buy or rent a helmet

bovril

Sorry if this has been covered before, search is down at the moment.

Is it better to buy a helmet rather than rent one? Just thinking that if I rent one how do I know it hasn't been knocked about a bit before. How do you guys feel about this?

Overflow

To be honest i would buy one, they are not too expensive and its a worth while investment. You can of course rent them in most ski shops, but as you said they may have already had a good thrashing.

loobylou

Don't know that you can rent them, I know I asked once and was told there was only a demand for childrens helmets. That was in a small resort in Austria so it may be different elsewhere.
Anyway, they're not that expensive so I would think that buying one would quickly pay for itself.

Overflow

loobylou wrote: »

Don't know that you can rent them, I know I asked once and was told there was only a demand for childrens helmets. That was in a small resort in Austria so it may be different elsewhere.
Anyway, they're not that expensive so I would think that buying one would quickly pay for itself.

Any resort ive been to i have seen them for rent and rented them on occassion. It could of course vary from resort to resort.
But your right, best to just buy one.

bovril

Thanks for the info guys
So is try in a shop and buy online the best option?

zagmund

We got some last year in Zell am See - all the shops were selling them. I don't think they were too expensive - mine was something like €50 and the boss got hers for something like €80 or so.

z

Overflow

bovril wrote: »

Thanks for the info guys
So is try in a shop and buy online the best option?

Best to buy in a shop, that way make sure its a good fit.

Static M.e.

+ 1. Best to buy in a shop.

A good fit is very important, not to mention style.. its best to look good when your falling...

olaola

I'd say buy. Sweaty used helmet! UGH! (I'm sure they're cleaned througherly, but still... the thought)

LeoD

Don't bother with the helmet - keep skiing fun.

davmol

Definitely get a helmet if your advancing and thinking of heading to a park or freestyle area,they are invaluable!!

i bought one and now im more confident doing tricks and mroe safe aswell.A mate of mine had a bad experience with a rented helmet which are used by many sweaty skiiers and u can imagine the risk of passing on lice or any other aliments of the hair/head!!


Natasha richardson....Nuff said!!!

Snowandrock dundrum and other places haev good deals on helmets

bovril

davmol wrote: »

Snowandrock dundrum and other places haev good deals on helmets

Thanks for that. Mailed the shop in Austria in the resort and he gave me approx prices so I know what to compare the shops here too.

Fattes

bovrilPersonally I would buy, thoughts of who could have been in it before you:(

Slush and Rubble and Robbing Outdoors have a good range and TK Makk stocked EU saftey standard approved ones last year.

Bring your goggles with you and make sure they fit with the helmet nothing worse then Goggles and helmet not sitting right.

You could try in store and order online aswell.

WWW.SNOWFUSION.CO.UK have some awsome helmets top quality stuff and not cheap but cool looking

Leo D not sure how not wearing a helmet keeps skiing fun? What ruins it is inconsiderite jack ass with bad attitudes and a god complex

bovril

Thanks Fattes, I will definately buy my own now. I had it in my head they'd be much more expensive than they are.

Good plan about the goggles, I hadn't thought of that.

Fattes

Bovril, they can be as expensive as you like but you will get a decent one for around €50 up.

Yeah the wind burn from the google and helmet gap is never good and if the google frame does not sit with the lid you will spend all day fixing them!

Happy shopping

ShayK1

+1 for buying your own. Its a sound investment. Myself and my g/f got ours last year in Oberstdorf. Her's was on sale and only cost around €25. Me of course being the vain Mofo that I am, had to get the right colour and spent around 90 on mine. I do love it though

Here's a thread that I started a while back. You might be interested in it
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055517215

3greenrizla's

my bruv also bought his in Oberstdorf, for only about €25, and swears it saved his mentality (or whats left of it) at least once.

I am not on slopes/or going at speeds where i think really need a helmet*, but I suppose once I have a bad fall I will think different & I will try one on before I buy.

*although I did hear that Helmets were going to be made compulsory (in Germany), but if you can buy one for €20/€30 why bother renting?

davmol

One of our gang bought a good helmet cheap in andorra years back and had trouble with the strap which he only discovered when he arrived back in dublin ,trouble was he couldnt bring it back to change it obviously unless he flew back to andorra...moral of the story if you buy at home you have a point of contact if you have any problems.

NMoore

I'd buy one. It's a good investment.
As above, you could try one on in store for fit & sizing, then buy online if it's significantly cheaper.
I wouldn't even consider going on the slopes without a helmet. I've been boarding for 10+years, and from the very start, my rented helmet protected me from banging the back of my head with the ski lift (Rookie mistake... lol!)
It's saved me after many a fall! There's been a couple of times where I know that thanks to my helmet, I can get up and ride away with only a headache and bruised ego, not have to be rescued off the slopes...
So Buy a helmet!