How To Choose A Ski Helmet

Last updated 14. January 2019

If you are looking to buy a new ski helmet, you may have been searching online all day, and you’re now in a debate over which one you should buy, or you may be new to the sport and have no idea where even to start looking for one. Let alone which are the best brands to go for.

There are so many brands out there it can be challenging to know which ones will last the longest and which ones have the best quality. Plus, which ones have actually proven to be the safest to use. There is one very important thing that a lot of people do not recommend, and that is to use a second hand or rental ski helmet, because you never know how much damage they have had, meaning they may not be able to completely protect you when you are on the slopes.

MIPS guide:

MIPS stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. This is used in most ski and snowboarding helmets to protect your head and neck. The MIPS technology is able to mimic your brain’s protective structure. It does this by simply reducing the rotational forces that can be caused by angled impacts to your head; therefore, it minimizes trauma to the brain. These types of impacts are known to be more common in action sports, which is why it is even more important that your helmet has these.

The MIPS layer is actually in between the liner and the person’s head, and it creates a lot less strain on your bran compared to a helmet that does not have MIPS and studies have proven this. Therefore if you’re considering buying a helmet, it’s essential that it has the MIPs latest technology, as it is able to protect your head and your brain more.

How long do ski helmets last?

This question can vary depending on what brand of helmet you buy and how good the quality is. This is because the better quality helmet you buy, the longer it will last and protect your head. However, there is also another factor, and that is it depends how much you damage it to how long it will last.

There are specific recommendations that you should follow about replacing your ski helmet, and they tend to say that it should be replaced after two – five ski seasons if you still want it to have maximum performance. Therefore, it should ideally be replaced every five years at least, and this still is dependent on if you have not crashed while wearing the helmet. If you have crashed while wearing the helmet, then it is probably best to get it replaced sooner.

There are some ways that you will be able to tell if you need a new helmet, for instance, if the helmet has any dents or dings on the outside of it. The inner liner does also need to be fully intact with no damages whatsoever. It is always important to look at your helmet and give it a check over before you head out onto the slopes.

How to pack a ski helmet for travel

One thing that is important is the way you pack your ski helmet, as you don’t want it to get accidentally damaged while it is on an aircraft or even in the back of a car. This chance is even greater because it is bound to have other luggage on top of it at some point. Therefore one way you can protect it slightly is by putting your mittens and goggles inside of it, this way it will give the helmet extra protection on the inside of it.

Not only this but using a ski bag can help a lot, as these do tend to be padded to protect your equipment. Therefore it will actually prevent anything from damaging your helmet and the rest of your skiing gear, because of the extra cushioning. If you are choosing to travel by plane, some airlines may even let you take it on as hand luggage, but each airline does vary so you will have to check their guidelines before you decide this.

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