Summer sports are coming up. Snow is melting, temps are up, and people are already hitting the trails and rivers in the southern parts of the country. No matter your summer pursuit, you’re probably going to want to keep your head protected. Here’s a helmet for each of your summer activities.
Road biking: Specialized Propero II
The Specialized Propero II, a light road-biking helmet; photo courtesy Specialized
Road bikers are known for dorking out about the lightness and aerodynamics of their gear. You could be one of them and spring for a super-expensive carbon featherweight helmet—or you could buy the Propero II. At a fraction of the price, it’s essentially the same helmet as some of the higher-end models, like Specialized’s S-Works Prevail, just without the Kevlar details. It’s a tiny bit heavier, but we bet your brain won’t notice the ounces.
MSRP: $110
Kayaking: WRSI helmets
The safest whitewater helmet on the market; photo courtesy WRSI
After Lucas Brandon Turner died in a kayaking accident, his family committed to making affordable and super-safe helmets. That’s where the WRSI (Whitewater Research & Safety Institute) helmet came from. The Turners worked with mechanical engineers at Johns Hopkins University to build a helmet that won’t slip around on your head and protects you from impacts from any angle. It’s supposed to be the safest whitewater helmet on the market.
MSRP: $79
Mountain biking: Smith Forefront
Smith’s new Forefront; photo courtesy Smith
Smith has been incorporating Koroyd®—a light, ventilated material that also absorbs kinetic energy—into a lot of their helmets, but it’s most notable in the downhill-focused Forefront. Koroyd® is like a honeycomb: Air flows through the gaps, but it’s stable when it gets hit. The company says it absorbs 30 percent more energy on impact than an average helmet—which is nice when you’re taking a whipper through the trees. It’s also super light; it weighs only 10.4 ounces.
MSRP: $220
Downriver SUP: Sweet Strutter
Pretty sweet, that Strutter, photo courtesy Sweet Protection
If you’re paddling whitewater on your standup paddleboard, as more and more people are doing, you need a helmet. The Sweet Strutter, a favorite of raft guides and kayakers, is low profile, keeps the sun off your face, and doesn’t look dorky. Plus, the internal carbon frame keeps it light.
MSRP: $200
Climbing: Mammut Rock Rider
The light and cool Rock Rider; photo courtesy Mammut
The 9-ounce Rock Rider is light enough that you won’t notice it on your head or in your pack. It has 16 well-placed vents, so you’re protected from rock fall, but your head won’t get sweaty when you’re pumped. It had headlamp clips for early starts or late descents.
MSRP: $80
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