Ski mountaineering compounds the risks of typical backcountry travel. With the potential for falling rock and ice, steep terrain, and all sorts of rope shenanigans, keeping yourself safe involves finding a great helmet. Protect your head from the unexpected with the Black Diamond Vision MIPS helmet. The Vision uses a classic dual-foam construction to ensure daily durability as well as shock absorption. Borrowing technology from the crash-intensive worlds of horseback riding and mountain biking, the MIPS Low Friction Layer disperses rotational forces resulting from blows to the head, lowering the amount of force transferred to the brain when trauma occurs. All that fancy jargon means that your noggin will be safer if you wear the Vision.
- A protective EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam puck sits atop the crown, protecting against vertical impacts (e.g. rockfall).
- Durable EPP (expanded polypropylene) foam makes up the front, sides, and rear, protecting from side impact (e.g. crashes).
- A large hard plastic outer shell covers the impact-absorbing foam beneath, protecting the foam from dings and dents.
- Two clips on the front and an elastic band on the back of the helmet hold headlamps securely in place.
- Interior pads can be removed, saving you time and making helmet cleaning easy.
- This helmet meets proposed UIAA impact safety standards, as well as the EN 12492 climbing certification.
| Specifications | |
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Weight |
270g [S/M] |
| Certifications | EN 12492 (climbing) |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| Design | |
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Composite EPP foam, EPS foam puck and polycarbonate shell |
| Skimo Co Says | |
| Usage | Climbing, ski mountaineering, ice climbing |
| Notes | MIPS, a low-friction layer, slides 10 to 15mm in all directions, reducing rotational motion and damage if you have a collision |
| Bottom Line | Uberlight helmet with safety in mind |
| Compare to other Mountaineering Helmets | |
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Questions & Reviews
To be fair, this helmet is great for its intended purpose, rock climbing. For ski touring I was hoping it would be a good replacement for a Kong helmet I loved and wore out. It missed the mark for three reasons. 1. It sits high on my head and looks a bit dorky (vain, I know). 2. I typically tour with just a headband in my Kong. The venting in this helmet is so good I get cold, then throw on a beanie which gets too hot (also petty, but I hate fiddling with layers). 3. As a bald dude I worry about sunburn through the big vent holes forcing me to wear a hat underneath (somewhat negating the excellent ventilation). I’m still giving it 4 stars since I do like it for rock climbing (so light it is almost unnoticeable). But for ski touring I think I’ll search for something more ski focused.
Comment on this review:
Recently upgraded to this from the Vapor. I like the more-durable EPP foam over the EPS (my vapor light dented too easily in the bc). The headlamp clips are easy to use. The MIPS, while the jury is out on if it does anything, doesn't affect how it fits or feels and I think the potential for added safety is worth the slight extra cost. I had tried on both the Mammut Wall-Rider and Petzl Meteor and neither fit my head as well as this (between sizes on the Mammut and the Petzl felt like it stood really high off head). Only used a few days so far, but the feel is nice and the breathability is spectacular. My only downgrade is that it is solid black, which might get hot come spring/summer use.
Comment on this review:
7/2/2020
With various helmets that seem to be somewhat marketed to ski touring as well as climbing, without ski certifications, how would you compare this helmet to the Petzl Meteor or Sirocco in terms of side and back coverage and general non-rockfall skiing protection?
7/2/2020
Hey Matthew, thanks for reaching out! While there are no black and white answers when it comes to safety, I hope I can give some food for thought. I'll compare the Black Diamond Vision MIPS with Petzl Sirocco as it is more similar than the Meteor. Both helmets are made of multiple materials: expanded polypropylene lower foam, expanded polystyrene upper foam, and a hard shell on top(BD uses ABS, Petzl uses polycarbonate). In terms of side and back protection, we think it likely comes down to fit, coverage, and foam thickness. The Vision uses a plastic ratchet mechanism, while Petzl uses an all-webbing adjustable harness system. Both offer a very similar amount of coverage, with some variation in foam thickness. BD's EPP foam around the sides and back varies from ~22mm to ~11mm, and Petzl's varies from ~18mm to a thin lip at the edge. The other difference between these helmets is that the Vision MIPS..... has MIPS! This technology is intended to greatly reduce the negative effects of rotational injuries, but it is quite complex to quantify the benefits!
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4/6/2020
Hey. My head circumference is just under 58cm and I was wondering what size to go with. My bike helmets are usually in the 55-59cm range. I'd like to be able to wear a lightweight beanie underneath. I made the mistake of buying a Dynafit DNA helmet that was too big (L/XL).
4/7/2020
Hey Alexander, it sounds like you'll fit best in our S/M size--that has an adjustable range from 53cm to 59cm. As far as wearing a beanie under it, since you're on the upper end of S/M size range, if it's at all thick and you plan to wear it a lot that might be reason to consider going up a size, but if it is thin and has a snug fit to your head I would still recommend the S/M.
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