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About at L9

Ski Helmets - Smith, Giro, Sweet Protection and More

When it comes to safety on the slopes, a Ski Helmet is the number one way to protect yourself. Helmets are proven to reduce head injury in a crash, and these days, they are also warm, light and comfortable. With all the options available at L9 Sports, you are sure to find one that looks cool too! There are a number of things to consider when choosing a helmet, including fit, construction, safety features, customization and ventilation.

Fit & Sizing

Luckily, accurate sizing is easy, even if you are buying your helmet online. Our helmets all have size charts that are accessible by clicking the size chart button to the right of the sizes on the helmet’s page. Most of these size charts use centimeters as a measurement. To measure your head, use a tape measure and wrap it around the largest part of your head (middle of forehead to back of skull). This measurement will be what you want to go with for your size. Many helmets have custom fit adjustments (like a BOA dial) that will help you dial in the fit perfectly for your head. If you receive your helmet and the fit isn’t perfect, let us know! We will be happy to help.

Construction & Features

The construction of a helmet will be found in the Specs section of that helmet’s page on L9’s website. Here are explanations for a few of the most popular construction types: In-Mold Shells are similar to a bike helmet. They feature a relatively thin plastic shell with EPS foam underneath to absorb impact. Semi-hard shells are similar to In-Mold, except they incorporate a fully enclosed plastic shell. Hard Shell helmets use thicker ABS plastic that is glued to a hard foam interior shell. Hybrid shells use a combination of constructions to form the helmet. Finally, zip mold helmets are foam injected and fused to a polycarbonate shell, which makes for a lightweight helmet. Every helmet type that is sold on L9’s site is ASTM certified for safety.

MIPS (Multi Directional Impact Protection System) is designed to mimic the brain’s protective structure by reducing rotational forces caused by angled impacts to the head. These are the most common impacts to the head in skiing. Many helmets at L9 are MIPS equipped.

Ventilation can be fixed or adjustable depending on the helmet. Adjustable ventilation usually has a switch that can be toggled to close the vents on very cold days. Fixed ventilation does not have this option.

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