How to Buy a Snowmobile Helmet

Snowmobiling is an exciting sport that is accessible to both men and women, as well as a wide range of ages. Ensuring safety with a helmet helps make the sport more fun, and finding the right snowmobile helmet can be easy with the right information and a little bit of planning.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Determine the specific type of snowmobile helmet to buy according to what kind of snowmobiling you will be doing. For example, there are full-face helmets as well as snowcross or open-face helmets.

2. Determine how much you would like to spend for your snowmobile helmet before you buy it. Keep in mind that these items can range in price from relatively inexpensive to very pricey.

3. Decide on some possible brands of helmet. For the novice, a few recommendations from a more experienced rider or from a dealer may help.

4. Decide on a style and color combination for the helmet. This will be partially based on the brand selected, but can be customized to match your snowmobile or attire.

5. Take a measurement of the head circumference to get the best helmet fit. Some companies base their helmet sizes on hat sizes.

6. Choose and buy the necessary helmet accessories. Such items include visors, face shields or helmet lights.

Tips & Warnings

• A helmet worn for long rides can get uncomfortably warm, even in colder temperatures. Consider choosing a helmet with vents to increase air circulation into and out of the helmet.
• Find out about the availability of replacement parts and accessories for the helmet. Such items are more likely available for the more popular helmet brands.
• Many online companies have size charts for viewing. See a sample size chart at Up North Sports to help you find your perfect size (see Resources).
• Helmet shields sometimes fog up, making it dangerous or difficult to drive your snowmobile. If this happens to you, try reconfiguring the helmet, installing a breath deflector or removing the chin curtain.
• Avoid letting cost be the determining factor in helmet selection. Because safety and durability are crucial, it may be unwise to skimp on these features for the sake of saving a few dollars.
• Make sure any helmet being purchased has the proper certifications, such as DOT (Department of Transportation) and Snell. Snell is the more stringent standard and is the one usually used in racing.

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Resources

• Up North Sports size conversion chart