What to expect next winter: Protect your noggin

There's a lot of important stuff in between your ears and a bunch of companies are producing products to help you protect it from knocks and falls.

Helmets are flying in thick and fast next winter. Loads of brands are producing some kind of head protection, with goggle fit, ventilation and weight being the big selling points.

Cébé

Although a bit off the radar in recent years, the French brand have been bought by Bollé and plan to bring out a range of more goggles and helmets for the price conscious. Their Spynerflex helmet caught our eye. Set to retails at £80 it has been built with Bollé patent pending Zoneflex system. The ABS shell in the lid is flexible and the whole thing moulds to the wearers head shape more effectively than before.

Giro

In a big middle finger to the Money Munch, it looks as if Giro are set to drop prices across their range of helmets and bindings, no doubt inspired by the massive surge in protection and helmet sales occurring over the past year or so.

A cunning, yet simple design tweak means that you can easily wear your helmet and goggles together, with the goggle strap sticking to the helmet with Velcro tabs.

Head

The all-new Viant helmet incorporates all-new construction techniques to dramatically reduce the weight of the lid, whilst cutting the amount of material wasted in manufacturing. The consequence of that, we’re told, is that costs will also stay down in the shops.

Oakley

Oakley have also expanded their accessories range and jumped on the protection trend with their new helmet. The factory Crown helmet has be built in collaboration with TSG and weighs in at a featherweight 330grams.

Smith

To go along with the goggle range, Smith have launched a new high-end ski lid, built with Airflow technology, designed to keep the goggles fog-free when worn with the helmet. The vantage helmet should be about £155 in the shops and is based on the best-selling Variant.

Pro Tec

Scott

Bolle

A little afterthought on helmets

While there's no denying that wearing a helmet will protect your head you gotta make sure the helmet is certified, fits right and is designed for what you will be using it for. An incorrectly fitting helmet or one that isn't designed for skiing or snowboarding could actually be worse for you than not wearing one at all. And make sure you do it up. There's no point in wearing a helmet just 'cos your Mum told you to and not doing the strap up, least of all 'cos you have to do a walk of shame up the landing to the jump you just baled on to retieve it! But remember, if looking after your head is your top priority, not crashing is gonna' make a lot more difference than wearing a helmet, so ride with due respect to your ability as much as possible and don't sit in silly places on the hill (where people can't see you for instance).