Best Ski Helmets Reviewed
Do you have an upcoming ski trip planned and you're looking for a new ski helmet? You don’t want that just looks cool or is the cheapest, you want the absolute best and safest helmet that you can get a hold of. Helmets help protect our most vital organs, giving us more confidence on the slopes and regulating our body temperature.
After many hours of research, looking at reviews, and reading the research I have narrowed down the absolute best ski helmets you can buy this season - for adults and kids, from budget to full-featured.
We are reader supported. We may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Top Ski Helmets Reviewed (2022)
- Wildhorn Drift (US Ski Team)
- Giro Ledge Mips
- SANDBOX Legend Snow Helmet
- K2 Diversion Ski Helmet
- Cebe Lightweight Fireball Ski Helmet
- Giro Youth Launch Jr.
1. Wildhorn Drift (US Ski Team)
This is an excellent helmet for adults and the youth version is perfect for teenagers who want a protective ski helmet that is comfortable, ergonomic, and well vented. It comes in 8 minimalist matt colors for a refined look.
Wildhorn is the official supplier of ski helmets to the U.S ski team which shows the engineering and precision that has gone into this. It has a plush interior lining with ear pads that are ready to fit the Wildhorn Bluetooth earphones if you want to upgrade and play music while your surfing down the mountain.
Awesome features
- Comfortable ergonomic fit with removable ear pads.
- Official US Ski team supplier - safe quality construction.
- Excellent ventilation with great airflow.
Downsides
- None yet reported!
Where to Buy: Check Price on Amazon
2. Giro Ledge Mips
Awesome features
- MIPS Hardshell construction with a rugged outer shell and an EPS foam liner.
- Fog-free ventilation and removable ear pads.
Downsides
- No self-adjusting fit.
Where to Buy: Check Price on Amazon
3. SANDBOX Legend Snow Helmet
Made by the rider-owned Whistler base company Sandbox, this is a very robust helmet design to withstand high impacts without weighing the rider down.
The Sandbox helmet has a low-profile skater style and comes with adjustable padding to comfortably fit on most skiers and snowboarder's heads. The earpads are removable and can be worn with or without (spring weather or for wearing beanies.)
Safety Record
Scored highest in Snowboarding Transworld’s Crash Simulation of dropping a helmet strapped to 5.7 kg of weight onto a flat anvil from 2 meters (source).
Awesome features
- ABS construction & robust EPS foam designed to withstand high impacts
- Lightweight and very comfortable.
- Audio ready ear pouches.
Downsides
- The fit not as adjustable as the K2 Diversion.
Where to Buy: Check Price on Amazon
4. K2 Diversion Ski Helmet
The K2 Diversion Hemet is a very robust and safe ski and snowboarding helmet. It uses K2’s 360 fit, which makes this a very versatile helmet for a variety of head shapes. The dial at the back of the helmet allows for not just a linear adjustment (like many helmets) but a full fit adjustment around a full 360-degree arc of the head.
Awesome features
- 360 fit reduces negative space and makes this a comfortable and safe fit.
- In-mold construction with a secondary hard-shell upper.
- Audio ready with a built-in jack so you can easily upgrade with ski headphones– wired or wireless.
Downsides
- Some complaints on the packaging.
Where to Buy: Check Price on Amazon
5. Cebe Lightweight Fireball Ski Helmet
Cebe is a well-respected French ski brand (since 1892). This helmet delivers unparalleled weight savings while also being incredibly protective. It uses EPS injection foam and an ultra-resistant polycarbonate shell that weighs in at just 572grams – visor included!
The visor is detachable and has a very good anti-fog and anti-scratch coating which means it will be clear all day and for many seasons of skiing. They also have a children’s version of this helmet in four color options.
Awesome features
- Lightweight, 572g – won’t weigh you down.
- Lots of vents for great airflow.
- Comfortable face foam and removable ear pads
- It comes with two visors, a dark tint, and a yellow for flat light.
Downsides
- Hard to find a replacement lens.
Where to Buy:Â Check Price on Amazon
6. Giro Youth Launch Jr.
This is my top pick for pre-teens any kid that loves to rock out with some loud colors and graphics. From the awesome shark decals to the bright pink version – this helmet is for young skiers or snowboarders who want to express themselves. One thing is for sure – you’ll be hard to miss coming down the slopes.
My favorite thing about these helmets is that they come with a goggle combo that matches the helmet. That means as a parent you can buy both the helmet and the goggles together and know that they will fit without any gaps. The goggles also match up beautifully to the helmets for a nicely put-together look.
Awesome features
- Awesome selection of colors and graphics
- Excellent vent system (prevents goggle fog)
- Come with matching ski goggles
- Comfortable fit
Downsides
- Goggle combo's not always available.
Where to Buy: Check Price on Amazon
Key Features Of A Safe Ski Helmet?
1. Look for Safety Certifications
Ski helmets sold in the EU and North America must conform to specific safety standards. Most helmets you can commercially buy will have these standards, but some off-market, imported, or fake helmets may not conform to these standards.
If you buy a helmet from a respected brand or one that conforms to the below safety standards then you’re in good hands. The certifications below are an indicator that the brand is manufacturing safe helmets that have been tested specifically for use in snowboarding and skiing (and other similar snowsports but not snowmobiling).
These are the most common safety standards that will be shown on stickers attached to the helmet and in the product description:
- In Europe, the common norm is CEN 1077 (satra.com)
- In the United States, ASTM F2040 (astm.org)
- Snell RS-98 or S-98 is another stringent safety standard (smf.org)
These are stringent safety standards but not all helmets that have these certifications are equal, some perform better and do a better job at different types of impacts. In the reviews above I’ve picked out some of the absolute safest ski helmets that you can commercially buy.
2. Get The Right Fit
Even the safest ski helmet is not as safe as a competitor's helmet that fits better. A helmet should be comfortable yet snug around the shape of your skull. The less negative space the more the helmet is able to protect you from impacts and stay firmly in place during a violent crash.
Helmets are at their safest when they fit properly and stay firmly in place when you collide, fall, or have an impact. On the other hand, a helmet that is too tight or puts pressure on areas of your head will give you a headache and make it more difficult to enjoy your time skiing. This could potentially make you lose concentration and cause you to fall more often. It’s also no fun to wear a helmet that occasionally blocks your vision or hurts your head.
To get the right fit measure the circumference of your head just above the eyebrows. Then buy a helmet that is equal to or slightly above this measurement. The best-fitting helmets have micro-adjustable buckles or dials that pull the liner in or outward. While you may have the exact fit in circumference, every person's head shape is slightly different and has a unique contour.
Hair can also get in the way and if you’re hair length changes from one season to the next, a micro-adjustable dial allows you to wear the same ski helmet across the seasons.
When to Replace Ski Helmets?
Ski helmets do have a lifetime and even without clear evidence of damage, most manufacturers recommend replacing your ski helmet every 5 seasons. The reason is that over time, the materials will naturally degrade (even without use) due to exposure to UV and the natural breakdown of the foam and plastics over time.
While a 5-year-old helmet is still safer than no helmet – if you want to stay as safe as possible on the mountain it’s worth upgrading to take the risk out of the equation. Even if you never crash in a helmet, the Snell Foundation suggests replacing the lid after about five years.
If your helmet is involved in a substantial crash or has visible signs of damage then you should replace it right away. Hairline cracks (visible in the shell or liner) also indicate that the helmets ability to sustain impacts is significantly impaired.
Some companies are working on developing EPP foam which is able to take multiple impacts over a long period of time and still remain as robust (source). In the meantime, the best thing you can do to keep your helmet in good order is to keep it out of the way of direct sunlight (when not in use) and store it at room temperature.
P.s I have a full guide on replacing ski helmets here.
Why Wear A Ski Helmet?
Chances are if you’ve read this far then you’re already an advocate of helmet use. If you need a little reminder of why it’s important to stay protected on the mountain.
In one study from Canada (2005), showed a 29% reduction in the risk of any head injury with helmet usage (source). The evidence shows that helmets are by no means a magic bullet but they do reduce head injuries.
In Doctor Halder and Saleem’s paper, they recommend that:
All recreational skiers and snowboarders should wear safety helmets to reduce the incidence and severity of head injury during these sports.
An Evidence Based Review: Efficacy of Safety Helmets
According to the NSAA helmet use is up from 22% to 83% in the last 15 years (source) which is only a good thing. In some countries like Italy children under 14 years have to wear a ski helmet and many ski schools will not accept kids into their lessons without helmets. While I personally believe that in personal choice when it comes to wearing a helmet or not, my own experiences lead me to conclude that wearing a helmet is, without a doubt, a simple and effective way to be more protected.
Aside from safety, there are also plenty of other benefits of wearing ski helmets. I cover many of those reasons here.
Is Skiing Dangerous?
Skiing is a high-action high-speed sport that involves hurtling down a mountain on two planks of wood. While it sounds and looks scary from the outside skiing is, in fact, a relatively safe outdoor activity if you follow a sensible path of progression.
Skiing can be very dangerous if you go about it in the wrong way or attempt to ski steep slopes that do not match up to your level of ability. However, if you avoid peer pressure, learn to stop before you move off the green slopes, and stay alert to your surroundings, your chance of injury is very low.
Skiing is also getting safe as time goes on, advances in the ski boot and bindings have reduced leg breakages significantly.
the overall rate of reported skiing injuries has declined by
Â
50 percent since the early 1970s.
National Ski Areas Association / Facts about Skiing Safety.
I cover the safety of skiing and snowboarding in much more detail in my full guide.
How To Look After Your Ski Helmet?
If you buy a helmet with an integrated visor, you need to be a bit more protective of it and treat it like you would a pair of goggles. The last thing you want is a scratched up visor on your new and expensive helmet.
Although all the visor helmets on this list are made for longevity, it’s worth taking a bit of extra care of your helmet so it will give you crystal clear vision for many upcoming ski seasons.
The best thing you can do is to buy a helmet bag – which you can pick up very cheaply (less than 20$) on Amazon. This will keep your helmet dry, scratch, and dust free – and is the best way of storing your helmet in the car and when not in use.
P.S If you’re interested in learning more about storing your ski equipment, check out my free guide.
Bonus: Best WireLess Ski Headphones
Outdoor Tech X Chip 2.0
The Chips 2.0 are lightweight, Bluetooth-enabled wireless headphones that work under beanies or ski helmets. You’ll be able to hook thee up with your iPhone or any phone with Bluetooth connectivity – play tunes, chat to someone on the go (built-in microphone), or listen to an audiobook.
Out of one charge, you’ll get a decent 10 hours of playback time which is more than enough for a full day of carving up the mountain. The headphones themselves are connected with a flat cable that goes around the back and they will easily slot into the ear pad section of most ski helmets.
The pads are sweat-resistant and will work in extreme temperatures. Just remember to keep your phone warm in an inside pocket to conserve battery life.
Awesome features
- Crystal clear Bluetooth wireless audio.
- 10 hours of playtime from a single charge.
- Sweat-resistant & good for cold weather up to -20°C/-4°F
- This is the newer 2017 model with improved connectivity.
Downsides
- The built-in walkie-talkie mode requires internet data making this a gimmick in the world of WhatsApp and messenger voice call.
Where to Buy: Check Price on Amazon
P.S Read my full review of the best ski headphones here.
About Us
Hello, I'm Simon & I love skiing. I started skiing in 2007 and I founded this website to help new skiers learn everything there is to know about skiing. NewToSki.com has grown to be a trusted resource for over a million skiers to plan their ski trips each year and learn more about every aspect of skiing. Be sure to join my email list for the best tips and handpicked deals each week.
Featured In
Subscribe & Follow
