Our Guide to Helmets

We've organized the most commonly used items people use to address the Core function below, with example images, characteristics, features, etc.

Choosing the right helmet is very similar to choosing outdoor clothing in the sense that there are many types of helmets for different outdoor activities that share a lot of fundamental characteristics (e.g., foam protection technology).

Unlike with clothes however, there are certification standards for each type of helmet, based on activity, to ensure safety. Helmets are tested rigorously given the conditions of that sport (e.g., speed of impact, type of impact, temperature, underwater vs dry land, etc.). There are a few helmets that are certified to be used for multiple activities (generally some combination of the first 4 activities below), but none that can be used across the spectrum (we don't even cover all possible outdoor activities below!). We recommend only using a helmet for the activity for which it's certified. If, for example, you have a biking helmet you love, and are going skiing for the first time, you should get a new helmet! Although you can try renting a ski helmet first, instead of buying upfront.

Minor point: for some people, a helmet is a fashion item, and they don't want to wear a helmet that's a different shape than the norm. This would be another reason to get the helmet for the specific activity for which it's intended!

	Skateboarding or skating	Biking	Skiing or snowboarding	Climbing or mountaineering	Whitewater rafting or kayaking
Example images
Where is the coverage focused? Foam may be more thick in these areas	Generally a bike helmet is OK but you do want a style that covers the back of the head more	Focus is on the sides of the head & front; back may be less covered, depending on style	Focus is on the sides of the head & back	Focus is on the top of the head, back of the head may be less covered	Full head focus (imagine rolling in a river!)
How many impacts can a helmet take before needing replacement?	One & done* Helmet designed to resist a single high velocity impact, foam will in many cases crush or crack			Multiple impact Helmet designed to resist multiple, but less forceful collisions (e.g., falling rocks or smacking on rock)
How open is it? Helmets have ventilation holes** to help you thermoregulate. Sometimes these vents can be adjusted to be opened or closed. Other times they're fixed. We generally describe how open a helmet can be	More closed	Most open Very high exertion activity	More closed Cold weather activity	More open Can be either warm or cold weather activity	Most closed Helps keep out water
Other feature differences These influence design/ shape & price	N/A	Sun visor Aerodynamic shape May be lightweight	Goggle compatibility Ear muffs + insulation liner	Varied ventilation & insulation features (can climb in warm or cold weather)	Floats
Why we do/don't carry it = we rent = we sell	We carry helmets originally designed & certified for skiing & snowboarding (so it has that full-back shape), but with removable ear muffs to transform it to a certified biking & skating helmet

*Skateboarding or skating helmets may be be multiple impact resistant, but there are actually no specific certification standards & many people use a bike-certified helmet, which is one & done

**Vents are also placed differently (generally not in major coverage areas). For example, for climbing where falling rocks are a concern, vents are usually on the sides. For snowsports, vents are usually on the top

Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS)

There are different characteristics in terms of the protective material (e.g., foam), the shell, how the protective material & shell are bound together, or whether or not a helmet uses the third party MIPS technology. MIPS is the only aspect we'll discuss, because it's prevalent in the market (people are generally less interested in the other protective characteristics).

MIPS helps reduce the impact to your head from rotational forces. Imagine running then diving into the ground suddenly. After your head hits the ground, the rest of your body will likely continue to twist over so that you do a pseudo front flip (thus, rotational forces). When this happens, the brain also rotates, which is bad.

When a normal helmet hits the ground, it, like your body, continues to rotate over, so still bad. MIPS is an independent liner in the helmet that acts like a suspension system to hold your head still while the helmet rotates.

If you don't go very often, of course you're going to want to spend less money, but this often means real trade-offs in terms of the experience that you will have with the gear. Even if you do go often & are ready to invest in quality gear, having the upfront funds can be hard!

Now, it may seem like this price & quality trade-off is disappearing, because you can find a cheap version of almost anything for tens of dollars that still has good reviews (assuming the reviews are real). So you might be thinking: I'll just buy something cheap, and because the price is so low it doesn't matter if it's less featured or heavier or whatever compared to something higher end. When that breaks, I'll buy something cheap again, and so on. Just remember:

• Many reviews are written after only a trial use or first use: We've seen entire review videos of gear done at home, which is very different than actually being outdoors! And reviews after the first use don't tell you about durability at all
• You're headed outdoors to relax and enjoy life! Saving money only to have a trip ruined due to quality issues will feel terrible. Our program to rent helmets is designed to help you avoid this trade-off: you get to rent high end, quality helmets for around the same price as buying cheap ones (sometimes even for less!)

For this item specifically, the price vs. quality trade-off issues center around performance & durability.

Sizing headwear isn't as predominant as clothing, so few people know their sizing very well. We carry youth & adult unisex sizes (women-specific ones on average are smaller). Head shape also matters, and different manufacturers do tend to cater to different shapes, however there is no way to account for this in sizing. We encourage you to try on multiple helmets or hire ski helmets to experiment over a real trip!

Many helmets can also be adjusted with a dial toward the back, the most advanced of these is the BOA fit system (like MIPS, it's a proprietary third party technology, for how it works click here). Other helmets may use an elastic one-size-fits-all liner on the inside. We carry both types.

Here's how to check for fit: