Meteor

I HATE this helmet...

I once borrowed one from a friend for three months while my Elios (a MUCH better helmet) was getting warrantied. The reason I hate this helmet so so so very much is the bloody migraines the adjustment system gives me. Unless I wanted the thing flapping around my head, I got HUGE headaches from the thing. Then, it doesn't have any headlamp clips, which means the headlamp is in my face when I'm wearing it under the helmet. Then there's the fact that the helmet is fricking huge, and you can get it caught constantly in close stuff. Imagine climbing a squeeze chimney with this big helmet on your head! Getting some protection from side impact is the only reason I rated this helmet a 2, instead of one. It's an outdated design that has many many more superiour competitors out there.

I've had this helmet for a looooong time. It's nice and light, but the adjustment system (screwing pegs into your head) takes some fiddling with. Also, there are no clips to hold a headlamp in place, which is a major pain. Finally, the thing is just...well, it's huge. It makes your head look like a mushroom, and if you're coming up from under a roof, it WILL find a way to catch on something. I'm hoping to replace soon with a Meteor III, but this was one of the first lightweight helmets on the market when I bought it, and I've been very happy with it, in general.

Very lightweight -- easy to forget you're wearing it. The twist-adjust foam cushions inside the helmet take a while to get right when fitting (may just be my particular head since I felt I was right between the helmet's two sizes) but once you've got it "dialed" you're good to go. Haven't experienced any serious impact so can't comment on that but it seems fairly durable (I would retire it immediately after anything serious, however). There is the possibility of small rockfall getting inside helmet (though those space-age triangles) but I haven't had this problem yet. This is a helmet for cragging. Since it doesn't seem intended for big wall/alpine pursuits, the Meteor's inability to accommodate headlamps isn't such a big issue. If you hate to wear helmets, are just out for the day, and serious rockfall is not imminent, I would recommend this lid.

Never had a single problem with it. It holds stickers well. Doesn't have the band around your head that some others do, so you don't get that sweaty ring. I like it.

Also, its shaped so that you can wear a baseball cap underneath it if you are one of those guys that needs to have your eyes shaded from the sun...