The Best Budget Ski Helmets of 2024 Helpful Guide

Updated December 4th, 2023

Skiing and snowboarding are a lot of fun. Accidents do happen no matter how good a skier you are or how careful you are. One of my ski friends got a concussion standing in the lift line after being run over by an out of control skier. Wearing a helmet can help protect your head, keep you warm, and help defog your goggles. Good helmets don’t have to be super expensive. There are many good options under $100.

See below for our top picks for best budget ski helmet. Keep reading for ski helmet reviews and our helmet guide.

Budget Ski helmet guide – What to look for

There are many things to consider when looking for an under $100 ski helmet. There are basic features that almost all ski helmets will have. These include vents, adjustable size, and removable ear pads. There are other nice to have features such as adjustable vents and audio compatible ear pads. Let’s discuss what you should look for.

If you are still wondering whether or not you need to wear a ski helmet, see our article 5 reasons why you should wear a ski helmet to help you decide.

Price

Low end budget ski helmets start around $50. A $50 helmet will be ASTM2040F or EN1077 certified so it will be safe. It will not have every feature that you will eventually want in a ski helmet. It might have adjustable vents but won’t have goggle defog vents. The ear pads might be speaker compatible but they might not be. Nothing in the $50 range will have MIPS protection. It will be a good basic helmet that will keep you safe on the slopes in most situations.

Moving up to $100 ski helmets you add more features and less compromise. A $100 helmet should have goggle defog vents. The design should at least have MIPS available although it may be a $20-$30 extra.

When we go up to $150-$200 helmets, they should have every basic helmet feature. MIPS should be available. They should have goggle defogging vents. Vents should be adjustable. The earpads should be Bluetooth speaker compatible. Helmets in this price range should not be missing any main ski helmet feature. A few will also have more advanced hybrid construction or honeycomb energy absorbers.

Helmet construction

Most budget ski helmets all have very similar construction. They all involve a plastic shell, either ABS or PC, and an EPS foam energy absorber. The 2 main helmet shell materials are ABS and PC or Polycarbonate. The 2 main construction methods are Hardshell and In-Mold construction

ABS vs PC shells

• ABS shell – ABS material is heavier and more scratch resistant. It’s also cheaper than Polycarbonate. Most helmet shells on budget ski and snowboard helmets are made entirely of ABS.
• PC shell – Polycarbonate is lighter and stronger than ABS but it is also 3 times more expensive and scratches much easier. PC is used as a shell material when the goal is saving weight. Some helmets with hybrid shell construction will have some portion of their shell made from PC.

See this article from ThingsThatFold.com to learn more about the differences between ABS and PC plastics.

In-Mold vs Hardshell construction vs Hybrid

Both types of helmet construction use EPS foam for their energy absorber. Both offer the same protection for your head and are equally safe.

• Hardshell construction – The helmet shell and EPS foam liner are molded seperately and then glued together. This method is cheap and easy to manufacture. Because of tolerances the helmet can’t have really intricate venting holes and details.
• In-Mold construction – The helmet shell and EPS foam liner are molded together in one mold. This construction method costs more but produces a lighter weight helmet. Because the shell and foam are molded together, the vent holes and channels can be more controlled.
• Hybrid construction – Hybrid helmets are made of more than 1 molding. Part of the helmet uses hardshell construction and part uses In-Mold construction. This is less expensive than a full In-Mold helmet and somewhere in the middle as far as weight and other benefits go.

See the below video for a quick explanation of hard shell vs in-mold helmet construction

ASTM vs EN vs CE certifications

The main standards used to certify the safety of snow helmets are ASTM2040F and EN1077. One is the American standard. One is the European standard. Both do similar testing although there are subtle differences. They use different impactor shapes on the helmet. They have different acceleration limits. Both use 4 samples to get their results. Both test at a variety of temperatures. You can feel equally safe wearing a helmet that was certified to either standard. See these articles from Aurora Helmets and Satra Technology to learn more.

MIPS

MIPS stands for Multi-Directional Impact Protection System. It is an inner liner in your helmet that lets the outer shell and energy absorber rotate about your head while the MIPS liner stays in place. In angled impacts such as a glancing blow to the side of your head, the helmet won’t force your head to rotate. This reduces the strain on your neck and brain.

If you are skiing in the trees and hit your head into a tree but not straight on, MIPS will give you better protection. In any situation where you hit your head on something at an angle, MIPS will help. Go to mipsprotection.com to learn more about MIPS.

Helmet features

The main features you’ll see talked about with ski helmets are venting, size adjustment, and earpads. Let’s take a quick look at each of these.

Venting

Venting helps keep your head cool and dry. Without venting, sweat will build up on your head making you feel disgusting at the end of the day. In general more venting is better for most ski days. On really cold days too much airflow can make you feel cold.

Adjustable venting that can be closed on colder days is a nice ski helmet feature. On some higher cost helmets, you can open and close front and rear vents separately. I’ve personally never owned a helmet with this feature and not sure it has that much real world value. Standard adjustable vents have worked fine for me.

Goggle defogging vents

Smith pioneered the AirEvac goggle defog vent system. This puts vents on the lower front of your helmet that push air through your ski goggles and keep the fog out. Most helmet makers incorporate these into their mid to high priced helmets now. They are well worth the extra cost. I rarely ever have goggle fogging problems these days. If they do fog a little while I am standing around, they quickly clear up as soon as I start skiing.

Audio compatible removeable earpads

Almost every ski and snowboard helmet made has removable ear pads. They can come off for warmer spring days or if you want to use the helmet for biking or skateboarding in summer. Some are much easier to remove than others. Smith helmets have ear pads that need the size adjuster unhooked to take and are a pain.

Some people like listening to music or other things while skiing. Bluetooth helmet speakers are a great way to do this. Some helmets have earpads with pockets built in for holding headphones or speakers. This makes installing them very easy.

See our guide to the best ski helmet speakers to learn more.

Adjustable size

Every ski helmet sold has adjustable sizing now. There is a dial on the back of the helmet that you turn to adjust the size. It will tighten a band that goes around the helmet inside. Helmets with BOA cables such as Oakley and ANON work a little differently but the function is the same.

Helmet Goggle compatibility

A proper fitting ski helmet should have a good fit with your ski goggles. You want to have as small a gap between your goggles and helmet as possible. A large gap means your forehead will get cold and the goggle defog vents on the helmet won’t help. If you have a really big goggle gap people may call you a gaper. You want to reduce the goggle gap. Most helmets are designed to work with ski goggles these days.

Different helmet brands shape their helmets and goggles a little bit differently. To get the best fit between your snow helmet and goggle, use the same brand goggle and helmet. If you use different brands, it is a good idea to try them on together to see how they fit together.

See our Ski Helmet Gear Guide to see our ski helmet picks across all price ranges.

Are you still confused about what to buy? Talk to an expert at Curated.com

Budget Ski Ski Helmet FAQ

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