A ski helmet can only protect you from head-on impacts or falls if it's properly fitted. The three types of helmet you're most likely to encounter include the traditional full-shell helmet that covers your forehead, the back of your head and your ears; a soft-shell helmet that pairs soft ear covers with an otherwise rigid shell; and full-face helmets that combine a full shell helmet with a molded jaw guard.
Step 1
Ask a friend to wrap a flexible measuring tape around your head, just above your eyebrows. The resulting measurement is your head circumference; most manufacturers size ski helmets according to this measurement.
Step 2
Try on the helmet. If you plan to wear a helmet liner or any other layers underneath the helmet while skiing, bring those layers with you and try them on with the helmet. If you expect to wear goggles, bring those, too.
Step 3
Fasten the chin strap. Properly fitted chin straps will join in a "Y" in front of and below your ears, then cross beneath your chin with no slack. But the chin strap shouldn't be so tight that you can't open your mouth, and it shouldn't pinch. If the helmet's uncomfortable, you won't wear it consistently, which defeats the point of buying it in the first place.
Step 4
Shake your head vigorously from front to back, then side to side. If the helmet shifts around on your head, it's either too large or doesn't fit the shape of your head.
Step 5
Try to slide the helmet off your head. If the skin of your forehead moves with it, it fits properly. Ask a friend or shop clerk to place his hand on top of your head and twist the helmet gently back and forth. If the helmet shifts around your head, the helmet does not fit properly. But if your head moves with the helmet naturally, it's a good fit.
Step 6
Try your goggles on over the helmet to make sure they fit together well.
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