Ski Helmets - How much?

Ranchero_1979 wrote:Construction seems to be little more than a cycle helmet with a very thin coating

I suspect the majority of the "budget" helmets are exactly that; which is all that's required to meet the current standards...

Construction is very different for brands like POC and Sweet though; both of whom go into great detail about the whys and whats of how their lids are made. Before you buy, it's worth reading these I think (even if you opt for a cheaper brand, they're useful info) :-

POC - Protective Concepts

Sweet Protection Technology

Considering a helmet should last you quite a few seasons, the incremental cost of a top-range lid is pretty small compared to, say, your lift pass! If you're going to wear a lid, might as well make it a good one.

I have to say I would certainly hesitate before buying a ski helmet for £20 from a UK retailer. That being the final retail price, it presumably means that the helmet will have been manufactured for perhaps a fiver? The retail price has to include profit for the shop, packaging, shipping costs, profit for the manufacturer, product design costs and finally manufacturing costs.

I'm very happy to cut costs in life where I deem it appropriate. For example, I'm happy to wander about in a t shirt bought from TXMax for £5. If it concerns my health and safety I'd much prefer to pay a bit more for a product that has a lot of R&D behind it.....

My twopenneth!

Fair comment BB. However, in terms of safety, all helmets must meet exactly the same safety standards, drop test,strap strength, etc. They have to be independently tested.

In terms of features, comfort, warmth, colour, branding, etc, these are different.

All things equal buy a Briko Vulcano FIS 6.8. Looks fantastic , comes in a blue that matches my ski jacket, reasonable enough price and looks like will last forever. Christmas present 2021 :-).

I've been using the same SH+ brand helmet for about 11 years now which is the EN 1077 standard but is starting get a bit shabby looking.
At the risk of asking a stupid question, should I replace it?

Am pretty sure plastics, especially those exposed to high UV should be thrown at 5 years, which means even if has only had light use needs to be junked.

That's pretty much what I thought. I've a POC mountain bike helmet which is brilliant so might have a look at their snow range.

POCs look great, the kids love them, so they must be good.