Light and comfortable but not durable

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

It's a great helmet in many ways but I wish it were more durable. I can easily push a dent into the shell with a finger with little force. I'm ALWAYS concerned when storing in my pack, even if just going cragging. Perhaps it's good to be mindful of protecting your helmet but I really feel I have to baby this thing. Because of this, my next helmet will be a one with EPP core and partial hard shell such as a Mammut Wall Rider. That said, the BD Vector is very light, breathes well, and comfortable. I hardly notice when I am wearing it. Adjusting fit is super easy.

J Pennsylvania Burns

Lightweight and happy so far

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

I was looking to side down from my half-dome helmet and this did the trick. The profile is definitely bigger than the half-dome but I don't mind it, and it definitely feels considerable lighter. Only thing I'm not crazy about is that the inside adjustable frame feels a bit flimsy and I worry it will break in the not so distant future due to my helmet abuse.

Sarah W.

tWINning

My boyfriend and I wearing our Vector helmets during a nice day of climbing! Check out my more detailed review below

Ana Stamenkovic

Good fit, wish there were more colors

Good fit, good safety rating, and good weight... Which is all that really matters. But I do wish they had more "fun" like a really bright reddish pink or something.

Emily D.

Great Helmet

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

I love this helmet! I have an average size head, maybe a little smaller and a small-medium was the one for me. It adjusts in the back as well for a perfect fit. It is lightweight and breathable.

Tyler Mifflin

Simply the Best

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Finally - a helmet that fits my head, looks good, and is lightweight! I've been searching for a helmet that fits these parameters, but it's been hard to find. My first helmet was the Black Diamond Half Dome. It fit pretty well but I thought it was a little too heavy, and it gave me headaches when wearing it for more than an hour at a time - not ideal for multi pitch climbing! After using the Half Dome for a season I decided to purchase the Petzl Elia. I love the colors it comes in (green!) but it was just way too big for my pea head. It was constantly shifting and I was always adjusting it which is again, not ideal. After saving up some money I decided to pull the trigger on the Vector. My boyfriend has one himself and I thought it looked super light and sleek. I'm so glad I finally purchased this! It fits my head PERFECTLY, and it adjusts with ease so I can wear this with a bandana or beanie underneath if I want to. The straps are comfortable and also adjust easily, and BD added a little tail catch to keep it from flopping around under your chin. The EPS foam and polycarbonate construction make this helmet so light, you barely notice it's on your head. The EPS foam saves weight while the polycarbonate layer adds a little bit of structure to it, so it can handle more bumps and dings than a traditional foam helmet. As a bonus, it looks great. I would wear this helmet for basically any outdoor sport that requires or recommends a helmet (rock climbing, mountaineering/alpine climbing, ski touring, ice climbing, etc). Here's a cheesy photo of my boyfriend and I wearing our matching BD helmets - climbing in Rock Canyon, Provo Utah!

Ana Stamenkovic

nice and light

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Needed a lighter helmet because old one kept falling off when climbing steep stuff. This helmet is light enough that it always sits on my head and pretty comfy too. The adjustment isn't as a nice as helmets with a knob on the back, but it does the job.

WK

Love this helmet

Love this helmet! It's light enough for alpine missions but has held up surprisingly well to getting stuffed in my pack.

Matthew Lundberg

Comfortable helmet, not durable for ice

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Comfortable helmet, barely can notice wearing it. Standing up into roofs, etc dents the helmet pretty easily. Took a basketball sized piece of ice to the head from ~30' and it protected me without any pain. Retiring after 4 years and going with a hard plastic shell for ice climbing. Would buy again for just rock.

andrew S.

Lightweight and Comfortable

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

The vector is comfortable and has better ventilation than the half dome helmet. That being said, you do sacrifice durability, but that is understandable.

Lex

Safe, Light, Comfortable

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

A climbing helmet is supposed to protect your dome, but it helps if it does more than that. I have a large head and this helmet has plenty of room and is very comfortable. Moreover it is super light, and easy to forget you're even wearing it. And if you're a head sweat-er like me, this helmet has plenty of ventilation to keep you cool.

Chris Blashill

Best fitting helmet

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Easily one of the best fitting helmets I have ever worn for any discipline. Easily adjust to your head with the ratcheting adjuster. Insanely light, sometimes I forget it is on my head because it fits so well and is so light. Breathes well so your head won't get hot, easily fits a beanie or cap underneath without causing any pain or fitting funny. Most hoods easily fit over it, including the Patagonia R1 hood.

Ben Fleming

Protect the good stuff.

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

My wife is a former climbing guide who studied brains and TBIs, so she lovingly badgers everyone she climbs with to ALWAYS wear a helmet. It's disturbingly easy to injure your brain, and both you and your beloved climbing parters' brains are worth protecting with a good helmet. This is a great one. You won't wear a helmet if 1) it's uncomfortable, 2) it doesn't stay on your head, 3) it's too heavy or bulky to bring along with you, or 4) you think it looks dumb. The Vector (or the Vapor) fixes that and chips away at your excuses to not wear a helmet because 1) it is inarguably the most comfortable helmet on the market due to its ventilation, 2) its bombproof fit system (it won't slide into "lobotomy style") with a wide range of adjustability, and 3) its featherlight weight, which you nearly forget when it's on your head. It's so light you barely notice it in a pack. 4) If you're worried about looking dumb in a helmet, take a long, hard think about it. Being able to think and climb is great. Just wear the damn helmet. That said, the Vector and the Vapor are pretty clean and sleek, and you'll automatically look like less of a beater because you won't have an ill-fitting helmet flopping around, or even worse... a backwards trucker hat or climbing shirtless with a beanie. She wears this helmet herself, and puts everyone she cares about in one, too.

Rob Ware

sturdy

Last time I got the vapor, and while light, it broke while in my pack. the foam cracked. So I have been using this one for a bit and don't really notice the extra weight, and it feels more sturdy.

Jake

Wonderful

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Fits and looks great. Saved my life a couple of times when ice and rock climbing.

Chris T.

Protect your cranium!

My vector helmet has been scraped across all types of rock. Despite nics and marks from wear-and-tear over a couple year, I feel absolutely secure climbing in my BD helmet. Many people skip out on wearing a helmet but rock-fall doesn't discriminate. Pick one up!

Benjamin August

For my Climbing Hubby

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

He loves it and looks great! Blue color is good in the heat.

Samantha Fox

So comfortable I sleep in it

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Fits great and you won't look like a goober...

Kent P.

Bigger profile but good overall

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

This was my first helmet and I mainly used for rock climbing. I didn't notice the bigger profile it has over my half-dome helmet, which really became an issue when I started ice climbing because my jacket hoods do not fit over it very well at all. If you just want it for non-winter season climbing, it isn't bad, as long as you don't mind it looking huge on your head (especially with taller lengthy builds). For winter though, I would suggest a smaller profile helmet that you can easily slide your hood over.

Sam Houg

Is the Vector just a slightly more durable version of the Vapor?

Chris C.

I have a big head, really big. I tried on a Vector M/L and Elios size 2 today, both were almost comically small perched atop of my giant head. Any Ideas?

Kelly D.

Whats the deal with the sizing? I currently...

Whats the deal with the sizing? I currently wear a Petzl Elios which has a max size of 61cm, my head is roughly 62cm and the Petzl fits ok. Went to try the M/L (says it fits up to 63cm) BD Vector on and couldn't even begin to get my head in. I know manufacturers size things differently but this is ridiculous.

S. Lee

Can you wear ski googles with this?

Can you wear ski googles with this?

aaronl426