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The Best Ski Helmets for 2022

By Austin Parker Jan 19, 2022 7:15 AM

When it comes to safety on the slopes, there is no substitute for a good ski helmet. It seems like every season we hear a few cautionary tales of crashes in the terrain park and run-ins with trees. This year though, we’ve done all the testing and legwork for you. After a few months of trying on every ski helmet we could get our hands on, we’ve selected our favorites. Whether you’re just getting on skis for your first time or are a seasoned terrain park phenom, we’ve got a ski helmet for you.

Editor’s Pick: Smith Quantum

Smith Quantum — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Using Smith’s Koroyd material, the Quantum is incredibly light. Don’t let that fool you though. It will stand up to serious damage, and the included MIPS liner, BOA fit system, and Wayfinder straps keep it locked down perfectly. Due to the extra shock absorption of Smith’s Aerocore design, the Quantum can take bumps in side impact zones, outperforming most other helmets.

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For The Ladies: Pret Lyric X

The Lyric X’s plush liner will keep your lady warm and comfortable no matter how hard it’s snowing. The shell boasts a MIPS liner, and RECCO reflector (the only helmet on our list with RECCO technology). Developed specifically with Pret’s athlete team, it is as stylish as it is protective.

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Austin Parker is a former contributor at The Manual Parker is a powder skier and sport climber and is no stranger hauling… Read Full Bio

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Snow Sports

Arc’teryx x BEAMS: The blend of Alpine tech and Tokyo style

Arc'teryx x Beams

The new Arc’teryx x BEAMS collection celebrates the brands’ 25-year collaboration and the blending of technical function with street-savvy style. The line highlights a re-creation of the 1998 Arc’teryx Theta hardshell, a Gamma softshell jacket, and Jogen bouldering pants. All come in the signature Kōyō color palette, modeled after Japan’s autumn leaves.

I wore the Gamma Jacket and Jogen pants during the fall changeover in Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley, testing for warmth, wind resistance, and style. Here’s my take.

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Clothing, Hat, Face

From the time I was a little man, I excitedly tugged at the shirt tails of my father and grandfather every time they left the house to do anything relatively outdoorsy. They would leave the house hauling gun cases, fishing poles, camping gear, hiking packs. The men of my life loved everything adventurous, and they would do it every chance they could. When I was big enough, I would be allowed to come with them. I got my own boots. I procured my own active wear that could resist the weather. I opened my own parka for Christmas. Not only was I now in the same boat with them, in the same tent with them, and in the same deer stand with them. I also wore the same brand as them. Eddie Bauer was their go-to, and it had become my go-to.

But what was it about that brand? What was it about the man behind the brand that became the man’s best friend in the wilderness? Well, here is what you need to know about the guy who ditched the work world to open an outdoor brand simply so he could go outdoors all the time. And made it possible for my grandfather, my father, and then me.

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2027 KTM Freeride E

Austrian motorcycle company KTM’s dirt bikes have a reputation for ripping horsepower and world-title-winning performance. Across the world’s motocross tracks and enduro courses, the brand’s orange bikes win titles and provide the thrill of riding off-road. But for the most part, those bikes use 2-stroke and 4-stroke combustion engines.

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