Helmet Review: Smith HOLT XL

Helmets are probably one of the areas, I get the biggest amount of questions from.   As promised I got a hold of a Smith HOLT helmet in size XL, and quite honestly, first impressions are the helmet is solid!

 

 

 First things first, let's talk about sizing.  Smith is one of the few companies, who seem to make normal helmets.  By normal I mean the designs don't make your head look gigantic, and they seem to fit better than a lot of the other helmets I've tested.    The HOLT can be used as a double helmet, meaning snowboard and skateboard helmet.   Smith includes removable padding for the winter, and skate padding you can slap in during the summer.  That in and of itself it pretty slick.    The HOLT is available in the XL size which is (60-62cm) comparable to the R.E.D. Hi-Fi sizing, but insanely different when it comes to actual fit and finish.    Smith has designed a light-weight, well ventilated helmet, that doesn't crush the side of your head with snuggness.  A helmet should fit snuggly on your noggin, but not so snug as to produce pressure points, or make you uncomfortable.    The HOLT meets ASTM F2040 standards for recreational snow use, as well as the U.S. CPSC Safety standard for bicycle helmet, as most if not all of the helmet I've reviewed do.   The HOLT utilizes Smiths "Bombshell" construction, which essentially is an injection molded ABS plastic.   In theory this should make the helmet much stronger, and help alleviate head injuries.

I'm quite impressed with the HOLT in terms of fit, my head ( being a big noggin) doesn't feel any pressure points, and the fit feels normal. The helmet is light, and at times I forgot I had a helmet on, thinking I'd forgot to put it on, only to reach up and realize it was indeed there.    Having a nice flat rounded brim, most goggles should work well, with the HOLT, although some designs may cause a Gaper gap.  You can't win all the time with goggle fit heh.   The chin strap is adjustable, and includes a velcro cover which can be moved to accomodate bigger faces.  This is a great feature which you'd think would be common on all helmets.. but alas that's not always the case.

Smith wanted to make sure the HOLT was vented and cool, by suppling eight air vents throughout the helmet.  Six vents are on the top of the helmet, while two vents are located directly in the front with Smiths "AirEvac Airflow" system.  Essentially what AirEvac is supposed to do is pull hot air away from and out of the riders goggles to help reduce fogging, and keep things cool.    I honestly can't say I noticed a huge difference, but I was also riding with Oakley Anti-fogging lenses. 

I normally don't use the molded ear covers in my helmet, unless it's damn cold outside, but the covers included with the HOLT were rather comfy, and not overly worm, so I found I used them more than the covers included with the R.E.D. Hifi or Giro helmets I wore this season.  The inner liner and ear covers are fully removable from the helmet, and as I said earlier can be replaced with summer "skate" liners which are included with the helmet.

For those of you who are audiophiles, and like to have the integrated systems, the HOLT accessory kit includes a Skullcandy Bluetooth and Twin Tip length phone/audio system.   I didn't have this available, so can't really speak to it, although the bluetooth sounds nice.. no cables. 

Summary:

The Smith HOLT is hands down one of my favorite, if not my favorite helmet currently.  The size, fit, and design of the helmet are well thought out, and the build quality makes the helmet worth it's suggested value of $75 USD.  Including the switch pads to make the helmet summer skate ready is a brilliant idea and shows some designer at Smith was thinking when they designed this helmet.