Feb
03
2010
Smith Optics Variant Brim Snow Helmets
Posted by Blogmaster in Ski Helmets, tags: Brim, Helmets, Optics, Smith, Snow, Variant
- 22 Vents
- AirEvac 2 ventilation maximizes goggle and helmet airflow to reduce fogging and control temperatures
- Hybrid Shell Construction
- Low-Profile Regulator Adjustable Climate Control
- Removable Goggle Lock
Product Description
The award winning Variant Brim showcases Smith’s helmet technology in its finest form. A full performance helmet veiled under our Hybrid Shell construction and finished with distinctive style.
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Fellow Alpine Enthusiast take heed:
This helmet may just save you from having your own personal sign hung high up in some frozen tamarack pine which reads, and this is no joke…well, OK is it funny though for shizzle…”Sonny Bono’s greatest Hit!”
It does protect against that in a fly, urban kind of way. But, that aside, this is a necessary item for tree skiing/boarding.
My warning deals more with what I have learned in accidentally exposing myself (unprotected) for decades to cold environs like sky diving, alpine skiing, water skiing et al.
It’s called Surfer’s Ear.
That is when bone growth occurs in your inner ear canals.
You DO NOT want to make my mistake: bony growth obscures hearing. This helmet will help prevent against your body trying to protect itself from your spirit.
So, in conclusion, don’t thwart your spirit: trick your body.
It has excellent ear/head protection yet you can hear very well: well enough to know when the crack of surface snow means you and your crew might want to beat cheeks back into ski resort boundaries to outrun that avalanche!
Rating: 4 / 5
This helmet looks good, but, BEWARE… the helmet wall is much thinner that that of competitors. Also, the air vents are horrible… does not make any difference if they are opened or closed, the air rushes right into your head and does very little to keep your head warm.
This helmet might be good for warmer ski days… but, forget about this helmet if you are either an East Coast skier/rider or if you plan on skiing a day that is less than 30f degrees.
Even WORSE, the SkullCandy earphone plug in are designed improperly, with no way to secure it to the back of the helmet.
I have severe buyers remorse and on cold days, have reverted to skiing in my race helmet.
Rating: 2 / 5
Love this helmet! Warm, comfortable, fits my small head perfectly and looks really “cool”. My Smith goggles fit under the visor better than my previous helmet
Rating: 5 / 5
Love to ski, hate helmets, have resisted for decades. But when Fate sweeps away the glorious likes of Natasha from a bunny hill, all for want of a helmet, it’s time to break down and choose ugly (helmet) over dead (no helmet). This winter, I reluctantly scoured online reviews and chose the Smith Variant Brim. Didn’t think it would ever be possible to call a helmet cute, but this one in pinstripe white with its low profile and jaunty little brim is amazingly close. The clincher is how comfortable it is (vents super easy to use). Glad I spent a little more on this helmet for the great fit and look – you don’t HAVE to be a bobblehead. Thanks, Natasha. P.S. Bought mine on Amazon from Outdoor Guys – lightening fast – great seller.
Rating: 5 / 5
I purchased this helmet in a nearby store and love it. My wife purchased a POC costing quite a bit more, this helmet is every bit as good as the POC and costs $90 less. I would happily pay the extra money if the POC was a better product, but there just isn’t that much difference.
After snowboarding for years, we decided to purchase helmets this year. After 5 days in the Colorado Rockies, I can confidently say that I will not ski/snowboard again without this helmet. I find that the lining and ear warmers keep my head warmer than the “beanie caps” I used to wear. I did not purchase the speaker option, my bud earphones work under the earpads just fine.
I tried on both the medium and large versions of the helmet. With the adjustments built in, I could have gone either way. I like their system better than the cheaper helmet’s system of adding pads. I was able to get a good fit.
The one quibble I would have is with the brim. My goggles fit fine on the back, but the brim tends to get in the way when I try and put them on the top of the helmet. I have figured out how to hitch them on the brim, but it took a couple of tries to figure it out. I have Oakley goggles, not sure if a Smith version would be any different.
My in-laws are east-coast skiers vacationing out here for the holidays. After trying on this helmet, they are both purchasing it as well.
Rating: 5 / 5