I've been thinking about getting a ski helmet. Does anyone have any experience with one?
Can anyone recommend one for someone with a fat head (61cm)?
I assume that they're like bike helmets in that they all pass a basic test but the higher priced ones are just lighter and better ventilated. Is that true?
cheers
I use one - planet x one, cost me about 45 pence IIRC
it's warm, bit sweaty in fact but I don't really mind. I take it off in cablecars and sometimes on chairs too
Dunno if better ventilation is good; skied with a guy once who found the ingress of cold air onto areas of his scalp really painful and plugged up all the holes
thanks scaredypants
I was looking at some today but they were silly money. I reckon a basic one will be good enough for me
Decathlon.
i will always wear a helmet whilst skiing, last year i wore my urge endromatic bike helmet. i was in high altitude in italy. The helmet was perfect. It is a really light and comfortable with a visor (although no-one else seems to have a visor). I had a neck warmer i could put over my ears in the mornings then wear it around my neck in the afternoon when the weather warmed up.
This year i got a ski helmet for christmas from trespass so i'll see how this one feels but i probably would of preferred my bike one again
Yep - Use a Giro Encore 2 for ski, atb and sometimes bike. It is warm compared to a normal bike helmet. It's certified for multi use which I like as always seem to end up with too much kit for different hobbies!
recommended
db
Try a load on & buy the one that fits & feels comfortable.
I use a Salomon Patrol Custom Air, not the cheapest but fits well, very adjustable, comfy & you can easily open close the vents.
Some of the Decathlon ones seem pretty decent & I think some of their own brand "Wedze" helmets are re-badged Solomon's, Head's, Rossingol's etc. They usually have some good offers on too.
Lidl, £19.99
Smith Holt (thanks to the lovely people at Smith! :8 )
Very comfy, never overheated or frozen in it.
Another thing to look at is goggle/helmet interface. Mine works ace with an Oakley Crowbar (Thanks to the lovely people at Oakley! :8 ) but wouldn't work with a Splice. So, I have Crowbars! Both are now sitting on the table, next to my pastis! 
Yes!
Got mine from lidl a couple of years back...
They are having a big ski sale on Monday!!
Yep, wear a Giro ski helmet - hardly notice its there and gives a good stable mount for a headcam.
Wouldn't ski without one now.
I did for years and never had any head injuries, but I feel totally comfortable with it now, and it just feels right.
I have smashed a helmet pretty badly and cracked the outer. So I presume that wearing one that day saved me a fair amount of grief.
Someone will no doubt say something about "risk compensation"
But who cares, I skied away from a pretty bad accident with a cracked hat, a dislocated shoulder and no head injury.
TJ don't ski
I've got the same as db, up there - went shopping for one over Christmas in Val D'Isere.
Difference in price accounts for the weight of the helmet and the adjustability (ie. system like a Giro roc loc), the venting doesn't really come into it.
The Giro Encore2 is quite cheap, as it is fairly heavy (comparitively) and has no adjustment - just different size padding.
But it looked good and fitted me perfectly so I didn't see the need to spend another £100+ on an adjustable one.
I wouldn't buy without trying on as the fit of them is all very different.
Never really liked racing with one, I just like to have all my senses working fully and helmets do detract from that.
Each to their own though..
We use them for boarding, got a email from Crystal Ski saying the area we are going to saying its compulsory for under 18 to wear one
Yep also use one for boarding.
Smith Hustle for me:
Differences from a bike helmet:
- closable vents
- ear muffs (removable)
- goggle strap/channel
- bit more robust (can take multiple minor knocks)
thanks
I would say for boarding especially it's a VERY good idea.
It's a long way down if you catch a heel edge and hits the back of your head like a hammer even with a helmet. 
In Italy they are compulsory for under 18's, and possibly France with a lower age limit. A lot of skiers/boarders of all ages wear them these days, and deffo try before you buy. Not worth buying in resort either, unless you have cash to burn, much cheaper online or in shops within the UK
I got mine from Decathlon and it did the trick and was not too expensive, thought I was being over cautious getting one so was surprised that nearly everyone had one on at the resort.
Somehow managed to jam my snowboard onto my head on the second day (dont ask!) so was very happy i'd got one.
I find mine most useful in ski lift queues and on chair lifts when I am forever being bashed by someone with poles, skis or the lift bar!
I wore a protec ace bmx helmet, that i use for mtb, for half of the past week in Morzine while learning to ski. They do a snow version of it which was just a change in the padding as far as I can see, so i knew it would be fine. I was way too hot the whole week but it was very mild (and I run hot anyway) so i didn't wear it for half of the week. If it was colder I would have worn it all week and I did notice at least half of all people were wearing helmets. I actually felt a bit daft when i wasn't wearing mine and more cautious especially as i only started skiing 7 days ago.
Lidl £19.99
I learned to snowboard in 1991 and have always worn one. Started off with a skate-lid and woolie hat combo before proper ski helmets were available. I've tried wearing a hat a few times and have never felt any improvement in my riding, other than my goggles normally steam up.
Bought my 1st helmet in Canada years ago when I turned up for an individual lesson and the instructor said ' ah no helmet, no worries you'll probably be ok'
Very comfy and keeps your head warm, only disadvantage is you look an idiot wearing sunnies and therefore end up with panda eyes from wearing your goggles if it is sunny.
Slightly contrary to what people above have said, I would look for one in resort - unless you live somewhere that has a large number of ski shops and the like, the range on offer in resort is probably going to be larger than here in the UK. As with cycling, wearing an ill-fitting helmet is neither as safe nor as comfortable, and all the different brands fit different peoples heads, for want of a better word, differently.
Of course, you don't then have to buy that lid there....
I use one most of the time, I think you'd be pretty dumb not to these days.
You really just need to try a few on and see which brand best suits the shape of your head. I like my RED mutiny helmet.
i origianlly bought my helmet for kiteboarding - quite a few big, sudden dumpings provoked me!
then naturally used it when boarding. at first i felt a bit daft (this is going back about 8 years or so) as those that wore helmets were either novices or extreme hardcore dudes, of which i was niether. but now it's pretty much the norm that you wear a helmet. went last year and out of our group of 10 only one was helmet-less.
if it's a powder day and there are relatively few people on the slope then i won't bother with a helmet. if it is icy and/or the slopes are busy then i'll wear one.
as CFH said, it is important to get a good fit with your goggles. if not you'll suffer from cold wind "burning" your forehead and end up with a headache.
I use one most of the time, I think you'd be pretty dumb not to these days.Why - is skiing more dangerous now than it was years ago?
I always wear one when boarding but rarely when skiing unless it's icy or going steep/off-piste. Never felt the need otherwise on ski's.
Why - is skiing more dangerous now than it was years ago?I always wear one when boarding but rarely when skiing unless it's icy or going steep/off-piste. Never felt the need otherwise on ski's.
You have to keep in mind what other numptys around you are doing. You have no control over someone taking you out from behind.
For example this week with a class of kids i was teaching, a snowboarder crashed into one of the kids in my class, she got a pretty messed up looking face including a broken jaw, my kid skiid on afterwards with no injurys. I heard that her face smashed against the kids helmet when she fell over. The kid and her were both wearing helmets, but think how worse it could have been if either of them weren't?
if it's a powder day and there are relatively few people on the slope then i won't bother with a helmet
Again i'd say think about the things you have no control over. Or if you have a bad bail and end up tumbling down some rocks that may be hidden under the snow.
generally know the area i'm in if going off-piste. even better is on-piste with no people after a massive dumping
Use one of these. I also use Smith googles and they fit together perfectly. I too wear a helmet because of the number of people who ski / ride on the edge of control. The most dangerous place for me has been the blue runs when teaching. Helmets are compulsory for instructors at my last resort.
I wear one. Apart from anything else, having your head encased in polystyrene keeps it toasty!
I use a ski helmet, cause every time I went skiing in my first season I got hit on the head by the ski lift....
Personally K2 helmets seem to fit my head; they also include headphones if you like that kinda thing.
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