Smith Holt

Got this helmet in my snow gear lineup a couple of months ago... After reading reviews and checking prices the Holt seemed the best way to go. I am not a helmet person, and until this year I hadn't ever thought to need one. Either way, something told me to pick up a helmet for this season, and the price was right so I threw down a few clams for some shiny new melon protection. Good thing, too, because I feel sure that I would have been towed down the mountain a few days ago if I hadn't been wearing it. Whilst hitting a small kicker coming out of the trees, I got a little over zealous, and I failed to land on my feet. Instead, I ended up taking quite a whack to the noggin from the icepack. Don't ask me how I got into this position, but by some unlucky mix of gravity, bad timing, and a frown from the gods, I landed with all my body weight and rotational acceleration on the top and back of my head. Even with a helmet it still hurt pretty good, and it definitely shook some salt off my ego for the day. I'm also pretty sure I scared the innocence out of some nearby kids with the ensuing ranting & swearing bitchfit I threw, but I rode away minutes later with skull case & contents intact. At the base of the mountain, recounting the gag reel moment to my wife, I declared this helmet the "Best Investment Ever," a sentiment with which she fully agreed. The helmet also fits and looks great, the low profile keeps me from looking like "Space Balls" when I am going Ludicrous Speed, and it's not as "styley" or oddly futuristic looking as some of the other helmets out there. It is lightweight and nicely adjustable, works perfectly with my VZ goggles with no "gaper gap" or lens fog, and, not least of all, keeps my un-concussed head and ears toasty even in pretty frigid (-teens) temps. Only criticism for next year would be to add a little more softness/ padding to the otherwise well designed chin strap. Not sure why, but this is a minor (seemingly easy to fix?) problem that seems to plague the whole of the helmet world.

As you can see, this helmet has a number of reviews with most of them 4 stars or better. That should speak for itself!
But the Smith Holt is awesome. I use it to snowboard in and keep plenty warm with it on, finding only rare occasions that I have to slip on a beanie to keep my ears from getting too chilly.
The thing is light as well. I often times forget I'm even wearing one. And I've also actually tested it out a few times, unfortuntately. It's taken a few beatings from rails and hard packed snow at high speeds and both my head and the helmet came out winners.
If you don't mind spending a few more dollars and want to jam out while you ride I would advise getting the Audio version of this w/ the Skullcandy audio system in it. It's amazing. I originally bought this helmet and then upgraded to make mine into an audio helmet and love it! The sound is amazing. You can check my review on the audio version if that's you're route.
But overall, you can't go wrong with this helmet. Great price, good quality, and no concussions. What more can you ask for?

I tried on many helmets, but I kept coming back to this one for the fit and comfort. The best part about it was the price - one of the more cheaper helmets on the market that I saw. It fits well with my goggles, it is very easy to adjust, keeps my head very warm, and is rather light. Why people would ski and snowboard without a helmet is beyond me... I mean, would you mountain bike downhill without a helmet? If I had one complaint, the only thing I could think of is that my friends call me "egghead" because I have white framed goggles to go along with it, and I look like an egg (I got the Matte White color). This helmet is audio compatible also, but I haven't tried it yet. The Smith Holt Helmet was a great buy.

This helmet is one of the best in it's price range. It doesn't have a ton of vents, but the intake vents in the front do their job of circulating air through the whole helmet. It has a nice low profile design, with a slight lip brim to keep snow from getting jammed in your goggles. Have only used Smith goggles with it and the fit is great. It's lacking some adjustments found on higher end Smith Helmets, such as the retention system in the back of the Variant helmets. The ear flaps pop out which is nice for spring days. I have the matte finish, which doesn't scratch easily, and the shell takes some abuse in the rocket box with other gear.

My 10 year old son wears the News Camo helmet in Medium and really likes it. We had to remove the ear pads, as they are just way too hot in the Seattle area. Instead, he wears a beanie underneath to protect his ears. I tried out the Black Matte in Large, and it was just way too huge. And the Medium was a bit too tight. For me, I replaced with the Giro Fuse (also L) and like it better overall - it's a more sleek appearance. I also removed my ear pads and wear a beanie underneath instead. The ear pads are likely best when it's <20-25F outside, as they are just way too warm once you're in the 30s.

I've had about 10 helmets in my life most of them have seen some harsh times, but this helmet is by far the strongest one i've had and it looks really cool too. The helmet only weighs about 1 1/2 pounds and it feels like your just wearin a beanie. It also comes with a summer pad kit which allows you to switch out the pads for spring skiing or just ridin your bike. the strap clip isn't a pain in the ass like most and the strap doesn't rub on you and make a rash. Make sure you get the right size or it won't feel right

I used the Holt for all of last season, and it proved very substantial in the coldest of temperatures (as far down as -10F). It was a bit too much on warmer days, but I doubt most will be wearing it far into the summer. Luckily for me, I didn't hit any trees last year, so I can't really comment on how well it holds up in crashes. On the negative side, the chin strap was super annoying and the fabric was constantly sticking to the inside of my jacket. I've since been wearing the Giro MX which I like a lot better.

If you are on a budget and looking for an inexpensive lid. This helmet takes the cake. Relatively cheap, very comfortable and pretty good fit. Fits well with goggles, and looks pretty stylish. Two drawbacks are the venting system is the greatest. They don't open are shut, they are always open, and there is no micro-dial adjustment. But other similarly priced helmets don't have this either and they don't breathe or fit as well.

i bought this helmet last year in white and i liked it so much that i bought it again in black (cuz i got way too much white s**t this year) i rock this helmet with a beanie and goggles underneath with the ear pads taken off. it looks and feels super sick. if your in to the goggle under the helmet steeze then look no further cuz this helmet is the best!!

great helmet. i decided to go low profile with the matte black, and it's the most comfortable helmet I've owned. i haven't had any problems with the chin strap - i don't think it's a thick wide strap but really the opposite - it's narrow and thin and most of the time I can't even tell if I'm clipped in or not. awesome venting system as well.