 Poster: A snowHead
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SiPieFace, if I remember they are only designed to take impacts up to 15mph, if you hit a tree at 30mph I doubt if you'd be very much worried about your head unless....that was the only thing hitting the tree.
Bug9er...got suckered into a helmet thread! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Hitting a tree at 30mph is going to cause massive, probably fatal, internal injuries whether you are wearing a helmet or not. If you hit it head first you may well end up with a broken neck. There are loads of articles around but the general conclusion is that skiing into solid fixed objects is bad for you. In my experience the helmet cushions your head from banging against the snow surface, chairlift bars, etc and stops bumps being more serious. Being collided with, both people are probably going in more or less the same direction to start with. If I were ever in an avalanche it would protect my head from any rocks that were rolling along with me. All these things are not high-speed to dead-stop type events so the normal ski helmet is effective. I suspect that downhill racers helmets are more like motorcycle helmets.
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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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It's all about risk. If you want to be ultra-safe then a full face motorbike style helmet is hard to beat and that's ultimately what you'd want on your head in the event of a head-first collision with a tree. But compared with riding a bike at high speed with lots of concrete and large metal things around, skiing on snow is relatively tame and a crash usually means you end up covered in snow laughing. The helmet protects you from the minor head injuries that you may possibly sustain and perhaps nasty cuts from wayward ski edges. It's horses for courses. Knarly freeriders ripping 50 deg pitches with large rocks sticking out do often wear full face lids, although many don't even wear them at all. But that would be overkill for the average punter on a red run.
If you want a decent practical ski helmet, try POC or Sweet Protection. Both good quality and a reasonable compromise between safety and comfort. I agree a lot of ski helmets on the market are a joke.
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I had to give in to the dark side eventually and bought a Bolle one. The thing that put me off most of them was the thickness of shell and padding - the thicker the padding the higher the mushroom head quotient. Frankly at the end of the day it doesn't matter, most helmets will look fine, unless they're full faced where you'll just look a complete tw@t.
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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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Sweet makes very nice helmets, but you will need around 200 pounds to buy one of them.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I think you just need to get over it and bite the bullet because a) it will keep you safer than without and b) given the large proportion of skiers who now wear helmets, you'll be in the good company of your fellow bellenders (is that the right collective word?). I speak as someone who has personally headbutted a mountain (11 stitches!) so you won't catch me without my bonce bonnet now. You'll only be self conscious for the first 30mins or so until you get on the slope and then all will be well. Word of caution tho, you'll need to mentally adjust your spatial awareness unless you enjoy clonking your head everytime you bring the bar down on the ski lift. 
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| SiPieFace wrote: |
Thanks for all the info, very useful. Going to go back with my goggles and give it another go.
Been digging around and I found this bad boy. Just wish I had the "I don't give a f*ck what you all think" attitude to wear one of these bad boys on the slopes but I don't and know I'd feel like captain bellend.......What's the bellend rating for this one? |
Get one in white, and wear with white one-piece customised to look like a Stormtrooper.
Buckets of winningness all around.
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| Harry Flashman wrote: |
Get one in white, and wear with white one-piece customised to look like a Stormtrooper.
Buckets of winningness all around. |
Already sorted it. Here's me, yesterday.
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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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Superb. Just superb.
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Eeyore, ouch (speaking as someone who also received facial embroidery after headbutting a road - only 8 stitches though). At my height, the lid is a welcome hindrance re: chairlift bars. Have to duck anyway.
SiPieFace, I'll stick with a normal lid, tyvm. Will leave the stormtrooper outfits for the MTB DH pyjama wearers.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I bought a lid today and yep, you've guessed it, I look like a total tool
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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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Every time I head the thread title my head just says NO!
But why don't the girlies look naff in them? they all manage to look all cutsie and nice 
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I'm still interested to know what a collective of bellends is...?
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You know it makes sense.
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Eeyore, in 'some' circles it would be a 'Camp' of bells . . . that's if you study hard
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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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stiv24, you look less of a tool with a lid on, than you do staining the piste scarlet, or being the source of a flowing scarlet river meandering down the bike trail/road.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 9-01-13 18:38; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Eeyore, I believe it's known as a 'Coalition of Government'.....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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One of my m8's kid's was learning to snowboard and arrived without any gear so they kitted him out in full (including the bellend helmet) in the resort. He has safety kit I did not know existed. He can, howwever, be a bit ..... trying? Somehow, even with all this super safety equipment, he managed one piste evacuation + ambulance and, in a separate incident, four stiches in his scalp all whilst on beginner slopes. Quite how the latter occurred through a helmet was never quite explained but he did 'finger' a co-instructee as the culprit. The weapon of choice - the edge of a snowboard. Let's be careful out there - and remember: a helmet is no defense against a pissed off snowboarder with decent aim so keep your piste companions sweet!
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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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I'm getting a POC Backcountry MIPS (black) at the end of the month. It's £200 but I don't mind splashing out on something that could (probably will knowing my stupidity) save my life!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
But why don't the girlies look naff in them? they all manage to look all cutsie and nice
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Really? I must stop wearing mine immediately. 
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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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Lizzard, do you consider yourself a 'girly'? 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Lizzard, I've heard you scrub up quite nicely . . .
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I look grim in any kind of headgear, including a helmet, but I get over it. When I needed piste rescue today my completely non French speaking brother in law went to the nearby lift and got a woman who came over with a talkie walkie saying loudly "J'ai une dame anglaise, un peu agée, qui......" She looked slightly sheepish when I spoke to her in my unimpressive but understandable French.
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Check out Sweet Protection.
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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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Curious that a thread that started with the aesthetics of helmets evolved into one about safety standards and build quality.
The OP should buy the one that he believes is safest for his use and not worry about what he looks like. FWIW I thought both of his higher safety standards proposals looked pretty good.
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;pam w, hope piste rescue wasn't for anything too serious.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My wife has a similar helmet but with an intregal screen/visor looks really cool, mirrored so has the look of a flip up full face motorbike lid.
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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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SiPieFace, In a choice between that helmet and the Dainese Timbo recommended above, I'd def go for the Dainese - that other one is bellend material.
TBH, apart from penetration and any friction involved, in a crash the single greatest source of damage is going to come from your brain sloshing around in the helmet nature provided for you. I'd look at the cushioning levels first and foremost. In that sense, A or B does not matter as that is not the defining characteristic they look at in creating the difference in the standards.
I always find a nice emergency tyre repair foam injected through the earhole gives the best cushioning - I tried builder's expanding foam but it sets so hard ..... 
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| Quote: |
Check out Sweet Protection.
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that's a brand of knock-off condom in various candy flavours, isn't it??
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You know it makes sense.
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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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| SiPieFace wrote: |
| In biking you do generally get what you pay for and the more it costs the better it is. This doesn't yet seem to apply to Ski helmets. Sure the EU standards-mongers will get in there soon though, and for once I hope they do. |
I too am a biker and have 'tested' he odd helmet on a track day. Spending on safety gear is an emotive subject for some... 'How much is your head worth?' etc.
This has been done to death on various MC forums and independent safety tests show some surprising results.
You mentioned you had an Arai RX7. Well known as one of the best quality lids available, but check out the SHARP rating against something a fifth of the price:
http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/arai-rx-7-gp
http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/testsratings/caberg-v2r
So they both score highly, but the cheaper one just wins on protection. ALL helmets are just a hard outer layer for which the main purpose is to contain expanded polystyrene, which in turn slows down the sudden stop for your bonce. That's really it. Plastic, glass composite and carbon shells are all up to the job, some are lighter than others. EPS, is EPS.
As with anything, you do tend to get what you pay for, but mostly this is design, brand, weight, comfort and durability of liners etc.
It's fine spending more, but understand it's mainly buying finish, comfort and light weight. Comfort is a moot point though, as aside from padding it just depends on a match for your head shape. A well fitting helmet offers better protection than a sloppy fitting one.
When commuting regularly on the bike and doing track days, I spent £350+ on a nice Shoei. For my 1 week trip to the Alps each year, the £40 Pro-Tec does just fine.
I look a bell-end in either.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thank you frosty, that information is very useful.
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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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I have looked at practically every helmet I can lay hands on at ski shows and ski shops. I've tried on loads too. Bear in mind that I would have also gone to about £150 for something if it had been 'right'. I share the OP's thoughts on build quality. OK, they might meet the necessary safety standards, but I look at most and the way things like ear covers would get lost in about 5 mins. and what I think is their generally shoddy construction and wouldn't buy any of them - they didn't fit either. I ended up with a £16 No Fear one!! It fits (the highest concern), it actually seems well constructed, it meets safety standards etc. and has already saved me many a head knock. That said I do like the black one the OP found on the first page and would certainly try it for fit if I saw one.
Of course, if you are prepared to ignore the safety warnings a SH's sticker certainly ups the 'coolness' rating
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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quick couple of points:
a) ski helmets are not designed to protect you from hitting a tree at 30mph, they designed for similar impacts to cycling helmets - basically head being dropped on something hard from about 6ft. You could off course where a motorbike which would give you more protection but with some cost in terms of comfort/fatigue
b) full face helmets are not ideal for anything but racing through gates or dropping cliffs - chin piece adds to risk of twisting impact doing spinal damage, only worth it you arelikely to smacked in the face by a gate or knee
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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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wear!!! (doh)
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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 was all ready to treat myself to a smart new one this season - ordered online from Snow and Rock to try on in the shop, where it didn't fit.  It was quite expensive but very light weight, looked good and had music built in and I would have paid for all that, not kidding myself it was any safer than my Decathlon one. My friend has a powder blue Lidl one which fits beautifully and looks very good on her. I don't look good in a helmet but I look a lot worse in a bobble hat.
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FAQ
(not that I think it improves the look...)
