Gear guide · 2026/27
Ski helmets: how to choose one, with picks at every price
A helmet is the one piece of kit almost everyone should own rather than rent: it has to fit your head exactly, and you can’t know a rental helmet’s history. Here is what matters when you choose one, and every helmet Absolute Snow has in stock, sorted by price.
By Book & Ski · 43 products, £31.95 to £403.95 · Prices checked
How to choose
Check the safety standard
In Europe and the UK, ski helmets are certified to EN 1077 (class A covers more of the head, class B is lighter and better ventilated). In North America the standard is ASTM F2040. Every helmet sold for skiing by a reputable shop meets one of them.
MIPS adds rotational protection
MIPS is a low-friction layer inside the shell that lets the helmet rotate slightly on impact, to reduce the rotational forces linked to brain injury. It adds a little to the price; the list below shows which helmets have it.
Fit matters more than features
Measure around your head about 2 cm above your eyebrows and use the brand’s size chart. A good fit is snug all round with no pressure points and doesn’t move when you shake your head. Dial-adjust systems (such as BOA) fine-tune it.
Bring your goggles
Goggles should sit flush against the helmet with no gap on your forehead (the “gaper gap”). Try them together, ideally the same brand.
Replace it after a crash
Replace a helmet after any significant impact, even with no visible damage, and roughly every five years as the materials age.
Picks at every price
From the cheapest, middle and most expensive third of what’s in stock, we picked the ones with the most of the features above.
Budget
Mid-range
Premium
Oakley
Oakley Mod 7 Snowboard Ski Visor Helmet
- MIPS
- BOA dial
- Magnetic buckle
£403.95
View at Absolute Snow
Prices from Absolute Snow’s product feed (lowest in-stock size), checked 13 October 2026. Absolute Snow is a UK retailer. Budget, mid-range and premium describe price only: we haven’t tested these products. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Everything in stock, by price
| Product | Features | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dirty Dog Hydra Ski Snowboard HelmetDirty Dog | – | £31.95 | View |
| Dirty Dog Solar Ski Snowboard HelmetDirty Dog | – | £39.95 | View |
| Marker Confidant MIPS Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | Women’s, MIPS | £48.95 | View |
| Sinner Fortune Ski Snowboard HelmetSinner | – | £55.95 | View |
| Marker Ampire 2 W Womens Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | Women’s, Magnetic buckle | £57.45 | View |
| Sandbox Icon Snow Ski Snowboard HelmetSandbox | – | £66.45 | View |
| Sandbox Classic Snow 2.0 Ski Snowboard HelmetSandbox | – | £66.95 | View |
| Sandbox Classic 2.0 Park Ski Snowboard HelmetSandbox | – | £67.45 | View |
| Smith Scout MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetSmith | MIPS | £69.95 | View |
| Smith Scout MIPS Snowboard Ski Helmet (2024)Smith | MIPS | £69.95 | View |
| Smith Scout Snowboard Ski HelmetSmith | – | £70.95 | View |
| Marker Companion Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | – | £73.45 | View |
| Spy Galactic MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetSpy | MIPS | £77.45 | View |
| K2 Meridian Womens Snow Bike HelmetK2 | Women’s | £83.95 | View |
| Oakley Mod 1 Snowboard Ski HelmetOakley | – | £84.95 | View |
| Marker Ampire 2 Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | Magnetic buckle | £91.95 | View |
| Sinner Typhoon Visor Ski Snowboard HelmetSinner | – | £91.95 | View |
| Giro Neo MIPS Ski Snowboard HelmetGiro | MIPS | £91.95 | View |
| Marker Ampire 2 MIPS Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | MIPS, Magnetic buckle | £97.45 | View |
| Salomon Pioneer Lt Pro Snowboard Ski HelmetSalomon | – | £98.95 | View |
| Salomon Husk Snowboard Ski HelmetSalomon | – | £99.95 | View |
| Marker Phoenix 2 W Womens Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | Women’s | £103.95 | View |
| Marker Phoenix 2 Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | – | £103.95 | View |
| Oakley Mod 1 MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetOakley | MIPS | £109.95 | View |
| Anon Logan in Mold Wavecel Ski Snowboard HelmetAnon | Magnetic buckle | £112.45 | View |
| Marker Phoenix 2 MIPS Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | MIPS | £116.45 | View |
| Sandbox Classic Snow 2.0 MIPS Ski Snowboard HelmetSandbox | MIPS | £122.95 | View |
| Anon Rodan Ski Snowboard HelmetAnon | Magnetic buckle | £124.95 | View |
| Oakley Mod 1 Pro MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetOakley | MIPS, BOA dial | £126.95 | View |
| Oakley Mod 1 Pro Snowboard Ski HelmetOakley | MIPS, BOA dial | £126.95 | View |
| Smith Mondo MIPS Ski Snowboard HelmetSmith | MIPS | £129.95 | View |
| Marker Phoenix 2 MIPS W Womens Ski Snowboard HelmetMarker | Women’s, MIPS | £133.45 | View |
| Smith Method MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetSmith | MIPS | £139.95 | View |
| Anon Rodan MIPS Ski Snowboard HelmetAnon | MIPS, Magnetic buckle | £149.95 | View |
| Poc Obex MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetPOC | MIPS | £149.95 | View |
| Oakley Mod 3 MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetOakley | MIPS, BOA dial | £152.95 | View |
| Salomon Mtn Lab Ski Snowboard HelmetSalomon | – | £159.95 | View |
| Salomon Husk Pro MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetSalomon | MIPS | £169.95 | View |
| Salomon Husk Prime MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetSalomon | MIPS, Magnetic buckle | £170.95 | View |
| Smith Liberty MIPS Womens Snowboard Ski HelmetSmith | Women’s, MIPS | £199.95 | View |
| Smith Level MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetSmith | MIPS | £199.95 | View |
| Oakley Mod 5 MIPS Snowboard Ski HelmetOakley | MIPS, BOA dial | £220.95 | View |
| Oakley Mod 7 Snowboard Ski Visor HelmetOakley | MIPS, BOA dial, Magnetic buckle | £403.95 | View |
Prices from Absolute Snow’s product feed (lowest in-stock size), checked 13 October 2026. Absolute Snow is a UK retailer. Budget, mid-range and premium describe price only: we haven’t tested these products. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy or rent a ski helmet?
Buy one if you ski every year. A helmet of your own fits properly and you know its history; rental helmets are fine for a first trip.
Is a MIPS helmet worth it?
MIPS is designed to reduce rotational forces in angled impacts, and it usually costs only a little more. Many skiers think that is worth it; fit and certification come first either way.
Can I use a bike helmet for skiing?
No. Ski helmets are tested for cold, multiple low-speed impacts and ear coverage under EN 1077; bike helmets are not.