 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi All,
I know all the "sweaty helmet" jokes are going to come out, but I'm seriously trying to find the best Ski Helmet to buy for myself, as a bloke who tends to get quite hot and sweaty when on the slopes.
Been on 3 ski trips so far, and always worn hats, but the OH has been badgering me for a while to buy a helmet, and so I'm finally giving in!
Been looking at things like the Salomon Allium (link below) but wondered if anyone has any recommendations? Also, currently have Oakley A Frame goggles and wondered whether the fit of goggles with helmet might cause issues with certain helmet brands?
Any help gratefully accepted!!
Cheers
Matthew
http://www.snowandrock.com/salomon-allium-08-custom-air/helmets/ski-snowboard-outdoor-sports/fcp-product/20286
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jellemr, if you are a 'hot and sweaty' guy (your words, not mine), why would you wear a hat? Previously I hardly ever wore a hat, I have loads of hair that keeps my head warm. However, last season I wore a helmet for the first time. If anything it is noticeably cooler than a wooly hat due to vents. I'd suggest buying one with plenty of vents rather than one of the WW2 tinpot looking varieties. The main criteria with a helmet is fit. If it doesn't fit correctly, it's no use to you.
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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?
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jellemr, My A Frames fit brill with my Smith Variant, try that - loads of verts too..........might do a drip-tray too if you look at Smith's optional extras!
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queen bodecia, thanks for the advice, I agree wearing hats isn't the best idea, but I usually find myself with a cold head to start the day, and then a very hot one after an hour or so....am thinking a helmet with lots of vents is the way forward too, just wondered if anyone had any recommendations?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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jellemr, As QB says fit is all important, the biggest choice/range possibly in the UK is at snotrax in Christchurch, Dorset. They have helmets from probably every manafacturer and loads of different sizes. If you are not to sweaty I guess they will let you try them all on!
http://www.snowtraxstore.co.uk/ski/equipment-protection/helmets
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 15-08-12 14:05; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Boredsurfing, lets hope it's a cool ish day if and when i go there  cheers for the link.
Markymark29, thanks for this, will have a look at them.
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jellemr, Crikey I just spent 5 mins looking around there, flippin heck there are some bargains to be had and not just helmets!!
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Boredsurfing, tell me about it, so hard not spending all my cash on yet more new ski gear I don't really need!!
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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.
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jellemr, take your goggles with you when you try them on. Not all goggles go with all helmets. A helmet with lots of vents shouldn't be too bad except on the hottest days - I find mine (Giro) far more comfortable than a hat, though sometimes I do get an itch which simply can't be easily scratch. Carry a knitting needle in your back pack to scratch through the vents.
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Take lessons.
(get more efficient at skiing, sweat less, problem solved unless you're hiking/skinning)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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jellemr, as others have said, best try them on first - I've tried loads on and I keep coming back to my RED skycap.
I'm a big bloke who is also of the hot and sweaty variety, and the skycap is great for me as it has two vents right at the front and also two at the back that you can open or close to change the venting options and about six grilled vents at the top.
Just as a side note I mostly get hot from wearing my ski jacket - which is well insulated - even though I ski with the pit-zips wide open so in March this year i just skied in a t-shirt and windproof (not waterproof) climbing jacket, worked a treat, although my legs were still warm... so when I got back I managed to get a pair of uninsulated powershield ski pants so will try them to see if I can reduce my insulation still further. 
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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.
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jellemr, This is a problem i've had myself - my first 2 lids you could literally wring out after about 30 mins, so my advice is as follows.
You'd think that lots of holes means lots of ventilation - not necessarily so. What you need is air flow through the helmet, so look for one which allows for air to come in and dissapate out of a back vent. I use a POC skull-light these days and stay warm but dry even though there are very few vents on it. They cost a bit more, but in my view they're worth it, plus they'll withstand more than a passing knock. Looks like Boredsurfing's link has POC skull-lights for £75 which is a bit of a steal IMV.
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I'm a "hot and sweaty" sort of bloke as well and only bought a helmet after getting concussion from my first snowboarding lesson! Have been using a smith holt helmet for the last few years which i chose purely because of the fit. I have a large head and having tried all the ones in the local shop it was by far the most comfortable. I was concerned about the heat aspect too but as Queen bodecia mentioned I too have found the helmet much cooler than just a regular hat. The holt doesn't have alot of vents but they do seem to regulate the temperature really well and the only time I really overheat now is due to errors in choosing appropriate clothing layers and not because of the helmet. I was lucky in that the most comfortable helmet I tried on was alot cheaper than most of the others and I really liked the look of it too. My only gripe is that the goggle strap retainer at the rear of the helmet isn't the best design but it does its job.
My advise would be to defineately try the helmets on as I was shocked at how uncomfortable some of the helmets were and how much variation there is on sizes between manufacturers. Good luck - you won't regret buying one.
The place I bought mine from currently have them on sale for £40.00 which I think is a real bargain. I might even buy another as a spare just in case.
http://www.sailandski.co.uk/acatalog/Smith-Holt-Helmet-2012--olive-huntsman--15192.html
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You know it makes sense.
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thanks for all the advice everyone, lots of research to be done, and lots of trying on to be done too lol!
thanks again..
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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jellemr, Good luck with your search! yep your right the salomon Allium is great for ventilation also alot of the Giro helmets have a very open design great for hot heads!
We have a large selection of helmets every year so look out on our website and you will see more and more stock arriving soon! If there is anything we can do to help drop us a line!
and cheers Boredsurfing, for the plug
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Poster: A snowHead
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thanks dansmith, i'll keep an eye out....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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thanks dansmith, i'll keep an eye out....
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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?
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jellemr, I have a Salomon Ranger (not sure this model is still in the range). It is well ventilated, comfortable and my bonce doesn't get too hot.
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dansmith, My pleasure, anyone that invests ££'s into ski stock as you do deserves a bit of credit
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Does anyone know if the colour of a helmet makes much difference? i.e. does a white or perhaps light blue, help reflect the heat compared to a black one?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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richjp,
Red ones make you go faster 
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richjp, Its gotta be white, the new black
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The best advice I can give is to make sure you try them on rather than just buying one off the net on spec. I went from intending to buy a Smith Vantage to a Sweet Trooper HC due to the fit. I thought I'd be a sweat bucket in the Sweet give the venting especially given we go at Easter normally. But overall it was fine. Bit damp inside at the end but certainly not dripping.
richjp - Mine is matt black. After picking it up off the table after lunch in the sun I was amazed to feel how hot the outer surface was. Certainly it was hotter than some of the others non black helmets. But was fine when I put it on I guess the foam inside insulates it quite well.
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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.
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| Reecie wrote: |
The best advice I can give is to make sure you try them on rather than just buying one off the net on spec. I went from intending to buy a Smith Vantage to a Sweet Trooper HC due to the fit. I thought I'd be a sweat bucket in the Sweet give the venting especially given we go at Easter normally. But overall it was fine. Bit damp inside at the end but certainly not dripping.
richjp - Mine is matt black. After picking it up off the table after lunch in the sun I was amazed to feel how hot the outer surface was. Certainly it was hotter than some of the others non black helmets. But was fine when I put it on I guess the foam inside insulates it quite well. |
I suspect that the air flowing over it whilst skiing cools it down quite quickly too.
I have tried loads of ski helmets on, its my new sport whenever I go skiing and we take a wonder around the shops in the evening - I struggle to find one to fit my head, not that its massive, its just they are all different shapes - bit like motorcycle helmets, some people's heads are aria shaped, some are shoei shaped - I'm a shoei shape myself, which seems to mean that no ski helmet will fit.
The best fitting helmet I have is an old skycap - fits ace, really comfy, but it was getting a bit tatty, so I gave it a re-spray this year to Matt Black! its the new black! 
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A German helmet in mid-purple. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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To get rid of the whiffs, my helmet gets machine washed on a cool, gentle cycle a couple of times a season. I wash it on a 1/2 load with a load of other soft & padded clobber and don't let it spin dry. I unclip the ear protectors for the wash and reassemble afterwards to let the whole lot dry naturally.
It's still in fine condition and is still unsmelly even though it's 6 seasons old now and has been worn a total of about 180 days.
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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.
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I have a Sweet Trooper... (Yes I know they are expensive but they also can save your life) the lining inside is velcroed to the helmet and can be washed after every ski holiday. They fit like a dream and are fully adjustable. Main thing for me was fit, comfort and style. Love this helmet and wouldn't be with out it especially after some of the accidents I have seen.
http://www.rxsport.co.uk/products/Sweet-Trooper-Half-Cut-Ski-Helmet-%252d-Bird-Blue.html
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Chris204, Completely agree and I even have a Sweet helmet! But in my opinion they really do lack venting! maybe not quite as good for a hot head! (I know i look a sweaty mess every time i take mine off)
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You know it makes sense.
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Just giving this threads bump as I have the same sweaty head issue, found this thread, but it is a bit out of date. Anything new on the market to keep my head cool and protected?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Two and a half years on and POC still has my seal of approval. And when it's time comes, I'll buy the same again. Can't give a better recommendation than that.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@smagsmith, Anything with lots of vents (open and/or closeable) and of course one that fits well.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@jellemr, meet your brother: I sweat whilst standing still in a freezer. I moved to a POC receptor+ from a Giro mainly for fit. The Giro was grand but I prefer the POC. It is a very well vented helmet...when moving. If you are standing around a little too long it can be pretty hot as the venting works best when pushing air through it. One of the great advantages of it is that you can remove the ears and neck warmer at the back...this makes a huge difference. Most helmets allow you to remove the ears but don't always have the facility to reduce other warming options around the neck etc. The Smith Vantage is supposed to be excellent for venting but unfortunately doesn't fit my head. Make sure, whatever you go for, that you can remove the ears, this makes a big difference.
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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?
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My current Red has removable ear and neck warmers. But I still sweat like a pig when spring skiing. How much does the colour make a difference? Mine is matt black, so probably the worst colour possible for absorbing heat.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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blimey, I'd forgotten I'd started this thread 2 and a half years ago!!!
Well, just to update you all, eventually, after a lot of trying on, I went for the Smith Variant. I've probably done 8 weeks skiing since having it, and am delighted with it and a total ski helmet convert. The helmet seems to help regulate my temperature far better than any hat did, and as such my head sweating problem is mostly a thing of the past!!!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Good Man! I treated myself to the Vantage this year and having adjustable ventilation really did make a difference!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've got the Salomon Ranger - good with with my oakley A frame goggles, lots of vents and removable ear pads for when it really warms up in the spring.
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I just bought a manbi. I bought it as it was the best fit for me, it was also the cheapest. I didn't really look at teh vents til I got home but it has lots. The two at the front open and close too. There are also two strips that pull out/slot in the cover all of the other vents. Haven't skied in it yet so don't know if the ventilation works yet. Looks great in principle though.
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On that note, should add, all vents on the ranger open and close with a switch on the top which can be manipulated with a glove on and without removing the helmet.
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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.
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| Quote: |
I've got the Salomon Ranger - good with with my oakley A frame goggles,
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Yes - perfect fit.
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@bobalexander1983, my Cebe lid has the same type of system. Works well.
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FAQ
