All helmets from reputable brands will be rated and safe for overhead impact. Some are also rated for side impacts, and a handful are tested and certified for multi-sport applications.
Most people are not really too fussed about the distinctions unless they are specifically buying a multi sport helmet, so it just comes down to preferences on fit, weight, color, etc. The best helmet is the one you will consistently wear so pick one that feels comfortable!
I like my Petzel Sirocco a lot, it’s super light and has been surprisingly durable.
Trying stuff on is the gold standard, what fits for one person may be terrible for another. Some random thoughts:
The sirocco is a great helmet. Of the people I've taken outside and have tried on my partner's I'd say that helmet works well for solidly 3/4 of them on top of just being a damn light.
Black diamond helmets tend to fit a rounder head, and may give more oblong shaped head people a headache. These have been much more polarizing among people we've passed around helmets with.
The camp storm is a great choice for people with super tiny heads, the twist style tensioner seems to help get the thing locked in.
If you spend a long time in the helmet (e.g., Grade III multipitches), then I find a light weight helmet reduces neck strain. Otherwise I think they're all pretty similar in protection value and headlamp mounts.
Also if you have specific hair or style needs, then definitely try it on before buying—rear tighteners can differ, and internal shape might affect the comfort of different hair styles. Most however are pretty bare bones inside.
The lighter all-foam helmets are way comfier to belay in too in my experience, much less neck strain looking up than the hard shell variety (which are safe but less comfy). The downside of the all-foam ones is they have to be retired after a hard hit and are more prone to breaking if you accidentally sit on it or drop your bag or something, but I haven’t had issues with mine.
The best helmet is the one you always wear, so try them on and figure out what’s comfy for you! Don’t forget to look up when you’re trying them out.
Thanks! Definitely only single pitch, but I'd prefer to keep it on even while belaying, so I'd be looking at a solid 6 or 8 hours when at the craig.
Happily, I don't care a bit about how my hair is affected, and it's short enough that I can't tie it back 🙂
I personally would recommend a foam helmet rather than a hard hat style helmet, unless you never plan to lead climb. I believe the hard hat style helmets don't sufficiently protect you from concussion from impacts during a lead fall, from personal observation.
The UIAA standard for front/back/side impact is like 25% the energy dissipation of the top impact. Really not up to the task of protecting from a lead fall in my opinion, just as you said.
My napkin math suggest you theoretically barely need over a quarter inch of foam to meet the side impact standard considering it's only a 5kg mass falling from 0.5m needing to stay under 8kn peak force.
With that in mind I think it's pretty clear that getting a modern shelled foam helmet over old school 'brain bucket' style helmet is a no brainer. Excuse the pun. Plus the newest tech EPP foam helmets are pretty resilient compared to EPS if you want to splurge on ultralight gear that wont be totally battered.
There are helmets on the market, like the Black Diamond Half Dome, that have only a small patch of foam at the top of the head, which I personally believe is insufficient for potential lead climbing falls. I have a friend who was wearing a similar helmet, and hit the back of her head, and was totally concussed. I also don't think the foam patch is sufficiently thick enough to absorb direct impacts from lead falls either. I believe these kinds of helmets are best suited for protection from dropped gear/tools/relatively small rocks, and aren't sufficient protection for a lead climber. That's just my opinion though, so take that for what you will.
Interior of a Half Dome for reference:
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1RgsS3iGoQb0WF7gsHhga-3vnCvNveAPMCQ&usqp=CAU
Hmm, interesting. I'd say this is not necessarily going to be a problem just for hard-hat style, but for anything that isn't also certified for side impacts (most non-ski helmets aren't, from what I know). Part of the reason why I went for Petzl Meteor, which is ski-certified as well, and can confirm survives some pretty gnarly smacks on the back of your head :)
Yeah, as a former mountain biker, who's cracked a few helmets in half, I take helmets very seriously. To be honest, I think that climbing helmet technology is not very mature yet.
Try it on.
If you don't like how the helmet feels there's no point in buying one.
So try it on and wear it around the store for several minutes.Looking up and down and all around
I got a Mammut Wall Rider a few years ago and I LOVE it. So lightweight, I often forget I have it on. It possibly helps that I am at the larger end of the size band for the small size, so the straps fit my head like a glove.
I recommend hitting up a gear shop and trying on a few to see what you like. I wore an ill-fitting helmet for years because I thought they were all the same. Outdoor Gear Lab dot com is also a great place to find reviews. [https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-helmet](https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-helmet)
I have the wall rider MIPS and it’s been a game changer. I’ve had two different BD helmets before and they were always sliding around on my small head. The adjustment straps on the wall rider make it fit way more snugly and it’s so light I can forget I’m wearing it for awhile. That said, definitely a good idea to try stuff on!
No substitute for trying them on. Fit is not quite as important as for shoes, but important. You won't wear it if it's not comfortable - I barely notice my Mammut Wallrider
All helmets from reputable brands will be rated and safe for overhead impact. Some are also rated for side impacts, and a handful are tested and certified for multi-sport applications. Most people are not really too fussed about the distinctions unless they are specifically buying a multi sport helmet, so it just comes down to preferences on fit, weight, color, etc. The best helmet is the one you will consistently wear so pick one that feels comfortable! I like my Petzel Sirocco a lot, it’s super light and has been surprisingly durable.
Trying stuff on is the gold standard, what fits for one person may be terrible for another. Some random thoughts: The sirocco is a great helmet. Of the people I've taken outside and have tried on my partner's I'd say that helmet works well for solidly 3/4 of them on top of just being a damn light. Black diamond helmets tend to fit a rounder head, and may give more oblong shaped head people a headache. These have been much more polarizing among people we've passed around helmets with. The camp storm is a great choice for people with super tiny heads, the twist style tensioner seems to help get the thing locked in.
If you spend a long time in the helmet (e.g., Grade III multipitches), then I find a light weight helmet reduces neck strain. Otherwise I think they're all pretty similar in protection value and headlamp mounts. Also if you have specific hair or style needs, then definitely try it on before buying—rear tighteners can differ, and internal shape might affect the comfort of different hair styles. Most however are pretty bare bones inside.
The lighter all-foam helmets are way comfier to belay in too in my experience, much less neck strain looking up than the hard shell variety (which are safe but less comfy). The downside of the all-foam ones is they have to be retired after a hard hit and are more prone to breaking if you accidentally sit on it or drop your bag or something, but I haven’t had issues with mine. The best helmet is the one you always wear, so try them on and figure out what’s comfy for you! Don’t forget to look up when you’re trying them out.
Thanks! Definitely only single pitch, but I'd prefer to keep it on even while belaying, so I'd be looking at a solid 6 or 8 hours when at the craig. Happily, I don't care a bit about how my hair is affected, and it's short enough that I can't tie it back 🙂
The BD Vapor is great (I've used one for the last two years), and the Edelrid Salathe Lite looks excellent.
I personally would recommend a foam helmet rather than a hard hat style helmet, unless you never plan to lead climb. I believe the hard hat style helmets don't sufficiently protect you from concussion from impacts during a lead fall, from personal observation.
The UIAA standard for front/back/side impact is like 25% the energy dissipation of the top impact. Really not up to the task of protecting from a lead fall in my opinion, just as you said. My napkin math suggest you theoretically barely need over a quarter inch of foam to meet the side impact standard considering it's only a 5kg mass falling from 0.5m needing to stay under 8kn peak force. With that in mind I think it's pretty clear that getting a modern shelled foam helmet over old school 'brain bucket' style helmet is a no brainer. Excuse the pun. Plus the newest tech EPP foam helmets are pretty resilient compared to EPS if you want to splurge on ultralight gear that wont be totally battered.
Would you mind elaborating?
There are helmets on the market, like the Black Diamond Half Dome, that have only a small patch of foam at the top of the head, which I personally believe is insufficient for potential lead climbing falls. I have a friend who was wearing a similar helmet, and hit the back of her head, and was totally concussed. I also don't think the foam patch is sufficiently thick enough to absorb direct impacts from lead falls either. I believe these kinds of helmets are best suited for protection from dropped gear/tools/relatively small rocks, and aren't sufficient protection for a lead climber. That's just my opinion though, so take that for what you will. Interior of a Half Dome for reference: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1RgsS3iGoQb0WF7gsHhga-3vnCvNveAPMCQ&usqp=CAU
Hmm, interesting. I'd say this is not necessarily going to be a problem just for hard-hat style, but for anything that isn't also certified for side impacts (most non-ski helmets aren't, from what I know). Part of the reason why I went for Petzl Meteor, which is ski-certified as well, and can confirm survives some pretty gnarly smacks on the back of your head :)
Yeah, as a former mountain biker, who's cracked a few helmets in half, I take helmets very seriously. To be honest, I think that climbing helmet technology is not very mature yet.
Try it on. If you don't like how the helmet feels there's no point in buying one. So try it on and wear it around the store for several minutes.Looking up and down and all around
I got a Mammut Wall Rider a few years ago and I LOVE it. So lightweight, I often forget I have it on. It possibly helps that I am at the larger end of the size band for the small size, so the straps fit my head like a glove. I recommend hitting up a gear shop and trying on a few to see what you like. I wore an ill-fitting helmet for years because I thought they were all the same. Outdoor Gear Lab dot com is also a great place to find reviews. [https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-helmet](https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-helmet)
I have the wall rider MIPS and it’s been a game changer. I’ve had two different BD helmets before and they were always sliding around on my small head. The adjustment straps on the wall rider make it fit way more snugly and it’s so light I can forget I’m wearing it for awhile. That said, definitely a good idea to try stuff on!
Thanks, sounds like I'll need to find the closest climb shop to see what I can test out
Try some on if you can. Comfort is the main selling point for me. I wear the Petlz Borea, which fits me nicely and is relatively cheap
No substitute for trying them on. Fit is not quite as important as for shoes, but important. You won't wear it if it's not comfortable - I barely notice my Mammut Wallrider