Climbing and skiing helmets have essentially the same purpose: to protect your brain from damaging impacts. However, they are each designed for their specific sport and so have important differences. For safety and comfort, ski helmets and climbing helmets shouldn't be confused.
Protection
Ski helmets and climbing helmets are designed to protect your head from different sorts of accidents. Climbers are likely to encounter impacts from rock or ice falling on them, or from them falling onto rock or ice. Skiers have to worry about falling down on snow or ice and other skiers plowing into them.
Safety Ratings
Ski and climbing helmets must be certified as meeting certain safety standards. Climbing helmets are certified by the Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme and European Community. Ski helmets are certified by the CE and ASTM. The UIAA deals specifically climbing and mountaineering while the CE and ASTM are much more general certifying organizations.
Construction
Ski and climbing helmets have similar constructions. They usually consist of a hard outer shell of plastic or composite material and a softer, inner foam liner. The outer shell protects your helmet from damage while the liner absorbs the force of impacts. Some climbing helmets have a suspension system made of webbing instead of a foam liner. Ski and climbing helmets should be retired once they begin to show wear and tear or if they ever take a hard hit.
Features
Skiing and climbing are very different sports so their helmets have different important features. Ski helmets often come with head and ear liners to keep you warm, while rock climbing helmets need enough ventilation to keep cool. Rock climbing helmets are more lightweight than ski helmets as weight is less of an issue in skiing than climbing. Modern climbing helmets come with clips for your headlamp. Ski helmets are built to accommodate ski goggles. Finally, ski helmets cover your ears while climbing helmets do not.
Member Comments