Gear Review: Smith Vantage Helmet
The most comfortable helmet in our test.
[best ski helmet]
“Five stars for comfort,” says our tester, who wore the Vantage ski mountaineering in Idaho, ski-touring in Norway and Vermont, and heli-skiing in Alaska. The reason? The helmet has a cushy liner and a low profile. “I never felt like I had a giant, awkward bucket on my head, so I wore it all of the time,” the tester says. And ventilation is superb.
With 21 vents, the Vantage siphons off heat and breath vapor that rises up the face—which helped keep our tester’s fog-prone goggles from misting over. Plus, the front and rear vents open and close separately, allowing for great climate control during variable conditions. Bonus: You can wire it for audio. $180, $210 (Twin-Tip audio), $340 (Bluetooth); 15.6 oz.; smithoptics.com