What Is A Rock Climbing Helmet?

Rock climbing helmets have come into fashion (and function) in the last couple decades. Gone are the days when a bandana and some long hair were considered sufficient protection while headed out on big climbing objectives. While helmets don’t provide much protection should a climbing fall occur, the main concern is falling rock. Rocks fall for all kinds of reasons; they can be loosened from the rock wall either by other climbers or even a mountain goat at the top of the cliff you are climbing. Having worked as a climbing guide, I’ve heard too many stories of climbers having fairly large rocks bouncing or cracking off their helmet. Climbing helmets are mainly used for multi-pitch or alpine climbing and seem to get left at home when headed to the crag for an afternoon of single-pitch climbing. However, there is a story of a helmeted climber at the Back of the Lake in Lake Louise, Alberta, who was struck with a rock that fell from the top of the cliff, and it is believed that they would have died if they weren’t wearing that helmet. The moral of the story is that helmets save lives and should be included in every climber’s gear list.

What Are Climbing Helmets Made Of?

Simply put, rock climbing helmets are made of plastic and foam. The plastic helps by protecting a climber’s head from direct hits, while the foam helps to absorb impacts and provide extra cushioning. There are two main types of foams and two primary plastics that are used in the production of climbing helmets.

Foams

• Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) Liner
  • Absorbs impact, and will be able to handle multiple impacts
  • Heavier than expanded polystyrene
• Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Liner 
  • Shatters, but the shattering negates the most impact force
  • Lighter, but becomes useless once shattered

Plastics

• ABS: Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
  
  • Heavy plastic; more durable than polycarbonate
• Polycarbonate 
  • Lightweight but not as durable as ABS plastic; can scratch and dent easily, even in a backpack
    

How We Judged

In order to help you ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the 12 helmets in our review, we’ve broken down the helmet reviews into three main categories: construction, adjustability, and accessories.

Construction

We first wanted to know what materials were used to construct the helmet and if they were utilized in a new and exciting way. Weight was also a major component of construction; the lighter the helmet, the better, and this often came down to the materials and webbing.

Adjustability

Getting the helmet to fit properly and quickly is also an integral part of a helmet’s design. Rock climbing helmet manufacturers have come out with some interesting designs, so we wanted to see how each worked. Being able to adjust a helmet with one hand is also a major win so long as the system doesn’t add too many ounces to the overall package. With climbing helmets, the main areas of adjustment are at the rear and along the ear. Most helmets offer some ability to slide the chin strap and increase or decrease the space around the ear. As for the rear adjustment, there are three main styles:

• • • • Wheel: Spinning a dial on the back of the helmet will tighten or loosen the fit. Very easy to use, but adds weight. 
      • Plastic Strap: A dual adjusting strap using light plastic that is pinched together to create a good fit. It can be loosened by pushing on two buttons to release the strap. 
      • Webbing Straps: Similar to the plastic strap, this system uses webbing that is pulled together to tighten the fit on the helmet. It is not as intuitive to loosen as the other options, but it is lighter. 

Accessories

You may not think that helmets have much room for accessories…and you’d be right. However, the few companies that were able to either innovate in this area or add small features that can increase the versatility of a helmet got extra points in this category. We also looked at helmet venting, i.e. how many vents are on each helmet and do they actually cool the head, or are they there for show?

Best of the Rest

Petzl Boreo

Black Diamond Vector

Black Diamond Vapor

Mammut Wall Rider

Mammut Skywalker 2

Singing Rock Penta

Edelrid Madillo

Grivel Stealth

Black Diamond Vision

Best Climbing Helmet of 2021

A highly versatile and value-forward helmet, Black Diamond’s Vision helmet is a rock star (pun intended) as a rock climbing helmet. Available with MIPS BPS technology in the more expensive version ($160), this helmet is available to every climber and well worth the extra money for the MIPS version in our opinion. While the MIPS version is the safest, the standard version is still incredible and this helmet was an easy choice as the Best Climbing Helmet of 2021.

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Petzl Sirocco

(Runner-Up) Best Climbing Helmet of 2021

Price: $110

Weight: 5.6oz

Sizes: S/M (48-58cm), M/L (53-61cm)

Shell: Polycarbonate

Foam: EPP, EPS

Colors: 1

Adjustment: 2-handed, straps

What We Like: Extremely lightweight, Back bungee straps

What We Don’t: Magnetic buckle

The Petzl Sirocco is the Ferrari of the climbing helmet world: it’s high performance and lightweight with a price tag to match. At $110, the Petzl Sirocco isn’t the most expensive on our list, but it certainly is near the top. That being said, it is lightest on our list. So if you spend a lot of time in the alpine and count ounces or are looking to be the flashiest climber at the crag, look no further. The Petzl Sirocco earns our Runner-Up award for Best Overall Climbing Helmet of 2021. The price is fair for the amount of technology; it just comes with a specific fit that may not work for every climber.

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Black Diamond Half Dome

Best Budget Climbing Helmet of 2021

The Black Diamond Half Dome helmet brings back memories of first visits to climbing gyms and climbing at summer camps. These helmets are incredibly durable, fit just about everyone’s head, and look so darn classic. With a price of $65 and excellent durability, the Black Diamond Half Dome is our Best Budget Climbing Helmet of 2021. 

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Petzl Meteor

Best Bang for Your Buck

Price: $90

Weight: 7.9oz

Sizes: S/M (48-58cm), M/L (53-61cm)

Shell: Polycarbonate

Foam: EPS

Colors: 3

Adjustment: 2-handed, plastic

What We Like: Well ventilated, Easy rear adjustment

What We Don’t: Magnetic buckle

The Petzl Meteor attempts to bridge the gap between affordability and lightweight performance. Costing $90 and weighing 7.9 oz, it really is in the middle of the pack in both categories. The Petzl Meteor is a great option for those who are tired of lugging around heavier ABS plastic helmets and want to get into the lightweight world without absolutely smashing their bank accounts wide open. For these reasons the Petzl Meteor won the Best Bang for Your Buck award.

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Best of the Rest

Petzl Boreo

Price: $60

Weight: 10.1oz

Sizes: S/M (48-58cm), M/L (53-61cm)

Shell: ABS

Foam: EPP, EPS

Colors: 4

Adjustment: 2-handed, plastic strap

What We Like: Durable ABS shell, Low price

What We Don’t: Heavy, Lacking some adjustment

The Petzl Boreo is the every person helmet; with a low cost and overly durable build, any climber can find a use for this helmet. At only $60, it is rather budget-friendly and while not the lightest of the group at 10.1 oz, most climbers won’t really be able to tell the difference.

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Black Diamond Vector

Price: $85

Weight: 8.1oz

Sizes: S/M (53-59cm), M/L (58-63cm)

Shell: Polycarbonate

Foam: EPS

Colors: 3

Adjustment: 2-handed, plastic

What We Like: Great weight for price

What We Don’t: Polycarbonate not as durable as ABS

The Black Diamond Vector is coupling lightweight performance with a friendly price tag, much like its counterpart the Petzl Meteor, which is $5 more expensive while being 0.2 ounces lighter. The Vector is a fairly bulbous-looking helmet that has lots to offer. For $85, it’s a pretty good bargain.

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Black Diamond Vapor

Price: $140

Weight: 6.6oz

Sizes: S/M (53-59cm), M/L (58-63cm)

Shell: Polycarbonate

Foam: EPS

Colors: 6

Adjustment: 2-handed, plastic

What We Like: Extremely lightweight, Added Kevlar and carbon

What We Don’t: Fragile polycarbonate shell

Lightweight, stylish, and a touch expensive are all of the words that come to mind when looking at the Black Diamond Vapor. This helmet is built for climbers who spend big days on the wall and want lightweight protection. It comes with excellent ventilation at one of the lighter weights for helmets on our list. At $140, it is the most expensive (non-MIPS) helmet on our list. However, it is slightly fragile, which is an odd thing to say about helmets.

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Mammut Wall Rider

Price: $120

Weight: 6.9oz

Sizes: S/M (52-57cm), M/L (56-61cm)

Shell: Polycarbonate

Foam: EPP

Colors: 2

Adjustment: 2-handed, straps

What We Like: Durable polycarbonate, Lightweight

What We Don’t: Pricey

Mammut offers an everyday cragging or high alpine helmet with the Wall Rider. It is priced at $120 and weighs in at a comfortable 8.5 ounces (for a large). Not to mention, the helmet looks really cool. We were impressed with the design of the helmet and the materials used to keep weight down. The Mammut Wall Rider is also available in a version with MIPS, for added rotational protection for your brain. It only weighs an extra 0.5 ounces but costs $180 ($20 more than the Black Diamond Vision MIPS).

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Mammut Skywalker 2

Price: $60

Weight: 13.4oz

Sizes: 1 size (53-61cm)

Shell: ABS

Foam: EPS

Colors: 2

Adjustment: 1-handed, dial

What We Like: Comfortable

What We Don’t: Heavy, Too much padding

Maybe it’s in the name, and definitely in the design, but I can’t help but hear the Imperial March and envision Darth Vader walking down a smoking ramp every time I see this helmet. The Mammut Skywalker 2 just has the most Star Wars-y design, but is probably a lot cheaper than any of the helmets in George Lucas’ epic saga. At only $60, it is a very wallet-friendly helmet; it’s great for climbers looking to take their activity outdoors for the first time and need something that can take some bumps and bruises.

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Singing Rock Penta

Price: $70

Weight: 7.2oz

Sizes: 1 size (51-60cm)

Shell: Polycarbonate

Foam: EPS

Colors: 4

Adjustment: 2-handed, straps

What We Like: Affordable price

What We Don’t: Only one size

The Singing Rock Penta is a one-size-fits-all helmet that will also fit into any budget. Singing Rock is a Czech-based company that creates equipment for all types of pursuits, from working at heights to climbing and everything in between. With their Penta helmet they offer a helmet that is lightweight, comes at a great price, but only fits certain heads. If it does fit your head, the $70 price tag is very reasonable, however it is on the smaller side of the one-size-fits-all scale.

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Edelrid Madillo

Price: $120

Weight: 13.8oz

Sizes: 1 size (52-62cm)

Shell: ABS

Foam: EPP, EVA

Colors: 1

Adjustment: No rear adjustment What We Like: Foldable

What We Don’t: Heavy, Expensive

Helmets aren’t made to fold…right? Edelrid’s answer to that is a resounding no and is proving it with the Madillo, the only foldable climbing helmet that I am aware of—but is it worth all the press that it’s getting? The Edelrid Madillo promises to reduce the helmet’s pack size by 50%, a substantial margin if you like to go fast and light in the alpine. At $120, it tied with the Mammut Wall Rider as the second most expensive helmet on our list. We had to find out if a foldable helmet was worth the investment.

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Grivel Stealth

Price: $110

Weight: 6.7oz

Sizes: 1 size (53-61cm)

Shell: Polycarbonate

Foam: EPS

Colors: 2

Adjustment: 2-handed, straps

What We Like: Excellent design, Lightweight

What We Don’t: Pricey, Only one size

The Grivel Stealth looks like a helmet right out of N64’s GoldenEye; you just don’t quite get geometric shapes like this anymore. Oddly enough, the various panels and angles allow the helmet and its suspension system to sit lower on the climber’s head and feel a bit more natural. If I had a nickel for the number of times I bumped a helmet into the roof of a climb because I’m not quite sure how high my helmet sits, I’d be able to afford the Grivel Stealth.

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