Your helmet must be designed and certified for alpine skiing or snowboarding.
– Check for standards such as EN 1077 or ASTM F2040 on the internal label.
– Make sure the certification sticker is still present and legible.
– If the label is missing or the helmet was never certified for snowsports, treat it as non-compliant and replace it.

Helmet materials age—even if you rarely crash.
– Most helmets should be replaced every 3–5 years, depending on use and exposure.
– Sun, temperature changes, sweat, and storage conditions all accelerate material aging.
– If you can’t remember when you bought your helmet, or it feels noticeably different than when it was new, it’s time to reassess it.

A helmet is built to manage a limited number of meaningful impacts.
– Look for cracks, deep scratches, dents, or crushed foam.
– Consider any hard falls, collisions with gates or trees, or drops from height.
– If your helmet has taken a serious hit, replace it—even if it “looks fine”.

Protection only works if the helmet stays in place.
– The helmet should sit level and snug, without wobble or pressure points.
– When you shake your head, it should move with you—not slide.
– The chinstrap must be comfortably snug and easy to secure every time.
– If you need to overtighten the fit system, or your helmet feels loose even at maximum adjustment, it’s no longer suitable.