The Best New Ski and Snowboard Helmets for 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Nancy Prichard Bouchard

November 17, 2022 at 8:02 AM·11 min read

There’s never been a better time to buy a ski helmet. Not only are materials getting stronger and lighter, but extensive research into concussions and other head injuries has resulted in far better protection for your head than one could have imagined a decade ago. The eight best ski and snowboard helmets in this review are all first-class. Some have more vents, others are lighter weight, but you can bank on the fact that the manufacturers are serious about quality. Don’t skimp on your helmet purchase; it’s one of the cheapest insurance policies and most important pieces of ski gear you’ll ever buy.

While a favorite helmet is often a personal thing, our top honors for the overall best helmet for 2024 go to Shred’s Notion No Shock Helmet for fit, comfort and 3-stage venting. That said, you can't go wrong with any of the top helmets in this lineup.

Our Testing Process: Why You Should Trust Us

Our team of nine testers knows how to do our homework out in the field. Collectively, we’ll rack up more than 1,000 on-snow days in a given season just testing out ski gear to see if it lives up to its promise. Most of us have been running ski apparel through the ringer in every type of alpine terrain and weather condition imaginable for over 20 ski seasons.

We’ve run glades, bowls, couloirs, steeps, and remote backcountry in this gear—and we’ve taken copious notes. We’ve skied the slopes of New England and Eastern Canadian hardpack, Whistler powder, Pacific Northwest cement, and everything in between, including months in the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps. We offer a combined ski history of more than 100 years of high-level race and big-mountain experience racked up from Japan to North America to the Alps—and we know exactly what we want and need from the gear we’re relying upon. We also love being dazzled and inspired by the latest, greatest ski gear innovations, which never stop.

We’ve rigorously tested and compared thousands of items, harnessing not only ambition, but wisdom and experience, with testers from their early 20s to seasoned vets. We also tested a lot of this stuff with less experienced skiers to assess their own valuable takes. It's never easy putting so much great ski gear and apparel through its paces before whittling it all down to our favorite performers—but it's always a ton of fun.

Why to Wear a Helmet and When Is It Time for a New One?

Helmets protect your brain as well as your skull. Impact can happen when you’re least expecting it—from an unexpected fall on hard snow or ice to a hidden (or not so hidden) rock, branch, or tree. You might think, “I’m just skiing on the bunny slope on good snow days,” but you’ll still want a helmet. Our testers have been hit by out-of-control skiers, loose skis, and even a can of Rainier suds dropped off a chairlift at Mt. Bachelor. They’ve also spent plenty of time wearing heavy-duty alpine race helmets, light backcountry touring helmets, and everything in between.

Ski helmet research, like that done for cars and motorcycles, often starts at the highest level—racing. Much ski helmet technology trickles down to recreational skiers from efforts made to protect ski racers from high-speed impacts. When you’re flying past gates on a downhill course, the repercussions of a fall can be serious. Hence, brands like POC, Shred, and Atomic—all of which make helmets for their alpine teams—provide excellent protection for everyday skiers. You might not need as full protection as a race helmet, but the technology makes sense for everyone. And if you’re riding the chair on a cold, windy day, a helmet can provide a lot more warmth than a hat.

Always inspect your helmet after a crash, check the buckle and the strap. If you're wondering whether you should replace your old helmet, the answer is probably yes. The aging of polymers is real, as is exposure to UV light, sweat, sunscreen, and that pesky grease from chairlifts. All materials degrade over time. If you ski a lot, replacing a helmet every 2-3 years is prudent. If you can’t remember the age of your old helmet, it’s time to buy a new one.

To buy a helmet that fits comfortably, measure your head’s circumference with a tape measure (sizing is in centimeters). All helmets in our lineup have at least 5cm of adjustability, so you can pull up a hood or wear a hat on a cold day. Testers love the Skida Balaclava, as it seamlessly fits under a helmet for those frigid days on the slopes, and can be worn as a neck gaiter when you don’t need so much protection.

ABS vs. In-Mold Ski and Snowboard Helmets

Ski and snowboard helmets are typically made with either an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic shell or a one-piece molded polycarbonate shell. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

ABS helmets are more durable. They will hold up to being tossed in the truck or dropped, and they can withstand extreme impacts. On the downside, ABS helmets are heavier.

Compared to ABS models, in-mold helmets often disperse the force of softer impacts (standard falls) better, which can reduce the likelihood of a concussion. The tradeoff? They may show scratches and dings more quickly than an ABS helmet. High-end helmets often offer a hybrid construction made with both a hard ABS layer and an in-mold layer.

What About MIPS?

MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. Basically, this technology helps protect your head from angled impacts. Hitting your head at an angle can increase your chance of sustaining a concussion because it places rotational forces on your head. MIPS aims to reduce those forces through a special low-friction layer that slides, absorbing the rotational stress.

Because falling while skiing or snowboarding is particularly unpredictable, MIPS technology is a great helmet add-on for additional protection from head injury (though it isn’t the only tech that matters). Especially in the backcountry, ensuring that your helmet has robust impact protection is crucial—MIPS is great additional insurance to have when skiing or riding in more variable terrains.

Caring for Your Helmet

While it’s tempting to store your helmet in the garage, it’s better to keep it in a dry closet so it isn’t subject to temperature swings. Large temperature changes cause the helmet components to expand and contact, creating wear. If your helmet has a removable liner, remove it and let it dry fully every time you’re done skiing or riding for the day. If it starts to smell funky or look dirty, take it out and wash it.

While you don’t need to spend a ton of money to get basic protection, it’s worth investing in a well-made, dependable ski or snowboard helmet. Take proper care of your helmet, and it'll do the same for you. While some helmets are made by ski- or snowboard-specific companies, all of them will work for either sport. The important thing is that you protect your skull while on the mountain. The following 8 top helmets below will do that as well as any helmet can.

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Best Overall Ski Helmet: SHRED Notion No Shock

SHRED, the ski/snowboard brand founded by two-time Olympic gold medalist, Ted Ligety, has been making top-of-the-line race helmets for years. The helmets are designed to absorb both rotational and linear energy, which makes sense when you look at the forces it has to withstand in a fall. Inside SHRED's Notion No Shock helmet is an integrated honeycomb-cone-structure that also works to combat linear and multi-directional forces. Essentially, you get the durability of a hard shell upper with the weight savings of an in-molded lower shell and sidewalls. We like the 3-posiiton switch that controls the top, back, and side vents simultaneously. Plus the helmet features magnetic chin-strap closure and a RECCO reflector.

Best All-Purpose Helmet: POC Calyx Carbon Helmet

This is a true one-helmet quiver. The new Calyx Carbon is certified for skiing, mountaineering, and cycling. That’s huge when you consider the variety of forces the helmet can withstand. You have your choice of ABS and Carbon shells. Carbon has greater impact resistance, weighs less, and costs more—but both lids provide exceptional strength, durability, protection, and provide three vent settings. If you’re pedaling a chilly MTB route, climbing Mont Blanc, then skiing big drops in Chamonix, you’ll want all of that.

Best Affordable Helmet: Smith Method Helmet

The Method Helmet’s lightweight exterior shell and EPS foam create a one-piece design that's durable, energy absorbing, and well-ventilated. The 14-ounce helmet has eight fixed vents for consistent airflow and removable ear pads that are audio-chip compatible. A slight brim keeps your goggles from slipping down when they’re parked on the top of your helmet. If you wear your goggles under your helmet (trust us, it’s a thing), you can pull off the goggle strap for a more streamlined look. While you don't want to skimp on a helmet to save money, Smith's Method is also one of the most cost-effective lids in its class.

Best Helmet for High-Speed Skiers: Sweet Protection Igniter 2Vi MIPS Helmet

The Igniter 2Vi MIPS is a savvy redesign of a time-tested favorite. Its lightweight (640g), highly-ventilated hard shell features a molded shock absorbing EPS liner with Impact Shield inserts for added impact resistance. Basically, the technology is designed for high-speed hits; it distributes impact from the inside of the helmet over larger areas in crucial zones where the head needs it (front and back). A dial system provides a custom fit, whether you’re wearing a hood under your helmet or going bareheaded.