Recommend me a new climbing helmet

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 VictorM 09 Mar 2023

Right, my helmet needs to be replaced this year. 

I currently own a Mammut Wallrider and overall I like it.  It's lightweight, comfortable and the torch clips work well. The two things I don't really like about it is its tendency to sit  crooked on my head and the limited amount of adjustability of the straps in the back of  the neck - but this also might just be my head shape. 

I use my helmet for all kinds of climbing. Alpine, ice and some rock cragging/multipitch. 

Possible replacement options:

-Salewa Piuma 3: Lightweight, looks good. The limited amount of feedback I've seen online is good

-Black Diamond Vapor/Vision/Vector: Various weights, the Vapor has just been updated. I've tried on the old Vapor because it was on sale but its fit was noticeably smaller than my Wallrider so needed to size up which was out of stock. I do really like the look and feel of the Vector/Vapor 

-Petzl Meteor: slightly heavier but sturdy design and good torch attachment.

Interested to hear opinions and maybe some options I've missed!

Post edited at 07:17
 TobyA 09 Mar 2023
In reply to VictorM:

One that fits. They have different head shapes. I recently decided to get a slightly tougher one for mainly winter use than my Meteor (last generation). Thought I might get a BD this time but none of the he BD models fitted very well, while all the Petzl ones did. Ended up getting a Borea. 

 Alex Riley 09 Mar 2023
In reply to VictorM:

I've just gone from a wallrider to an edelrid salathe. Similar style and fit, lightweight and I managed to buy one for £62 so very reasonable too. The only reason I swapped is that I've cracked two wallriders in half.

Obviously fit is really important with helmets, so first and foremost make sure it does actually fit well.

In reply to VictorM:

I love my Petzl Boreo. Yes, it's a bit heavier than some of the ones you've listed, but its solid as. Two stories put me off the super lightweight helmets:

- A friend of a friend's sirocco disintegrating into a cloud of orange fluff under sustained rockfall at a belay. If i get hit by one rock I might get hit by another a few seconds later

- And a guy who turned up to an RCI training with a brand new helmet because the previous day he'd sat on his rucksack to have lunch and cracked the super expensive brand new helmet inside in half

I'm not careful enough to trust myself with something more expensive and more delicate. Added to which, and most important of all, it sits really well on my head.

1
 jezb1 09 Mar 2023
In reply to VictorM:

The BD ones fit me best so that’s what I wear.

The Vapor is my favourite by a long way, but you do need to be careful with not sitting on it etc. It’s v light, quite low profile and a genuine forget I’m wearing it helmet.

I also have a Vision. Still nice, just not quite as nice, but it will definitely last longer than the Vapor so I tend to use the Vision for work.

 CantClimbTom 09 Mar 2023
In reply to TobyA:

> One that fits.

^^^^  This.

You have to try them on, otherwise all discussion is purely academic

 mcawle 09 Mar 2023
In reply to VictorM:

I have the current Meteor and really like it, however a caution is warranted regarding the torch attachment - the elastic strap on the back doesn’t play super nicely with torches that have a separate/rear battery compartment such as e.g. BD Onsight.

Works very nicely for integrated units where you just have battery in the front with the bulbs, which I realise is more common, but just a reminder. I bought the Onsight in a hurry as I needed a new torch and didn’t realise until later that the fit was a bit awkward (although it does still work).

In reply to VictorM:

I have a Sirocco and I love it. It's so light, that I forget I am even wearing it. To me, that's a good helmet. Means I'm more likely to be wearing it more often. 

Mines gone everywhere with me the past few years, and it's still in good condition. You have to think about its safety a bit more than a heavier helmet, but it's never really been an issue. 

Personally, I will never go back to a non-ultralight of some kind. 

OP VictorM 10 Mar 2023
In reply to VictorM:

Thanks for your responses everyone, seems like I'll have to make a trip to the one shop in my country that has a decent selection... :P

 nufkin 11 Mar 2023
In reply to pancakeandchips:

>  a friend's sirocco disintegrating into a cloud of orange fluff under sustained rockfall

There's obviously a spectrum of toughness, but remember the lightweight helmets still have to pass the same tests as the chunkier ones, and there's something to the argument that any impact significant to trouble one is going to compromise any helmet.

>  more expensive and more delicate

One doesn't necessarily follow the other; as StoneG's post, my Sirocco has travelled a fair bit and the slight flex of the EPP does seem to help it shrug off buffeting in transit

 timparkin 11 Mar 2023
In reply to VictorM:

My BD Vision is very light, comfortable and quite robust  - been impressed so far. 

 ChrisJD 11 Mar 2023
In reply to VictorM:

We've just got some BD Vapor lids - very impressed with light-weight, comfort and ease of fit.

Not sure they will be 'that' durable being thrown in sacks and general non-climbing abuse. Doubt we'll get decades of use, lol. (not advocating that for this type of lid)

We tried a range of lids in Outside in Hsage and the vapor fitted all our heads the best (family of four).

Post edited at 15:28
OP VictorM 15 Mar 2023
In reply to jezb1:

I found a good deal on a last gen Vapor and ordered it. Very happy with it, good fit and adjustability with and without a beanie, and sits straight on my head

 Root1 16 Mar 2023
In reply to VictorM:

The Edelrid Salathe is a brilliant helmet. its lightweight and fits better than the Petzl Scirocco. Better strap and clip too.

https://rockrun.com/products/edelrid-salathe?variant=28380008087646

Post edited at 11:51
1
 TobyA 16 Mar 2023
In reply to Root1:

> The Edelrid Salathe is a brilliant helmet. its lightweight and fits better than the Petzl Scirocco.

I'm sure it fits you better but not everyone in the world necessarily has quite the same shaped head as you. :⁠-⁠)

 deepsoup 16 Mar 2023
In reply to TobyA:

Hang on a minute, are you trying to say the OP shouldn't buy a new helmet without trying it on first?

Hm..  that's a good point.  Has anyone mentioned that yet?

 Root1 17 Mar 2023
In reply to TobyA:

> I'm sure it fits you better but not everyone in the world necessarily has quite the same shaped head as you. :⁠-⁠)

Very droll. But what I meant was that the internal strap system inside the helmet has good adjustment, and holds the helmet much more securely on the head than the Scirocco does. That has little to do with head shape and size, unless you have head shaped like a banana.

2

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...