Shred Slam Cap NoShock
Best value helmet
Brand: Shred
Model: Slam Cap
Our take Looking to save money without skimping on safety? The Slam Cap tests above both American and European safety standards for skiing, as well as American standards for mountain biking—that’s two equipment needs in one brain bucket. Our Colorado tester loved using the Slam Cap for everything from backcountry tours to fat biking trips along the Front Range. A honeycomb-structured, foam-lined core cushions impacts, and Shred’s Rotational Energy System (eight pads that slide within the helmet to move in unison with the head) protects against angled knocks. (Fortunately, we didn’t have occasion to test its protection.) Ding: The Slam Cap’s 14 air vents are great for warmer days, but the ones on the front and back aren’t closeable. “I got a tad chilly standing around ripping skins in gusty weather,” our tester says. Bonus: A removable merino liner and an anti-stink treatment fight odor.
Trail cred “This helmet is so light, I forgot I was wearing it when I started to drive home from the slopes,” one tester reported on his way back from Colorado’s Tenmile Range.
$200; 15 oz. (M); S-L