Smith Variant Brim Helmet

I really like this helmet. Fit is very nice. Relatively light. Lots of vents and can be controlled on either side of the head. They are adjustable between full-open, to partial and closed. I find the helmet very warm and I never wear anything under it. Only adjust the vents as needed. I do take it off for B/C hikes as I find i get too warm then.

I like the look of this helmet with the brim as you look a little more "athletic" than the standard dome-heads.

The only issue with this helmet is the brim. It isn't super solid. If you take a huge wipe-out you could be brim-less.

I got this helmet two years ago and it has never failed me. I use for everything, A/T, downhill and any other snow sport that requires head protection. The vents and super. I have owned many helmets with quite frankly a half assed job done on the vents. Most of them were very small and met a cloth interior which allowed little of the air to ever reach your head. The Variant Brim's vents are so wide that unless I am skiing in an exceptionally warm day I can skin up with my helmet on with no problem. Whith the vents closed though, I have comfortably downhill skied at -14 degrees Fahrenheit (in Silverstar, BC). If you buy the helmet I would recommend the brim, it keeps snow away from your face, looks great and I have found that it helps to keep snow from filling up the gap between the top of your goggles and the helmet. There are also vents that push air down through your goggles vents. It is designed for Smith goggles of course, but with my pair of Oakley crowbars it works great too.

This thing is super warm when it needs to be (when it doesn't you have the vents), and it works seamlessly with my I/OS goggles. The ear pieces and fitting in the back are great as well. After a long day, the ears can be a bit uncomfortable, but it's a minor thing. A great helmet, and highly recommended.

I agree with the ski patroller a couple comments below. Immediately after taking the helmet out of the box, I could see the left and right corners of where the brim (visor) attaches to the helmet the microscopic size pin attachments were falling out and loose, the entire helmet is falling apart before even the first use, will be taking it back asap!

Picked up a Variant Brim last year and I love this helmet. Fit is awesome, lightweight and warm when you want it to be. Open the vents and let the steam out! Awesome with my IO goggles. Put the Skullcandy speakers in it and they are mediocre but that's Skullcandy's fault not Smiths!

I am new to skiing and just bought this helmet...i must say now I understand how advanced the helmets have gotten and how safe I can feel wearing one. Awesome product...would highly recommend to anyone looking for a helmet.

This helmet is very purposefully designed. The Boa adjustment is very easy to use and can be righty-tighty or lefty-tighty (for you left-handed folk). The vents are easy to close with gloves on when you get a burst of arctic wind on the lift, and I love the option to throw in audio system that you can get separately.

Again Smith has another winner on their hands with the Variant Brim helmet. This helmet is lightweight and comfortable and can be warm or cool depending on the vent settings. The vents on the helmet are easy to operate and allow the user to customize the amount of airflow depending on the conditions of the day. The size adjustments give the helmet a custom fit for each person. This helmet also works great with smith goggles. The goggle vents on the brim of the helmet direct air into the goggle to prevent fogging of the lens. If you are looking for a great helmet, look no further…

I tried on every helmet in the store. The Smith Varient was BY FAR the most comfortable. I can wear it for hours and hours and I don't even notice that I have it on. It's easy to adjust and keeps my ears warm.

I haven't had any issues with the brim as other reviewers state.

Small Bonus - it comes with a helmet bag.

I'm very glad I spent a little extra and got the Smith Varient!

I've had my Variant Brim helmet for 3 or 4 years now (I bought it when the I/O goggle first came out with my I/O goggles). I've skied an average of 30 days a year plus my brother has borrowed it when he skis without me. So it has plenty of use and it's holding up strong. It keeps my head at a comfortable temperature, except for hiking on a spring day. Most of my friends ride with this helmet because it is so versatile and it also comes in a lot of steezy colors. Next year I will be getting a new Variant Brim because the manufacturer's suggestion to rotate it out every few years.

This helmet's great for the job - protects well, keeps goggles from fogging (especially I/O's), and the adjustable ventilation keeps you perfectly comfortable. That being said, the brim is just too easy to break - I now have a helmet with half a brim. Even worse, the flimsy brim is crucial to the overall design; it can't be simply removed after its damaged. Save $20 and get a more durable helmet with the Variant.

Pretty sweet helmet all in all. It's nicely styled, super comfy, toasty warm, and fits true to size. I'm a medium in most every helmet I've ever used for any discipline, and this is no different. I've put the vents to work on a couple blue bird days with good results.

Thankfully, I haven't put it's safety rating to test. Nor have I tried the ear inserts for wireless headphones, but they look pretty cool. Maybe Santa will hook me up ...

No complaints here. I got this helmet last year and it's held up well for me. It fits great and keeps my head toasty. The ear pieces do start to get uncomfortable after a while, but not to a point of pain and regret. And as with other smith helmets, they work great with their goggles too.

My third year as a ski patroller I bought this helmet from a local shop and thought it was great at first. Then I took a minor fall and broke off half of the brim. From that point on the helmet was a joke because the brim actually holds it together in front with a plastic pin running from the outer shell through the brim, into the foam. So the outer shell began to completely seperate from the foam and the helmet looks stupid and is unusable- shoddy design / construction if you ask me. And guess what - Smith said it wasn't covered under warranty. Definitely not going to buy anything else that says Smith

I have had this helmet for a while now and you can't ask for much better. It has been through the circus a few times and is still like brand new. I have goggles from Oakley, Smith and Dragon no problems with either fitting the helmet, The brim is great little feature but the adjustable vents get my vote for kickassness! on those warm spring Utah days, just slide the vents open to let your head breath and get a window seat for the ride down. On the next day when it is dumping like it is February just close the vents and go for it. Awesome helmet. I would recommend to a friend anytime.