For anyone who read my post on finding ski boots for small feet, you may also have noticed that it can be challenging to find a well fitting ski helmet. If so, you’ve come to the right place.

As a petite 5’1″ skier, I’ve long accepted that most gear in the male-dominated world of skiing simply isn’t made to fit us. That means we often have to learn to adapt. I’ve had to search high and low for ski jackets and pants in petite sizes, switch to synthetics for base layers because nobody will make merino in my size, and sometimes default to kids’ sizes for items like gloves. Helmets to fit small heads are another challenge, and not one to be taken lightly.

Helmets: An essential piece of safety equipment

Back in the 80s when I was a kid, helmets were assumed to be just for kids or people starting out. As a teenager, I carelessly ditched the helmet and skied in just a tuque and goggles, feeling oh-so-cool in my early 90s neon ski gear. Yeah, don’t judge. Teenagers are idiots, and I was no exception.

By my early 20s, I’d finally come around to the idea that maybe, just maybe, if I was going to fly down steep groomers at 70km/hr, perhaps protecting my brain from severe injury was a good idea.

By that point, helmets for adults had thankfully come back into fashion, and there were tons of options available on the market. But how do they fit on those of us with very small heads?

How big is your head?

As I mentioned on my post about sunhats, measuring your head isn’t always straightforward. You may, like me, have an inkling that you have an unusually small head if you go through life constantly struggling to buy hats that are small enough. Or maybe whenever you do a sport or adventure activity like whitewater rafting or horseback riding, the helmet they issue you keeps falling off your head. Sound familiar?

Of course, not all petite women have small heads. There’s a correlation between height and head size, but it’s not absolute. But if the above paragraph resonates with you, you are probably petite in your head size too.

It turns out, head size is measured by wrapping a soft measuring tape around the crown of your head and checking the size in centimetres:

Then you can compare the number against the size chart for the helmet company in question, or against the size on the box label. There are no real standardized sizes across different brands, but many of them tend to be fairly similar. I’ve added Giro’s size chart below. As you can see, most “average” sized adult helmets in M/L/XL are made to fit a head size of between 55-60cm in circumference:

 

My head, which measures in at roughly 53cm, is considered an XS, though just on the brink of being able to fit into a S in some brands. This makes helmet shopping very challenging, since adult helmets designed to fit heads under 55cm are pretty rare. But they do exist. Here are some tips to find them:

Ski helmet considerations

When choosing a helmet, head size is only one variable. You’ll really want to try them on to make sure you get a comfortable fit, because helmets vary so much. A few things to consider include:

• Helmet shape: There are two main helmet shapes for ski helmets: Round or oval. Of course, most people’s heads are pretty oval-shaped, but the degree of it varies from person to person. The rounder helmets (e.g. POC, Smith) tend to have a more similar width and length all around, while the more oval-shaped helmets (e.g. Giro) tend to fit better on longer, thinner, more oval-shaped heads. You may not know which you are until you try a few on. It turns out I’m Team Oval.
• Adjustability: Some helmets need to fit right out of the box. Others have some features that allow you to adjust the fit, say, by adding padding, twisting a dial to make the fit tighter or looser, or pulling sliders. While adjustable helmets in theory sound great for petite heads, beware: The fit of a larger adjustable helmet pulled smaller will never be quite as good or as snug over time as a helmet that is small enough right out of the box. Your head is not sitting against the helmet walls, but against the straps or additional padding, which can loosen or pack out over time.
• Ventilation and comfort: Today’s ski helmets are warm, which is often the nicest advantage of them in cold weather. The padding and construction protects your head and ears from the cold and wind far better than any hat or tuque ever could. The flip side is that you may overheat on a warm sunny day. Some helmets come with ventilation slats that you can slide open or closed depending on your comfort.
• Goggle fit: Some helmets will fit better against certain pairs of goggles, forming a good seal between your forehead and the top of the goggle frames. Others might not fit quite right. At that point, you have the choice to either replace your goggles or replace your helmet. If you own a pair of goggles that you love and that are decently pricey, be sure to take them shopping with you so you can try them on with different helmet options to make sure you get a good fit.
• Bells and whistles: There are helmets with all sorts of gadgets and gizmos, from visors to integrated GoPro mounts to bluetooth speaker compatibility. You can easily spend a fortune on a helmet with all the latest technology. Personally, I’m fairly old-school when it comes to skiing and I am not really interested in listening to music or recording my runs. So I tend to look for the less expensive helmets with fewer integrated options. But hey, if you want to splurge, the sky’s the limit these days.
• Safety rating: Of course, no helmet is of much use unless it actually protects your head. There are safety rating standards from the US, Canada, or Europe, depending on where your helmet is sold. Most helmets sold in Canada carry the CE EN1077 safety rating, which means they’ve been impact tested to protect your head from front, side, and top impact in the event of a crash or a fall. A lot of helmets are labelled MIPS, which stands for Multiple Impact Protection System, which basically means it will protect your head regardless of the angle of impact, which is a good thing. Note that it’s important to replace your helmet if it ends up in a crash, or after around 5 years even if it’s not, as the plastic will start to degrade. Disclaimer: This is a fashion blog, not an authoritative source on helmet safety, so please don’t take my word for this but instead, consult the experts.

Petite-friendly ski helmet recommendations

Giro

Giro is one of the few brands that makes adult helmets in an adult size XS.

My current helmet is a Giro Strata from a couple of seasons ago. It’s actually a size S, which, as mentioned above, I’m right on the cusp of. Before that, I had another Giro helmet that was an XS in a different model (sorry, I can’t remember the name).

The Strata is very warm, fits well with my current goggles, and has adjustable air vents. It’s not a fancy model with a ton of features, but I find it fits well. The chin strap is decently adjustable, and the goggle keep in the back uses a bungee cord, which I find is more secure than older models that used a snap that could come loose.

Other models by Giro that do come in adult XS include the Strive and the Sestriere, both racing helmets. Though their models do change from season to season. I should note that it can be tough to find XS sized helmets in stores, so it may be worth trying on a small for fit, and asking the shop to order the XS if it’s still too big.

Smith

Another popular helmet brand, Smith Optics doesn’t make adult XS helmets, but does size helmets in small to extra-large and in two different head shapes: Oval or Round. The small size in their oval fit is meant to fit heads from 51-55cm, which should fit most petite women well enough. Though the round contour fit may not work as well for petites with a rounder head shape and a circumference under 55cm:

I’ve never personally owned a Smith helmet. My current goggles are Smith, though, which in theory would be more compatible with their helmets, though I find they fit well with my Giro helmet. If you’ve had success with Smith helmets, feel free to post your favourite models or tips in the comments.

POC Sports

The third brand that appears to be popular in local ski shops is POC, which does make helmets in XS.

For instance, the Skull X Spin helmet is a race helmet that comes in an XS designed to fit heads from 51-52cm. One thing you’ll notice about POC helmets is that most of them have a rounder design that sort of makes your head look egg-shaped. It’s a design that some people either love or hate, so try them on for yourself to decide.

Then there’s models like the Obex Pure, a freeride helmet which comes in an XS/S size designed to fit heads from 51-54cm, which could work nicely for petites. This is an adjustable helmet, mind you, which means that the actual helmet body will fit the upper end of that range better, so if you’re closer to the smaller end, you may want to ensure that the adjustments work for you.

I’ve personally never been able to get a good fit with POC. I think my head is just too narrow for the rounder shape of their helmets. But they do carry a pretty big variety of helmets to fit different sizes.

Can’t we just wear kids’ helmets?

Yes, generally speaking, if a youth helmet fits properly, adults can safely wear kids’ helmets. Usually, there’s some overlap between adult and youth sizes, so a youth small or medium might fit an adult with a smaller head:

The advantage to buying a youth helmet is that many of them cost less, even though they’re otherwise the same as adult helmets. They are supposed to be impact-tested to the same safety standard, and most youth helmets these days come in similarly neutral colours and designs too. So it’s not as though you’ll be limited to wearing a helmet with a cartoon character on it, either (though they’re definitely available for those who want one!

The only real disadvantage is that that smaller kids’ helmets may lack some of the convenient features of adult helmets, and may not be as compatible with adult goggles. This is definitely a try before you buy situation. But yes, if you find a good fit in a youth helmet, go for it.

The bottom line

Making sure you have gear that fits is essential for any sport, especially when the gear in question is safety related. It’s nice to see that major ski brands offer more choice in small helmets than they do in small boots. But there’s still very limited stock in the smallest sizes, and only a handful of models available. In short, manufacturers have a long way to go when it comes to catering to bodies that don’t fall into the centre of the bell curve.

Meanwhile, though, I hope you’ve found this post helpful. Next time you go shopping for a helmet, make sure to insist on a snug fit. If the big box store tries to convince you that a too-loose helmet is okay just because it’s what they have in stock, head straight for the door.

After all, we may be petite, but we’re tough. On the ski hill and off, we’re a force to be reckoned with. It’s time that the ski industry learn that.