The Smith Optics Session is an All-Mountain helmet with MIPS technology the offers an ideal combination of protection, coverage, comfort, and ventilation. It features their lightweight Aerocore in-mold construction that utilizes an EPS liner, an integrated skeletal structure, and the innovative Koroyd material in strategic impact locations. The helmet has substantial air vents with integrated internal air channels for maximum airflow and ventilation, while the adjustable VaporFit retention system allows for easy fitting with the turn of a dial. The front side channels provide easy eyewear storage, and the three-position visor rotates up out of the way to allow for goggle storage.
The Session helmet comes in eight Matte color schemes, S, M, and L sizes, and retails for $160.
For further information refer to smithoptics.com.
Features
The Session has 15 oversized vents that utilize their AirEvac ventilation system with internal channeling that offers excellent air throughput even when you’re riding at a slower speed and on hot days. Four of the vents side vents feature the Zonal ventilated protection featuring the patented honeycombed Koroyd material, though they don’t offer much air flow themselves, the top channeling and their side placement don’t cause significant cooling loss issues. The adjustable visor features three positions, though the middle one is a bit subtle, and it offers a breakaway function for safety during a crash, and it sticks out far enough to provide plenty of sun protection.
It has two XT2 anti-bacterial performance lining pads, a large one at the front and then another at the crown of the head, and they offered plenty of comforts and sweat absorption, though the pads are a bit thin and they need to cover more locations. It features the MIPS (Multidirectional Impact Protection) system which helps reduce rotational motion by absorbing and redirecting rotational energies and forces transferred to the brain from angled impacts to the head.
Their VaporFit retention adjustment system provides a functional custom-fitting and fine-tuning design that did a great job during use, and the wheel was simple to twist even when wearing gloves. It’s a fast and secure fit system that provided the most comfortable and efficient way to adjust the helmet to any size or shaped head. The retention system has three alterable height positions at the back along with three fore and aft adjustments at the temple, and it features four flexible rubber anti-slip pads on the inside of wheel cradle.
Along each side of the helmet, are short 6-inch strips of the honeycombed Koroyd, for protection, breathability, weight saving, and strength. The Koroyd material consists of thousands of co-polymer extruded tubes thermally welded together, which offers a structure with efficient and consistent energy absorption properties. Upon impact the cores crush in a completely controlled manner, decelerating the energy from the impact and reducing the final trauma levels, and it even works well during low-energy crashes.
The chin strap harness system with its quick-release design was easy to adjust, and the ear loop locking splitter offered simple alteration of the fore and aft positioning around the ear for a secure fit.
Impressions
The Session is an extremely comfortable helmet with excellent coverage over the ears and down the neck, and even though it doesn’t come down as deeply as gravity oriented helmets, I liked how it wrapped around my ears. The shape of the helmet fit my head about perfect and significantly added to the overall comfort, making all day excursions tolerable. I think most riders will find that the shape, length, and width are about ideal for the average head. The liner padding was decently comfortable and wicked moisture efficiently, and it didn’t cause any binding or pinch spots, though I’d like a slightly thicker pad, with additional placement locations throughout the interior. I tend to wear a thin skull cap, so the padding gripes are a small nitpick in an otherwise delightfully comfortable helmet.
The visor attaches by the temples, and it rotates into three different positions, but I found that the central location wasn’t very distinct, so I primarily used the lower and upper, and the latter one was perfect as a goggle and sunglasses perch.
The thin webbing for the ear/chin straps added to the comfort of the helmet with decreased irritation, less sunglasses and headphone interference, and improved wearability. It was easy to snap open and shut the plastic strap locks below the ears to make fore and aft adjustments to keep the helmet snug and flat against my head, without any backward rotation issues. I could get the ear loop locking splitter adjusted to fit around my ear correctly, but I could never quite get the straps to sit flat, although it didn’t seem to cause any functional issues with the fit. The default chin strap system utilizes a simple quick-release design, it worked just fine, though I did find that the thin webbing would sometimes loosen on rides and I would have to readjust things to keep things snug.
The 15 ventilation ports provide ton’s of air movement, even during slow speed slogs on long climbs, so I never felt my head overheating, even on hot days. The 15 vent layout is comprised of five ports in the front, five in the middle, and five at the rear. The significant flow of air is due to the oversized ports and the channeling system which work together to sweep the air through the helmet without things getting stagnated, offering up maximized air throughput and cooling characteristics. The side sections of Koroyd hampered airflow ever so slightly, but their locations and size kept them from being an overall venting problem.
The rear adjustment wheel of the VaporFit retention system was easy to use on the fly and helped pull the helmet securely in place, and with its 35 clicks, it had lots of capabilities to perform a precise micro fit. Due to the low rear coverage of the helmet, adjusting the system tighter pulled the helmet snugly into the crook of my neck, for maximum stability and snugness. The VaporFit also has three height alterable positions at the back as well as three temple fore and aft positions so that you can adjust and fine-tune the fitment. Be careful when snapping the temple buttons out of their slots since the side plastic lattices of the VaporFit are fragile and can break.
The Matte finish of the shell can make minor scratches standout just a tad (depending on the color scheme), but the shell is tough and resistant enough that nothing has been overwhelming outlandish, even after many months of heavy use.
Bottomline
The Smith Optics Session with MIPS is an extremely comfortable helmet with excellent coverage over the ears and down the neck. The 15 oversized ventilation ports and their accompanying AirEvac channeling system provide ton’s of air movement, even during slow speeds and on hot days, and it offers up one of the most well ventilated All Mountain helmets I’ve worn. The interior was nicely padded adding to the comfort level, as was the interior shape which has an ideal width and length for the average riders head. The VaporFit retention system worked like a charm, and its adjustment fitting wheel was easy to use on the fly for a precision fit, while the three rear height and three temple positions alterations offered a perfect fit for anyone’s noggin.
The Smith Optics Session has an optimal blend of comfort, ventilation, fitting functionality, features, and excellent protection technology with the Aerocore in-mold construction with an EPS liner and the innovative honeycombed Koroyd.
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