Foam Type Helmets?

[CollinWoods]

So my normal climbing partner/brother and I were at REI looking at helmets when i asked him what he thought about BDs co-molded EPS foam helmets. He thought they were not as strong or long lasting as the hard tops... But there just so light and fit better on my large forehead... Has anyone had any experience with these styrofoam type climbing helmets?

[ivan]

the rei folk like it when you rip them into pieces right in front of them when bringing'em back for a refund

 

personally, i like them - helmets are mostly for keeping me from banging my skull into rocks and fending off small size projectiles - i'm not too worried about their performance on taking giant groundfalls or resisting meteor strikes b/c those are fuckups i plan on avoiding - so long as their light and don't get totally shredded on the outside of my back on the approach hike, i'm happy.

[genepires]

I remember reading somewhere there was something positive about the deformation of the foam that absorbs force while the hard lid either "shatters" or transfers the force directly to the head. Maybe it was in reference to lead falls.

 

 

[rbw1966]

Foam (or bicycle-like) helmets are good for ONE hard hit then they should be retired. The foam absorbs the impact and is deformed. Hit something hard enough and this helmet will shatter but your noggin will be protected. Its very similar to a bike helmet.

 

The solid-plastic shell helmets are good for many small strikes--e.g. falling rocks, ice, etc. Not so good for big impacts but some protection is better than nothing.

 

 

 

[G-spotter]

There was an accident analysis in one of the latest issues of R&I where a guy took a hit to the head with a Joe Brown style old school rigid helmet and was severely injured as a result of the force transmitted by the helmet cradle to his head. Tests showed a foam helmet may have produced better results by deforming under load. It made my reconsider somewhat my preference for rigid shell helmets.

[Off_White]

Pick whichever you'll actually wear, as opposed to leaving it in the pack, the car, the closet...

 

 

[catbirdseat]

There is a really long discussion about this on RC.com. There may be one or two models out there that combine a hard shell with a foam liner. Best of both world? It may be that everyone will end up with two helmets and choose between the two depending on the chance of getting it by projectiles versus falling.