be impacted a lot by wind or movement. Taken together, the safety features, style, warmth, comfort, ventilation, and adjustability/fit all earn the Vantage MIPS its place at the top of the snow helmet market. If you feel like geeking out over gear next time you’re on the mountain, try to count how many Smith helmets you see in the lift line. It will be a lot. The Smith Vantage MIPS ( men’s and women’s) is Smith’s time-tested flagship model and our choice for Best Overall Ski Helmet. Removable Ear Pads: These are a style choice. Some skiers just don’t like wearing them. Others find they impact the comfort and softness of a helmet a lot. Sure, you could wear a beanie under your helmet. You’ve solved the warmth issue, but you’re still vulnerable to high-impact ski falls. BT1, BT2, BT3, BT4, BT5, BT6, BT7, BT8, BT9, BT10, BT11, BT12, BT13, BT14, BT15, BT16, BT17, BT18, BT19, BT20, BT21, BT22, BT23, BT24, BT25, BT26, BT27, BT28, BT29, BT30, BT31, BT32, BT33, BT34, BT35, BT36, BT37, BT38, BT39, BT40, BT41, BT42, BT43, BT44, BT45, BT46, BT47, BT48, BT49, BT51, BT52, BT53, BT54, BT55, BT56, BT57, BT58, BT60, BT61, BT62, BT63, BT64, BT65, BT66, BT67, BT68, BT69, BT70, BT71, BT74, BT75, BT76, BT77, BT78, BT79, BT80, BT81, BT82, BT92, BT93, BT94

Smith Scout MIPS Ski Helmet - Smith Helmets - RxSport Smith Scout MIPS Ski Helmet - Smith Helmets - RxSport

While a number of ski helmets are unisex and are perfectly fine for either men or women, there is a wide selection of women’s-specific snow helmets. These models are quite similar to men’s versions, but with different colorways for the shell and liner, as well as having a smaller fit. There will often be a name change, but the technology is all the same—and so is the pricing. When applicable, we've included the link to both the men's and women's versions of the helmet.In addition to MIPS, some helmet manufacturers have begun to replace standard EPS foam with cellular or honeycomb-like materials like WaveCel (found in Anon helmets) and Koroyd (Smith's solution). These materials have the ability to absorb more energy than EPS, all while minimizing bulk and weight and maximizing ventilation. WaveCel in particular is so adept at absorbing angled impacts and reducing rotational forces that current WaveCel-equipped lids forgo a MIPS liner. Koroyd (via Smith’s Aerocore technology) has become ubiquitous in Smith’s designs (seen in the Vantage, Level, Nexus, and Survey above), and Anon now has three helmets that use WaveCel. You’ll spend up for the extra tech, but many riders will appreciate the added assurance and boost in breathability. Anon's honeycomb-like WaveCel offers impact absorption at a light weight

Smith Scout Helmet - Ski - Backcountry Smith Scout Helmet - Ski - Backcountry

We’ll explain the advantages of MIPS later in our section about MIPS (hint: there’s a reason every helmet on our list features that or similar technology), but in addition to multi-impact safety, the Vantage MIPS also features Smith helmet's Aerocore construction. That’s the honeycomb design you’ll see through the vents. Aerocore blends EPS foam with Koroyd, tiny tubes that are welded together and positioned to collapse in an impact. Added bonus? Aerocore also improves airflow and helps keep your goggles from fogging. Finally, helmets with an all-season certification (EN 1078) will be of particular interest to freestyle-oriented skiers who spend the warmer half of the year riding bikes, skateboarding, or roller skating. These designs, like the Smith Holt and Scout, are often built with a solid ABS shell that can take a beating on the pavement. Like most snow helmets, they also feature removable ear pads, which is essential for summer use. A few in-mold helmets are also triple-norm certified, including the aforementioned MTN Lab and Summit. Because of their fragile construction we don’t recommend these lids for dedicated use around pavement, but for mountain missions that require a mix of biking, skiing, and climbing, they're without rival. Biking to ski to climb in the North Cascades Ventilation: Adjustable or Fixed In testing the Merak, however, a few complaints have emerged. The most significant is the padding design, which doesn’t protect you as well from the Boa fit system as we’d like. Cinching the helmet creates light pressure points at the sides of the head (the shape could’ve also been part of the issue, and the Merak seems to favor more of an oval-like head rather than round). Additionally, the minimalist padding meant the helmet ran on the cold side on frigid resort days, and the foam used around the ears muffles more sound than we prefer. Some will find these tradeoffs worth it for the advanced safety tech, but we’d like to see some of the finer details sorted out before moving it up our ranking. Meanwhile, the devout gear testers over at Blister, had this to say of the Ascender MIPS: “It’s lighter and breezier than most dedicated ski helmets, but it’s more protective than most dedicated climbing helmets. For skiers and snowboarders who like to go both up and down mountains, the Ascender is worth a good look.”What we liked: versatility, style, low profile, visor, number of vents, temperature control, adjustable Boa fit, hybrid shell protection, side protection, comfort and fit A MIPS-enabled helmet essentially functions dynamically, offering protection from a wider variety of impacts and multiple angles. A non-MIPS helmet still protects you, but it does so statically and against fewer types of impacts. Take it from a ski shop employee: When people try on the Vantage, their fashion concerns usually end.