They say it’s not a mistake if you learn from it, and when it comes to helmets for skiing & snowboarding, that’s exactly true for me. When I started snowboarding, helmets were the “uncool” thing to use as part of your ski & snowboard gear. The pros didn’t ride with one then why should you? It wasn’t until my concussion that I realized how wrong that was. To this day, I will always snowboard with a helmet. It’s saved my head on more than one occasion especially on early season powder days when monsters are lurking just below the surface. With this in mind, here’s our review of the Drift Wildhorn helmet.
Toyota Of Helmets
When we got the Drift Wildhorn helmet, the first thing was its straightforward but elegant design. The inside of the helmet feels firm to the touch but as the day goes on, it becomes more comfortable like a good pair of high-quality shoes. On the scale, it weighs in at a feather-light weight of 18 ounces, almost 50% lighter than our older helmets and about 25% lighter than competing brands.
Features
Like any good product, it’s the attention to detail and the small things that make it shine. For example, the ear pads are already audio compatible so all you need to do is buy the Bluetooth audio and they’re ready to go. But the Drift Wildhorn helmet really shines with two major components that we haven’t seen on too many other ski helmets.
FTA (Fine Tune Adjustment)
For starters, they have a technology called FTA (Fine Tune Adjustment). It’s what you expect on a mountain biking or cycling helmet, but we haven’t seen on a winter one. A ratchet on the back allows you to adjust so it becomes the perfect fit.
VNT (Ventilation System)
Another simple but great feature they have is their patented VNT ventilation system. On the top of the helmet, there’s a sliding lever that allows you to adjust as much or as little air as you want. On those warm spring days, this has ALWAYS been a curse for us in other helmets. They’ve now solved that major issue.
Safety
A helmets primary requirement is to keep that invaluable noggin safe. The Drift Wildhorn helmet does this with a durable polycarbonate shell fused to an inner layer of EPS foam. They are ASTM F 2040 and/or CE EN 1077 standard certified meaning they will protect your head very well.
The Downsides
From a style perspective, there really isn’t much to them. It’s like an old school Toyota truck. They thought of everything from a function perspective but from a style direction, it’s straightforward. That can be easily remedied by picking a bright color. Our only true knock on the helmet is that it isn’t MIPS certified which is the gold standard of impact protection. Think of that safety level as the Volvo equivalent of impact safety. All cars are safe, but Volvo takes it to a whole different level which in turn costs quite a bit more.
Would We Use It?
As soon as Jaime put on the helmet, it was love at first wearing. Even without trying the helmet ahead of time with her goggles, they fit perfectly with almost no goggle-to-helmet cleavage. With us spending hours on the slopes and in the backcountry, comfort is paramount. The ability to quickly adjust ventilation and set the size around her head has made it her go to helmet.
In summary, if you’re a budget conscious person that is more concerned about comfort and functionality, you’ll love it.
