Salomon Performance AF

I love my Salomon helmet! It's stylish, pearly blue. It's warm, but has vents so it's not too hot. The ear pads are comfortable too.

I bought the headphone plug-in for it and it rocks! I can listen to my ipod without fumbling with headphones.

I've only had one spill since I bought the helmet and felt glad I had it on. I caught on edge on flat spot and landed on the side of my head. Definitely hurt, but can't imagine how bad it would be without the brain bucket on.

This helmet has been a great addition since I purchased it in 2008. Light and comfortable, it's kept my head warm in all sorts of nasty conditions. The close-able vents above the forehead work just as they're supposed to, and Salomon includes Velcro inserts to close up the top vents for really cold days. The chin strap and ear pads are both lined with soft micro-fleece, and the AF version of this helmet means that the strap in the back of the head can be fitted to suit your skull exactly. Salomon's removable ear pad system also comes in handy. While the pads can be a little hard to remove (they clip in so tightly you might worry you'll break the pad before the clip comes out of the helmet), once removed you can either keep them out for warm spring days, or replace them with an audio system. The audio ear pads are just as warm, and it's nice to have the ability to listen to some tunes without using headphones. It's also just as nice to have the ability to easily turn off or lower the music to listen to your buddy on the lift, talk to ski patrol, or listen to the sweet swish of snow under your skis. Salomon would do better, however, to improve a couple aspects of their audio system in the future. The sound is a bit tinny, which I supposed is to be expected from cheap $25 headphones. More annoying, however, is that volume control, which also serves as the connector between the headphones and your music player of choice, easily develops a loose connection. I'm sure at some point in the near future it will have to be replaced with another. The volume wheel also falls a little flat: while I understand that it was designed to be easily adjusted with mittens or gloves on, it is sometimes a little too easy to adjust it. Too many times I have moved my hand across my chest to access a pocket or a hydration pack and inadvertently knocked the volume all the way up or down. Another look at that design might be useful.

All things told, this is a great helmet that has served me very well. The comfort and lightness are very good, especially for the low price. If you find this on sale, I highly recommend it.