OutdoorMaster Ski Helmet Review – Test and Review

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Updated April 9th, 2024

Are you a skier looking for a new ski helmet but don’t want to break the bank in the process? The OutdoorMaster Kelvin ski helmet could be for you. Let’s take a detailed look at this ski helmet and see how it stacks up to other low cost helmets. Keep reading for our review of the OutdoorMaster ski helmet.

OutdoorMaster Kelvin Ski Helmet Review and Test

Price

The OutdoorMaster Kelvin snow helmet retails for $49.99. It is available direct to consumer from OutdoorMaster or by Amazon. This puts it as one of the cheapest ski helmets available today. For comparison, the cheapest helmet from Smith Optics will set you back $80. The cheapest snow helmet from Giro runs $80. At $49.99 they are clearly trying to undercut all the competition.

There are a few cheaper helmets out there on Amazon from no name sellers but none from a brand you’ve heard of. Helmets and safety equipment in general are not the place I’d choose to experiment with a company I’ve never heard of.

What do you get from one of the cheapest ski and snowboard helmets on the market?

ASTM F2040 Certified

The helmet is ASTM F2040 certified. This is the same certification standard as the much higher cost Smith helmet I’ve been skiing with for years has. You should not consider buying any helmet that is not ASTM 2040F certified. No reputable ski shop will sell a helmet without this certification. It is an impactor test to prove out the safety of the helmet. You can read more about the ASTM F2040 standard here.

This helmet does not have MIPS and there is no MIPS version. MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System. This is a system that allows the helmet shell to rotate relative to the EPS foam liner. It reduces the forces on your head from a glancing blow. No other helmet under $100 has MIPS either. You can learn more about MIPS here.

Rugged construction

The helmet is constructed of a plastic reinforced ABS shell and EPS foam liner. This is pretty standard ski helmet construction. The molding looks clean with no gaps between the shell and liner. The helmet feels rugged and solid. The outer shell is thick enough plastic that I can’t dent or deform it with my hands pushing or hitting it. It feels as rugged and tough as any higher priced ski helmet.

The straps are attached to the shell with metal rivets. The fleece lined padded chin strap has adjustable ear straps and an adjustable chin strap.

Removable fleece liner

There is a removable fleece mesh inner liner inside the helmet. It is held in place with several velcro pads. The inner fleece liner can be removed if you want to clean it or wear the helmet with a thicker hat. It is very easy to get in and to put back in again.

Size adjustment dial

There is an adjustable dial for fine tuning the size of the helmet. This adjuster looks as good and feels as smooth as the adjuster on any $100-$200 ski helmet. The adjustment dial broke on my Smith helmet before I even used it the first time. Paying more doesn’t always get you better quality or durability.

Removable fleece lined ear flaps

There are removable fleece lined ear flaps. These snap into the shell of the helmet with plastic tabs. There is large enough depression in the ear pads to fit helmet headphones for those who like to ski with headphones in.

Venting

The helmet has 14 individual vents for keeping your head ventilated and dry. More vents help get you more airflow through your goggles and help prevent fogging. The vents aren’t adjustable and can’t be closed for colder days.

Goggle clip

There is a rubber goggle clip to hold your goggle strap on the back of the helmet. It has a snap to securely hold your goggle strap even if your goggles fall off when you yardsale it. I prefer a snap or bungee with positive attachment over a plastic goggle loop found on other helmets. Goggles can fall out of a plastic loop. A hard plastic loop can break and fall off as well.

Appearance

The helmet looks better than a basic dome helmet such as the Anon Raider 3 and Smith Scout. It has a character line giving it more surface and shape and a more dynamic appearance. It is available in 9 colors

How does it fit, feel and perform?

The helmet is offered in 3 different sizes. My head measures 23.5 inches so I got a size Large. The sizing runs a little smaller than most other helmet brands. The L is 22-24inches which converts to 55.8-61cm. Most other brands size large is running up to 62-63cm. Currently, there is no XL size offered.

I typically ski wearing a thin beanie hat and a neck warmer. I get an ear ache on my left ear when I leave the helmet ear pads in place on every ski helmet I have ever tried. The fit with a hat on is important to me as my ears freeze without it. Because the vents on this helmet do not close, many skiers will need a hat under it on colder days.

Most people will wear the helmet without a hat. The helmet feels as comfortable on my head as any helmet I’ve tried. The fleece lining has enough padding to not feel any hard spots in the helmet. The ear pads are snug but don’t feel like they are squeezing in on my ears. The helmet will be a perfect fit for anyone that doesn’t need a size XL helmet.

Each removable ear pad snaps in with 2 small plastic tabs. They do take some effort to lock in place and remove. The helmet is slippery enough it can be awkward to hold it in place well enough to get the tabs to lock. I found holding it between my knees worked best. They won’t break in the process. They are held in good once they are snapped in place.

The chin strap fleece is thick and soft enough to be comfortable. For me, with a neck warmer on, the chin strap is at the end of its length adjustment. With other brand helmets, I have about 1/2inch left when wearing everything under it. It would be great if the chin strap on this helmet was a just little bit longer.

I would rate the overall comfort of this helmet as very good. This helmet will be comfortable skiing or snowboarding all day and would be good for a several day ski trip.

There are only a couple of things this helmet doesn’t have that I wish it had or were available.

Goggle compatibility

The helmet has a very good fit with OutdoorMaster Pro, Ultra XL and Vision XL goggles. There is very minimal goggle gap. The slope of the front of the helmet closely matches the goggles.

See our review of the OutdoorMaster Ski Goggles Pro to learn more. See our review of the OutdoorMaster Ultra XL Goggles and Vision XL Goggles to learn more.

OutdoorMaster Kelvin Ski and Snowboard Helmet

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OutdoorMaster Discount Code

Use the Coupon Code ERO2022 for 10-20% off at OutdoorMaster.com

The Verdict

I think the Kelvin helmet from OutdoorMaster represents a terrific value. I would recommend it to any of my skiing friends. The construction feels solid and rugged. It looks good with a set of frameless goggles. The features are more than competitive considering the very low price.

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