Updated June 28th, 2023
Comfortable and warm basic entry level ski helmet with adjustable vents and audio compatible ear pads.
Top Pick – Best Ski Helmet on Amazon
Manufacturer and Model: Outdoor Master Emerald
List Price: $64.99
Available from: Outdoor Master, & Amazon
Overall Score
Summary
The Outdoor Master Emerald Ski Helmet is a basic entry level ski helmet with a few more features than most cheap budget ski helmets. It is a nice improvement over the popular Outdoor Master Kelvin helmet. It uses similar basic ABS hardshell construction. It has adjustable vents, goggle defog vents, audio compatible ear pads, and a bungee goggle strap. It is a bit wider and more comfortable than the Kelvin, although it still has the short neck strap. I would pick the Emerald over the Kelvin if I was looking for a cheap beginner ski helmet.
What we liked:
- Low cost with lots of features
- Has adjustable vents and goggle defog vents
- Audio compatible earpads
- Wide and roomy fit
- Sturdy ABS hard shell construction
- Bungee goggle strap attachment
What we didn’t like:
- No MIPS version is available
- Chin strap could be longer
Specifications
- Construction – Hardshell
- MIPS – No
- Weight – 1 lbs 3 oz
- Ventilation – Adjustable
- Goggle Defog Vents – Yes
- Audio Compatible – Yes
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Outdoor Master Emerald Review and Test
We have been a fan of Outdoor Master gear for a while now. It is on the cheaper end of the ski gear price spectrum. It always works and lives up to Outdoor Master’s claims. The Outdoor Master Kelvin helmet is the most popular ski helmet on Amazon. The Emerald is a new low end helmet that has all the features of the Kelvin plus a few improvements in key areas. The price is a little higher on Outdoor Master’s website. If you go check out Amazon, you can get an Emerald for less than a Kelvin.
Here is a list of what the Emerald has that the Kelvin didn’t.
- Adjustable vents
- Audio compatible ear pads
- Goggle defog vents in front
- Bungee attachment for goggle strap
Outdoor Master provided us with a grey colored Emerald to review. As with all our reviews here, we’ll give you the good and the bad whether we bought it ourselves or a manufacturer gave it to us.
1 – Style
The Outdoor Master Emerald has some character lines on the side and a bit more dynamic look than a basic skater style helmet. It has a small brim on the front so that it will cover larger profile ski goggles. It is available in 5 different colors.
Our grey colored sample has some mountain graphics on the side. Only the grey colored version of the helmet has these. The other colors are more traditional with just the Outdoor Master name logo on the sides.
2 – Construction – (7.5/10)
The Emerald uses basic ABS hardshell construction. It is very similar to the older Kelvin helmet. It still has the straps riveted to the shell. It has similar style ear pads and liner and the same size adjuster. It has nothing fancy construction wise. It has everything it needs to provide basic safety on the mountain.
3 – Safety Features – (8.0/10)
The helmet is certified to the ASTM F 2040, standards. There is no MIPS version of this helmet available. If you want MIPS you have to step up to the Outdoor Master Diamond snow helmet.
4 – Comfort and Fit – (8.5/10)
The Emerald feels a bit more roomy and wider in the size large than the Kelvin helmet did. This is a nice change for people with larger head. The kelvin size large was not that large relative to other helmet brands. The inside of the helmet has a removable fleece liner that is nice and comfortable. The ear pads are wide enough to be comfortable and don’t feel like they are pressing in on my ears.
The neckstrap has a nice comfy feeling pad. The neck strap length is still on short side. This is one area they didn’t improve upon the Kelvin helmet. I wear a size large and I need to max out the strap length to wear it. I wish for another half inch or so of strap on a cold day when I wear a thicker neck gaiter and thin hat.
5 – Warmth (9.0/10)
The helmet feels warm on colder days with the vents shut. The ear pads and fleece liner do a good job of making the helmet feel warm. It is a step up in warmth from the fixed vent Outdoor Master Kelvin.
6 – Ventilation (8.5/10)
This helmet has 12 vents. 6 of them are adjustable with a slider on the back of the helmet. There are 2 goggle defog vents on the front of the helmet that are always open. The vents are on the small size compared to most other ski helmets. This will be a good helmet for resort skiing and staying warm. It won’t be a great helmet if you have to do a lot of hiking or climbing up to anything while wearing it. I found the vents to be good enough for a mid 30’s ski day.
7 – Weight (8.0/10)
Our sample size large Emerald helmet weighed in at 1 lb 3 oz. This puts it about average for an entry level helmet designed for resort skiing.
8 – Goggle compatibility
We tried out the Emerald with the new Outdoor Master Eagle goggles. The helmet brim shape works with most modern ski goggles with a minimum gap.
The bungee strap attachment on the back makes it easy to secure your goggles to your helmet and take them off if you need to.
The clip that holds the bungee can be removed with a screwdriver. The bungee cord is fixed to the helmet and there is no way to remove it without permanently cutting it off.
9 – Audio compatible Ear Pads
The ear pads have a velcro opening on their inner top side. It is big enough to slide in a set of helmet speakers. The ear pads are wide enough that there is plenty of room in there to slide the speakers in. They are wide enough they don’t press against your ears too much with speakers in them.
The ear pads are removable. It takes a lot of force to pull them back off once they are snapped in.I tried to remove them but was worried that I was going to break something pulling them off. The ear pads on the Kelvin go on and off easily.
Recommendation – Buy or No Buy?
The Outdoor Master Emerald is a nice upgrade above their older and popular Kelvin design. It is a basic ski helmet with a few nice features such as adjustable vents. We would recommend the Emerald to someone looking for their first ski helmet who wants something better than a rental helmet but doesn’t want to spend a lot of money yet.
See Best Deals!
Use the Coupon Code SUMMER20 for up to 20% off or code SUMMER25 for 25% 2 items at OutdoorMaster.com during their 8th Anniversary Sale
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Doug Ryan
Co-Founder & Chief Editor
I grew up back east in Pennsylvania and learned to ski on a family trip to Killington, Vermont when I was 6. I immediately fell in love with the mountains and outdoors and have been skiing across the US and Canada ever since. I went to school for Mechanical Engineering, and have a Master’s Degree in Material Science and Reliability.
I am a total gear nerd and love learning how things work and thinking about how they could be improved. Nothing excites me more than trying out new gear. I’d rather spend 3 hours taking my bike apart and learning how to change something than go to a bike shop. These days I reside in Michigan by the Great Lakes and go skiing, biking, and boating as much as possible.
doug@adventuregearinsider.com
