• Price: £80
• Sizes: S, M, L
• GIRO.COM

Giro may have started out in the biking world, but they’ve been making quality snowboard helmets (and goggles) for a long time now. Peetu Piirounen, Seb Toots, Christian Haller and Enni Rukajarvi are among those who turn to Giro to keep their bonce safe in icy parks and pipes.

 An advantage of the cycling connection is having a lot of helmet expertise on hand, much of which transfers nicely over to the snow. In the case of the Giro Ledge, they’ve applied MIPS (aka Multi Impact Protection System), which has become increasingly popular on the mountain as well as the roads. It uses two liners that can move independently of one another, absorbing rotational energy that can harm your head during a big slam. No matter where or how you make contact with the ground, the impact absorption will adapt in a split second to better protect your brain-box.

“No matter where or how you make contact with the ground, the impact absorption will adapt in a split second to better protect your brain-box”

That clever tech is hidden underneath a clean, skate-style design, and you can further simplify the look by removing the earpads and goggle clip. As for the fit, on-the-fly adjustments are made possible by the ‘Auto Loc’ system, plus you can choose exactly how far up your forehead its resting position will be. There’s plenty of ventilation to keep you cool, even during a full day of hiking rails, and if you like a soundtrack to your session then you have the option of applying an Outdoor Tech audio system.

The Giro Ledge MIPS is the helmet that young up-and-comer Gabe Ferguson rocks as he seamlessly blends big tricks with on-hill steeze. If you’re a safety-conscious park rat, you’d be mad to overlook this one. Combine it with some Giro goggles to get a guaranteed seamless fit – but even if you don’t, the Giro Ledge MIPS helmet is a good shout.