Hi there, hoping someone with more knowledge than me can give some advice
Would like to get a decent Mips helmet for My son - ideally spending no more then £150 if possible
Also some body protection. I did my ACL a few years ago so realise that there is only so much of your body you can protect (tho I now ski with braces!) but he is progressing in his skiing to trickier and faster stuff now (he is 15) and I feel I should provide him with some protection but not sure what people use and would recommend?
Any thoughts / recommendations very welcome - thank you so much
Rachel
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@rachelstephens, get a helmet that fits properly before MIPS. MIPS tend to be slightly tighter in the same size so don’t t try in shop then online for MIPS.
I use a Sweet Protection Trooper MIPS myself, bought in a sale.
It is better to spend money on a lesson on how to ski in control rather than body protection.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Hi Rachel,
The two brands of helmets I have used are Giro and Sweet Protection, both MIPS and both excellent helmets
(I have a Sweet Igniter at the moment). It would be difficult to buy a bad helmet from either make and they certainly have models (with MIPS) in your price range. I would not buy a helmet online. I take a M/L in the Giro but a L/XL in the Igniter so it pays to visit a retailer and try various models on along with goggles to make sure of a good fit (no gape ).
Following a broken hip 2 years ago, I now use Demon impact shorts, they have elongated hip protector pads that cover the site of my injury and give me a warm fuzzy feeling that when I fall again, the worst I will have is a bruise. I wore impact shorts and a back protector all the time when I was on a snowboard and stopped when I went over full time to ski’s
All the best
Andy
The difference between best and worst helmets isn't that much in terms of protection - the standard really isn't that high, (current research is that helmets prevent a huge swath of minor injuries so are well worth using, but make no measurable difference to serious concussion/fatals; basically people KSI'ing themselves do so by losing control and slamming into trees/rocks off the side of a piste hard enough that nothing will protect you).
A helmet that doesn't fit comfortably is far more likely to end up clipped to a backpack/left in the hotel/restaurant/insert other random location, rather than being worn (as a comfy and warm hat alternative)...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Fit and comfort are key for Helmets to enable him to be safe and enjoy skiing.
go and try some on...
FWIW I'm currently buying a new helmet and agree with @Bob. It's worth a trip to somewhere with decent range. Last week I went to S&R and I tried on quite a few, some were just really uncomfortable. I'll probably go with the Oakley mod 1 pro mips (£127) as it was comfortable for me. However I ended up with the size up from the "right" one which was just too small whatever the guy in the shop said! So it was worth the trip.
Don't let him try on the really expensive ones though, some are well over double the price but just too nice and comfy with built in visors etc...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Back protector?
Does he do tricks?
After all it is free
After all it is free
rachelstephens wrote:
... Would like to get a decent Mips helmet for My son - ideally spending no more then £150 if possible
... I feel I should provide him with some protection but not sure what people use and would recommend?
Any thoughts / recommendations very welcome - thank you so much ...
Just my view...
(1) That's a lot of money to spend on a helmet. They all work to the same standards, by law. There's no evidence that more money buys more "safety". There is therefore little incentive to pay top dollar, at least for me. They change the graphics every season, so there are always lots of previous season helmets around. Some helmets are "triple certified" [look it up] and those can be lighter than most, which is an advantage in terms of comfort.
(2) "protection" isn't going to help if you're doing inverted aerials and land on your head, for example. If you're riding park & doing tricks, then you might worry about falling on rails and stuff, but for general skiing... well, if you're skiing with the child I suppose you can make sure they use the stuff, but otherwise, it might be more than is needed.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Fit is, as always, king.
MIPS is good for helping mitigate oblique strikes, which is the kind of hit you're likely to take when falling at speed.
Protection relates to what kind of skiing/riding you're doing, if you're doing OP stuff where you could be encountering trees or rocks then thats one thing, freestyle another. Likewise, for me, I like to see my two using back protectors as we traditionally are out on the mountain during the busiest times of the year when you're more prone to having an on piste collision with another person.
I have to disagree a bit with @phil_w - while all helmets are built to pass the ISO standard test, some surpass them by quite some way. Sweet Protection, Giro both been mentioned, I'll throw POC in there too.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
+1 for fit being super important for helmets
Fit will also dictate comfort to a large extent, in that a helmet that naturally fits will be more comfortable than an poorly fitting helmet made to fit with the built in adjustments like the wheel on the back.
On body protection I got my 11 year old son the "Forcefield Sport Suit Level 1 Body Armour Complete Suit" in size adult XS. My thinking is that it combines everything with a full body base layer so there aren't a whole load of bits to go missing in the hotel room, also my separate armour pieces tend to .
It has CE1 armour in most of it but I understand the back protector is CE2. The suit is modular so I can update the armour pads to CE2 or more later if needed. He wore it at the MK Snozone for a couple of hours without any comfort problems. He even "tested" the glute protector when he slipped over on the wet floor when returning his skis at the end.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@phil_w, I did a lot of reach before buying my 18 year son his helmet and there is definitely difference in quality/safety/comfort that money does buy. There are plenty of articles on line about it so people can judge for themselves.
We got a Anon Merak Wavecell which cost £248 from Alpinetrek. Which is a lot but to be fair he was wearing a Lidl special for 10 years! And I having researched I was happy to purchase.
My two, now 17 & 19, skiing since 3/4, all mountain, have no other protection (other than avy gear) apart from the helmet. They've both even done snowboarding.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
although they may have the same minimum standard some helmets are definitely better than others, however there is fairly weak correlation between price and performance. In these tests there are highly rated helmets at USD40 and lower rated ones at USD200.
FWIW I don't know if they tests have are meaningful in the real world or not.
I'm sure you'd be better with a well fitting mid scoring helmet than a badly fitting higher scoring one.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@rachelstephens, forgot to mention that you should always buy a helmet when you have your goggles with you and vice versa.
No point in spending money on something that won’t work with the other.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
It's a while since I bought goggles (now passed on to granddaughter) but I was stunned to find that many didn't have straps long enough to go round a helmet.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
A lot of freeride competitions now require a back protector. I'm not sure, how strong the evidence is behind them, but it's the only body protection I would be considering.
In regards to helmets @phil_w and @richb67, are spot on in that there is quite poor correlation between price and protection offered. (Same thing can be seen in cycling helmets!). All helmets have passed the necessary tests, so there is a minimum requirement, but these tests are quite minimal and prone to some flaws (especially if you are trying to make particularly light and breathable helmets and happy to "cheat" the test a bit!). The Virginia tech testing is definitely more comprehensive and what I'd look to - a $40 was 8th best!
As for ski goggle straps, all the cool kids are wearing them under the helmet these days
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
thank you so much for the replies everyone. Will read through them all properly and look up some of your recommendations.
thanks so much!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Cant comment on the helmet as everyone has their own opinion on brands but i ski in my Leatt mountain bike armour, so if he is into that, just use that or get one for MTB use.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
... Would like to get a decent Mips helmet for My son - ideally spending no more then £150 if possible
... I feel I should provide him with some protection but not sure what people use and would recommend?
Any thoughts / recommendations very welcome - thank you so much ...
Just my view...
(1) That's a lot of money to spend on a helmet. They all work to the same standards, by law. There's no evidence that more money buys more "safety". There is therefore little incentive to pay top dollar, at least for me. They change the graphics every season, so there are always lots of previous season helmets around. Some helmets are "triple certified" [look it up] and those can be lighter than most, which is an advantage in terms of comfort.
(2) "protection" isn't going to help if you're doing inverted aerials and land on your head, for example. If you're riding park & doing tricks, then you might worry about falling on rails and stuff, but for general skiing... well, if you're skiing with the child I suppose you can make sure they use the stuff, but otherwise, it might be more than is needed.
Or maybe it does...
My son cartwheeled his way down a considerable part of a slope after attempting a competition line that proved a little ambitious for the conditions...
@joffy69,
No idea. Maybe the poles would have come off better?
It was actually the googles that took the initial beating as it was a knees to face landing which caused the subsequent issues.
He was also wearing a back protector as that's mandatory.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
He would have stuck that landing if he was on a snowboard
After all it is free
After all it is free
I have a POC Obex mips and really like it, very comfortable and warm. The only issue I have with POC (not sure if other brands suffer?) is the tiniest little hit/impact/drop you get micro dents like car park dings, the outer layer must be eggshell thin.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
).
