How we recommend
We recommend gear by category and use, not by brand, and do not quote prices. We may earn a commission on purchases at no cost to you.
Get coaching
This page explains what governing bodies, standards bodies and safety bodies publish. It is not a substitute for lessons from a qualified instructor, avalanche training or medical advice.
What a helmet can and cannot do
Nothing on this page says a helmet is certified, safe or legal: the standard on its label and the rule of the body or place decide that. No helmet is presented here as preventing injury or death. The bodies say so themselves. FIS states that helmets "do not offer an absolute protection" against the consequences of accidents (alpine specifications 2026/27, 3.6.3). ASTM's scope for F2040 says a compliant helmet may reduce the risk of some head injuries at slower speeds and that "the protection is limited". The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says no helmet design has been proven to prevent concussions. Health Canada warns that helmets that do not protect enough may give a false sense of protection. The NSAA urges helmet use and also says behaviour matters as much as or more than any equipment. A blow to the head needs medical care, and concussion rules by body are on concussion by body.
The standards on the label
| Standard | Edition and date | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM F2040 | F2040-18, listed as active by ASTM (page last updated 23 March 2018); earlier versions -00, -02, -06 and -11 | A performance standard for helmets for non-motorised recreational snow sports such as skiing and snowboarding; it does not restrict design, and follows ASTM F1446 test methods except where stated |
| EN 1077 | EN 1077:2007 (published in Norway as NS-EN 1077:2007, December 2007), replacing EN 1077:1996 | Two protection classes, A and B, for alpine skiers, snowboarders and similar users including children and competitors; covers field of vision, shock absorption, penetration resistance, the retention system, and marking |
| Snell S-98 | 1998 Standard for Protective Headgear for Skiing and Other Winter Activities | Helmets for alpine and cross-country skiing and other non-motorised winter activities; no helmet meets it without initial certification and ongoing random sample testing by the Foundation |
| Snell RS-98 | 1998, status unsettled | Listed by Snell as a recreational skiing and snowboarding standard with a certification list, while a Snell form calls it rescinded (all seen in search summaries) |
A helmet maker's 2020 summary, unconfirmed because the paywalled standard was not read, says class A helmets cannot have detachable ear covers and class B was developed for more ventilation and better hearing. No edition newer than EN 1077:2007 or F2040-18 was found, which does not prove there is none.
Reading the label
- The mark: the CPSC says a helmet that meets a standard carries a label or marking showing so, and advises against relying on a helmet's name, looks or packaging claims.
- No partial claims: ASTM says a product that fails any requirement of F2040 should not be sold as meeting any part of it.
- Certification lists: Snell lists certified products but does not rank them.
- After an impact: the CPSC separates single-impact helmets, whose foam crushes to absorb one impact and will not protect again, from multiple-impact helmets. It says a helmet may need replacing after one severe impact with visible damage, and points to the maker's instructions.
- Fit: not described here. FIS's snowboard rules say helmets must be worn as the maker recommends (C.4); fit is for the wearer to have checked in person.
What regulators say
In the United States, the CPSC's January 2026 brochure says snow-sport helmets fall under voluntary standards, unlike bicycle and motorcycle helmets, and lists ASTM F2040 and Snell S-98 and RS-98 for skiing and snowboarding. In Canada, Health Canada's notice (updated 4 July 2023) treats ski and snowboard helmets not conforming to the applicable criteria in CSA Z263.1-14, ASTM F2040-18, Snell RS-98 or EN 1077:2007, or an equivalent, as a danger under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act; it does not approve helmets before sale, and makers, importers, advertisers and retailers are responsible. Nova Scotia's Snow Sport Helmet Regulations (N.S. Reg. 206/2012) require the latest edition of the ASTM, CEN, CSA or Snell recreational standards.
Where a helmet is required by law
Helmet laws differ by place. ADAC reported on 21 October 2026 that seven of Austria's nine provinces require helmets for children under 15, and that Switzerland, Germany and France have none. Italy's under-18 rule (from 2022) and its reported all-ages extension (from 2025-26) rest on secondary sources, not the official text. Nova Scotia covers all ages and New Jersey under-18s. The full list is on youth helmet rules.
If you race: the rule by discipline
| Discipline | Body, document, rule | Helmet requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Alpine downhill, super-G, giant slalom, parallel | FIS alpine specifications 2026/27, 3.6.2.1 | Both ASTM F2040 and EN 1077 class A, plus an EN 1077 test at 6.8 m/s by CEN laboratories, with a non-removable "RH 2013" label at the back not covered by the goggle strap |
| Alpine slalom | Same, 3.6.2.2 | Minimum EN 1077 class B or ASTM F2040; class A, Snell 98 and RH 2013 helmets also allowed |
| Freestyle and freeski | FIS snowboard, freestyle, freeski and ski cross specifications 2026/27, B.8 | Minimum EN 1077 class B or ASTM F2040 |
| Ski cross; snowboard cross | Same, B.8.1; C.4.1 (snowboard cross new for 2026/27) | ASTM F2040 and EN 1077 class A plus the 6.8 m/s test |
| Snowboard, other events | Same, C.4 | Designed for the discipline, CE-marked, to a recognised standard such as EN 1077 or ASTM F2040 |
| Ski jumping | FIS cross-country, ski jumping and Nordic combined specifications 2026/27, C.10 (read from a marked-up copy: needs confirming against a clean copy) | Alpine competition standards with the "RH2013" label; no point more than 7 cm from the head |
| Ski mountaineering | ISMF Rules and Guidelines 2025-26, 31.1 | UIAA 106 plus EN 1077 class B, or EN 12492 plus EN 1077 class B |
FIS writes "ASTM 2040" and "CEN 1077", read here as ASTM F2040 and EN 1077, and gives no edition year. Helmets are compulsory at all FIS alpine events (3.6.1), including masters events, where competitors and forerunners must wear helmets meeting the same section 3.6 requirements (3.6.5).
Rotational-impact systems: a maker's claim
One maker of a low-friction layer fitted inside helmets says it is "intended to help reduce the risk of brain injury", and its own disclaimer says it does not guarantee a wearer will avoid concussion. No rotational-impact test was seen in the snow-sport standards above; that is a search observation, not a standards body's statement.
What the research says, both ways
A meta-analysis by Russell and colleagues (CMAJ, 2010, as reported by ScienceDaily) associated helmet use with a 35 percent lower risk of head injury, and the BFU said on 17 December 2024 that a helmet reduces the risk of a serious head injury by one third. Shealy, Johnson and Ettlinger (2006) concluded that helmets had not been shown to reduce the overall incidence of fatality in skiing and snowboarding. Each finding belongs to its own study; more is on what helmets do and do not do. The NSAA reports helmet use among US skiers and riders rising from 25 percent in 2002/03 to 90 percent in 2023/24. No ski or snowboard helmet recall was found by the research, which is not proof there has been none.
Our picks by category
Ski and snowboard helmets
Snow-sport helmets with a label naming the standard, such as ASTM F2040-18, EN 1077:2007 class A or B, or Snell. Where you ski, the law may name its own list, as Nova Scotia and Health Canada do. Racers need the rule for their discipline, such as the FIS RH 2013 label for alpine downhill, super-G, giant slalom and parallel. Fit is checked in person, and no helmet is presented here as preventing injury.
Best for: Every adult skier and rider
Kids' ski helmets
Snow-sport helmets in children's sizes; EN 1077:2007 names children among its users. Youth helmet laws differ by place and date, and Italy's rests on secondary sources. See the kids' kit guide.
Best for: Children, and anywhere a youth helmet law applies
Ski goggles
Goggles under ISO 18527-1 (EN ISO 18527-1:2022 in Europe), with the filter category S0 to S4 on the lens. In FIS alpine downhill, super-G, giant slalom and parallel, the goggle strap may not cover the helmet's RH 2013 label. How a goggle sits with a given helmet is checked in person.
Best for: Anyone buying a helmet
Sources
- ASTM, F2040-18 Standard Specification for Helmets Used for Recreational Snow Sports (store page)
- Standards Norway, NS-EN 1077:2007 Helmets for alpine skiers and snowboarders
- Helmet maker's statement, helmet standards and certifications explained (31 August 2020)
- Snell Memorial Foundation, 1998 Standard for Protective Headgear for Skiing and Other Winter Activities (S-98)
- Snell Memorial Foundation, standards list (search-result summary)
- Snell Memorial Foundation, RS-98 certification list (search-result summary)
- Snell Memorial Foundation, pre-test information form (search-result summary)
- US CPSC, Which Helmet for Which Activity? (publication 349, January 2026)
- Health Canada, Notice: danger to human health or safety, risk mitigation for ski and snowboard helmets (updated 4 July 2023)
- Health Canada, Danger to human health or safety assessment: ski and snowboard helmets (updated 4 July 2023)
- Nova Scotia, Snow Sport Helmet Regulations, N.S. Reg. 206/2012 (unofficial consolidation)
- Rotational-impact system maker's statement, helmet technology page
- FIS, Specifications for Alpine Competition Equipment, Edition 2026/2027 (July 2026)
- FIS, Specifications for Competition Equipment: Snowboard, Freestyle, Freeski and Ski Cross, Edition 2026/2027 (June 2026)
- FIS, Specifications for Competition Equipment: Cross-Country, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined, Edition 2026/2027 (marked-up copy)
- International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF), Rules and Guidelines 2025-26, in force 30 October 2025 (copy hosted by the Deutscher Alpenverein)
- NSAA, Helmet safety page
- ScienceDaily, report on Russell et al., CMAJ 2010 helmet meta-analysis (7 February 2010)
- Shealy, Johnson and Ettlinger, ISEA 2006 proceedings, The Engineering of Sport 6, vol. 3 (record)
- BFU Swiss Council for Accident Prevention, media release (17 December 2024)
- ADAC, Skihelmpflicht (21 October 2026, German)
- Brocardi.it, Vacanze in montagna: casco obbligatorio per tutti (26 November 2025)
- LeggiOggi, legal news on d.lgs. 40/2021 (Italian)
- First Tracks!! Online, New Jersey becomes first state to mandate ski and snowboard helmets for minors (15 April 2011)
- DIN Media, DIN EN ISO 18527-1 listing (goggles for downhill skiing and snowboarding)