OutdoorGearLab

The perfect climbing helmet would be so lightweight and comfortable that you could easily forget that you even have it on. It would also protect your head from impacts from above &#40;falling rocks or ice&#41;, as well as on the sides &#40;hitting your head while falling&#41;. The Petzl Sirocco does all of these things and more, and our testers love it for its "barely there" design. Weighing a mere 6.1 oz., this featherweight product has never left our necks feeling tired, and more often than not, we forgot we had it on. We also appreciate the carefully molded combination of EPP foam on the sides &mdash; a softer, light, and more malleable foam that protects from side impacts and is impressively resilient &mdash; combined with an EPS foam and polycarbonate piece on the crown of the head that provides more bomber protection from projectiles falling from above. This winning combination remains super light and provides respectable protection everywhere it's needed. Add in a comfortable fit, excellent ventilation, and easy-to-use headlamp clips that are also compatible with ski goggles for ski mountaineering missions, and the Sirocco is a helmet that's truly ideal for all purposes.
All good things still have their downsides, and the Sirocco is no exception. It is pricey, so it may not be the ideal choice for someone on a budget. The minimalist straps keep the weight down but aren't nearly as easy to dial in as a slider bar or click wheel. Finally, since it's not completely covered in polycarbonate, care is needed to ensure that it doesn't get damaged inside or outside your pack. Qualms aside, this is the helmet you will see on the vast majority of professionals, and for a good reason. No matter what kind of climbing you engage in, the Sirocco is an optimal choice.
Read Review: Petzl Sirocco

Switchback Travel

The original Petzl Sirocco shook up the climbing world with its lightweight yet durable construction and soon earned the endorsement of many serious alpinists. The second version builds off the first, with similar fundamentals but a more traditional shape and palatable look. Like the Black Diamond Vision above, the Sirocco uses a combination of expanded polypropylene (EPP) and expanded polystyrene (EPS), but with less polycarbonate covering and a lower-profile design, it weighs almost 2 ounces less. In fact, this helmet is so feathery light that you’ll forget it’s on your head.

For ounce-counting alpine climbers, it doesn’t get any better than the Sirocco. And last year, the premium lid got a considerable $30 price drop, bringing it down to a very reasonable $110. With this change, the Petzl is a strong contender for our top spot, but the Vision ekes out the win with less polarizing looks, a user-friendly adjustment, and a slightly more durable build (thanks to the larger polycarbonate shell). Further, we’ve been less than impressed with the Sirocco’s magnetic chin buckle and rear cinch, which have a tendency to loosen or come undone while climbing. But the Sirocco nevertheless is one of the lightest and most premium climbing helmets on the market, it’s also certified for ski touring, which puts it in exclusive category along with the Petzl Meteor below. See the Petzl Sirocco Helmet

The perfect climbing helmet would be so lightweight and comfortable that you could easily forget that you even have it on. It would also protect your head from impacts from above &#40;falling rocks or ice&#41;, as well as on the sides &#40;hitting your head while falling&#41;. The Petzl Sirocco does all of these things and more, and our testers love it for its "barely there" design. Weighing a mere 6.1 oz., this featherweight product has never left our necks feeling tired, and more often than not, we forgot we had it on. We also appreciate the carefully molded combination of EPP foam on the sides &mdash; a softer, light, and more malleable foam that protects from side impacts and is impressively resilient &mdash; combined with an EPS foam and polycarbonate piece on the crown of the head that provides more bomber protection from projectiles falling from above. This winning combination remains super light and provides respectable protection everywhere it's needed. Add in a comfortable fit, excellent ventilation, and easy-to-use headlamp clips that are also compatible with ski goggles for ski mountaineering missions, and the Sirocco is a helmet that's truly ideal for all purposes.
All good things still have their downsides, and the Sirocco is no exception. It is pricey, so it may not be the ideal choice for someone on a budget. The minimalist straps keep the weight down but aren't nearly as easy to dial in as a slider bar or click wheel. Finally, since it's not completely covered in polycarbonate, care is needed to ensure that it doesn't get damaged inside or outside your pack. Qualms aside, this is the helmet you will see on the vast majority of professionals, and for a good reason. No matter what kind of climbing you engage in, the Sirocco is an optimal choice.
Read more: Petzl Sirocco review

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Gear Review- Petzl 2017 Sirocco Climbing Helmet

Field Tested: Petzl Sirocco

REVIEW: Petzl SIROCCO Helmet

We were thoroughly impressed with the Black Diamond Vision MIPS and consider it to be the best climbing helmet on the market today. The addition of the MIPS &#40;Multi-directional Impact Protection System&#41; harness on the inside, technology that is now standard in both bike and ski helmets, helps reduce the chances of concussion by deflecting certain impacts and reducing impact forces. We see no reason why this technology should not become standard in climbing helmets and applaud Black Diamond &#40;and also the Mammut Wall Rider MIPS&#41; for giving climbers an option to use this technology. The Vision is also really comfortable, highly adjustable, and features a best of both worlds combination of an EPS foam puck on the top of the head to protect from falling rock and an EPP foam shell surrounding it for repetitive side impact protection. The outer shell is ABS, a more durable type of plastic shell than the very thin and easy-to-dent polycarbonate found on BD's other helmets.
However, the combination of the MIPS harness and ABS shell make this helmet heavier than most other foam options. Despite this, numerous friend testers commented on how light it felt, and it still weighs a lot less than a BD Half Dome or other full shell helmets. It's currently offered in one color, black, which can be hot when you're climbing in the sun. The technology incorporated in this helmet brings the price up, but we don't consider the price to be outrageous compared to other high-end foam helmets. If you want the very best protection currently available from your climbing helmet in the most comfortable and adjustable package, the Vision MIPS makes that decision easy.
Read Review: Black Diamond Vision MIPS

We wondered how and when climbing gear-giant Black Diamond would join the expanded polypropylene (EPP) movement, and the Vision is our answer. EPP foam is a relatively new material in climbing helmets—it absorbs impacts rather than shattering and is thus a more durable and protective choice—but we’re happy to see it becoming more commonplace (for more on EPP and EPS foams, see our buying advice below). Released last spring, the Vision features an EPP body, a “puck” of EPS along the crown of the head, and a polycarbonate shell that fends off dents and adds a boost in durability. At $100 and clocking in at 7.5 ounces, you simply won’t find an EPP helmet that better balances weight and price.

The Vision joins a growing field of premium EPP helmets, competing with the likes of the Petzl Sirocco and Mammut Wall Rider below. At $100 it’s the most affordable of the bunch, but the savings does come with a few tradeoffs. For one, while we appreciate the Vision’s more robust suspension system (it uses a plastic ratchet at the rear while the Petzl and Mammut use webbing), the straps around the ears cannot be adjusted for length, so you’ll want to make sure the helmet fits before buying. Further, at 7.5 ounces the Vision is slightly heavier (the Petzl clocks in at only 5.6 oz.), but still ridiculously lightweight compared to old-school models. All told, BD’s EPP helmet is a great combination of price and performance, earning it our top pick for 2022. And it’s worth noting that the Vision also comes in a MIPS version ($140), a popular technology borrowed from the ski and biking worlds that protects against angled impacts.See the Black Diamond Vision  See the Black Diamond Vision MIPS

We were thoroughly impressed with the Black Diamond Vision MIPS and consider it to be the best climbing helmet on the market today. The addition of the MIPS &#40;Multi-directional Impact Protection System&#41; harness on the inside, technology that is now standard in both bike and ski helmets, helps reduce the chances of concussion by deflecting certain impacts and reducing impact forces. We see no reason why this technology should not become standard in climbing helmets and applaud Black Diamond &#40;and also the Mammut Wall Rider MIPS&#41; for giving climbers an option to use this technology. The Vision is also really comfortable, highly adjustable, and features a best of both worlds combination of an EPS foam puck on the top of the head to protect from falling rock and an EPP foam shell surrounding it for repetitive side impact protection. The outer shell is ABS, a more durable type of plastic shell than the very thin and easy-to-dent polycarbonate found on BD's other helmets.
However, the combination of the MIPS harness and ABS shell make this helmet heavier than most other foam options. Despite this, numerous friend testers commented on how light it felt, and it still weighs a lot less than a BD Half Dome or other full shell helmets. It's currently offered in one color, black, which can be hot when you're climbing in the sun. The technology incorporated in this helmet brings the price up, but we don't consider the price to be outrageous compared to other high-end foam helmets. If you want the very best protection currently available from your climbing helmet in the most comfortable and adjustable package, the Vision MIPS makes that decision easy.
Read more: Black Diamond Vision MIPS review

REVIEW: Black Diamond Vision MIPS helmet

The Black Diamond Half Dome is an affordably priced and very protective helmet that is also one of the most popular climbing helmets out at the crag. Since it can serve anyone on a tight budget well, we are happy to recognize it as great value. Our users love the click-wheel adjustment system on the back of the head because it's super easy to use with only one hand and offers a vast range of adjustments. We also appreciate the enhanced durability and extended life span from a hard ABS shell. This helmet costs half of what the super-light foam ones run.
It's worth noting, though, that one flaw seems to plague all hardshell helmets that we've tested &mdash; weight. At 12.7 ounces, the Half Dome weighs more than twice as much as the Petzl Sirocco. Although it might only seem like a few ounces, this difference is easy to notice after a long day. The Half Dome also doesn't ventilate well, and it isn't the most comfortable helmet when compared to others side-by-side. We worry that the annoyance of the weight, limited ventilation, and lack of comfort might translate into some climbers wearing this helmet less often, thereby negating the purpose of a helmet altogether. That said, for new climbers or those on a budget, these downsides are likely outweighed by the Half Dome's attractive price.

The Black Diamond Half Dome is an affordably priced and very protective helmet that is also one of the most popular climbing helmets out at the crag. Since it can serve anyone on a tight budget well, we are happy to recognize it as great value. Our users love the click-wheel adjustment system on the back of the head because it's super easy to use with only one hand and offers a vast range of adjustments. We also appreciate the enhanced durability and extended life span from a hard ABS shell. This helmet costs half of what the super-light foam ones run.
It's worth noting, though, that one flaw seems to plague all hardshell helmets that we've tested &mdash; weight. At 12.7 ounces, the Half Dome weighs more than twice as much as the Petzl Sirocco. Although it might only seem like a few ounces, this difference is easy to notice after a long day. The Half Dome also doesn't ventilate well, and it isn't the most comfortable helmet when compared to others side-by-side. We worry that the annoyance of the weight, limited ventilation, and lack of comfort might translate into some climbers wearing this helmet less often, thereby negating the purpose of a helmet altogether. That said, for new climbers or those on a budget, these downsides are likely outweighed by the Half Dome's attractive price.
Read more: Black Diamond Half Dome review

Climbing Helmet Comparison