Smith

Compass MIPS Helmet

Don't get it twisted—the Smith Compass MIPS Helmet will keep your brain from getting tangled into knots, even when you take a fall that leaves you thinking up is down, north is south, and pizza is French fries. MIPS is a fancy acronym that stands for Multi-Direction Impact Protection System, a design that allows the polycarbonate shell to rotate over the EPS impact foam padding, which provides increased protection during a rotational fall, which is actually the most common kind. Smith didn't leave things there, though; it also built the Compass with Aerocore construction, which uses Koroyd, a superlight honeycomb material that provides killer protection without adding ounces.

Koroyd's honeycomb structure also allows the Compass to boast killer ventilation. The slider, which Smith calls the Regulator, makes it easy to pop the AirEvac 2 vents open or slide them closed when things get toasty or chilly, respectively, and the Women's X-Static lining pulls moisture away from your scalp and fights off odor-causing bacteria, so your ski bag won't smell like the cat stashed a dead rodent somewhere deep inside. Smith also built the Compass with an adjustable DFS2 Dial Fit System, which secures the helmet snugly around your noggin without squeezing, and finished it off with audio-compatible Snapfit SL2 ear pads, because you shred, like, three times better when some burnin' bluegrass is pumping into your ears.