How to Measure a Ski Helmet

Ski helmets are measured in centimeters.

Choosing a correctly sized ski helmet is more than measuring for the helmet, though making the correct measurement is where the process starts. Helmets may have slight differences in shape, as do heads. This means you'll need to check for more than the correct size when you are making your helmet selection, whether you are purchasing the helmet in a shop just hours before hitting the slopes, or shopping online in preparation for your first skiing adventure.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure

Instructions

1. Hold one end of a tape measure just above your right eyebrow. Use a dressmaker's tape measure, made from cloth, plastic or paper, not a metal measuring tape and, if possible, use a tape marked in centimeters, rather than inches, since ski helmet sizes are made in centimeters.

2. Instruct one of your friends to wrap the tape measure around your head, keeping it level and just above your ears and eyebrows. Tell your helper to bring the tape back to the place above your eyebrow where you're holding the end of the tape.

3. Tell your assistant to read and record the measurement at the point where the tape overlaps its end. This measurement is the size of the ski helmet you want. If you're sizing a child for a ski helmet, buy the size on the tape. If the child is in one of those "tween" cycles, buy the next size up.

4. Try on the helmets that are the correct size and that have the look you want. Pull the helmet on so that it sits just above your eyebrows---where you held the tape---and above your ears. Fasten the chin strap and see if the helmet is snug and comfortable and doesn't wiggle. Put on your goggles: if they push the helmet up, the helmet is too tight. If the helmet seems tight in spots, it may be because some helmets are more oval in shape and some rounder to fit heads that are shaped differently. The size may be the same, but a helmet with tight spots will become uncomfortable as the skiing day wears on.

5. Buy a helmet online but make sure you can return the helmet if the fit isn't correct, even if the size is.

Tips & Warnings

• A ski helmet is good for two or three seasons unless you take a hard fall. Check your helmet's condition frequently, looking for dents, cracks and dings that render the helmet unsuitable.

• Never buy a child's ski helmet with "room to grow into." After puberty, a child's head doesn't go through the drastic growth spurts that occur before puberty. A helmet that's too large is dangerous. Buying the right size helmet a couple of times over a few years is much less expensive than the alternative.

References

• Ski Essentials: How Do I Choose a Ski and Snowboard Helmet?