Giro Grid/Envi MIPS Helmets
Giro Sport Design new Grid MIPS (men’s) and Envi MIPS (women’s) helmets weigh in at feathery light 400-grams. With the additional dangers of backcountry skiing, including things such as avalanches, rocks, trees, etc., dropping the extra weight means you’re more likely to bring along a helmet instead of leaving it at home for resort only days.
The innovative MIPS® Spherical Technology’s Ball-and-Socket design helps redirect impact forces away from the brain by allowing the outer liner to rotate around the inner liner during a crash. It also eliminates contact with hard plastic or slip-planes against the skin. The system reduces linear and rotational impact energy and addresses low- and high-speed impact energy while still delivering unobstructed airflow.
The Polartec® Power Grid Padding lining utilizes a bi-component knit construction, one yarn moves moisture away from the skin, and the other quickly dries. It’s a comfortable, warm, quick-drying liner that provides unparalleled breathability and enhances wicking efficiency, which is particularly desirable during uphill skinning efforts.
For optimal performance of both Giro’s helmets and goggles, they function together for a seamless interface between helmet and goggle for an exceptional fit and dependable, worry-free function.
It utilizes the Fidlock® Magnetic Buckle Closure that makes for a pinch-free and one-handed fastening system. The Fidlock® uses strong magnets to make it easy to open and close, while a secure snap functionality ensures a continuous and secure locking force.
The upgraded In Form 2 Fit System is lighter and lower-profiled, and it’s easier to dial in a perfect fit in seconds, even when adjusting with bulky ski gloves on. The dial offers up to 6cm of adjustment, along with improved stability.
The helmets provide exceptional breathability and airflow, and you can easily control temperatures with the Thermostat Control adjustable ventilation across sixteen strategically placed vents. Stack Vent technology aligns with the rider’s goggle venting to help keep lenses fog-free.
The Grid MIPS and Envi MIPS helmets come in S, M, and L (not in Envi) and retail for $280.00.
First Impressions
The Grid is pretty darn light for a ski helmet, and I hardly noticed it while I was wearing it. My size large weighed in at a respectable 460 grams, which is around 100 grams lighter than most of my other comparable ski helmets. The Polartec Power Grid Padding lining is plush and soft and offers plenty of cushioning, and I didn’t feel any hotspots or the hardness from the helmets foam layer. The Fidlock Magnetic Buckle Closure system was a breeze to use, it was simple and secure, and I never felt any neck pinching. The In Form 2 Fit System offered 6cm of adjustment, which provided plenty of fine-tuning, and the dial was large enough to use with bulky ski gloves. The amount of adjustment allowed you to tweak the fit to swap out to almost any baselayer thickness on your head, which was great when the temperature fluctuated. The vent was also easy to use with ski gloves, though I can’t comment on its long-term venting capabilities due to it only be an early season testing.
Though I haven’t tested the Spherical Technology’s Ball-and-Socket in a crash, it’s a pretty darn cool innovation. You can freely move the inner liner and see how it rotates around the outer liner, offering the safety to reduce linear and rotational impact energy during an impact.
Giro Contour Goggle
The Giro Contour goggle was designed in tandem with ZEISS Optics and featured a new Toric Spherical lens shape that provides a vast field of view, along with crisp visibility and a premium VIVID lens. The Expansion View Technology + (or EXV+) system offers an incredible field of view for unparalleled peripheral vision.
The EVAK Vent Technology and anti-fog coating prevent fogging during high-intensity efforts. A triple-layer face foam with ultra-durable non-absorbent microfleece facing provides all-day comfort and offers plenty of cushion against your face. The EVAK vents minimize the chance of fogging by releasing moisture while simultaneously creating a barrier from the elements.
It comes with two injection-molded toric VIVID lenses with Optics by ZEISS that can be quickly changed using the Quick-Change Lens System. The magnetic-assisted lens system uses self-locating magnets to quickly in lens replacement, and four snap pins lock the lens securely in place.
The goggles are also OTG friendly and feature seamless integration with all Giro helmets. The Contour is offered multiple frame/strap colors and lens tints and retails for $270.
First Impressions
The Toric Spherical lens shape and Expansion View Technology Plus system provide a huge field-of-view and impressive peripheral vision without an overly large lens. The ZEISS lens offers exceptional optical quality and clarity, and the test Green Cosmic Slime model comes with the VIVID Emerald (medium/average sunlight) and VIVID Infrared (light/weak sunlight) lens tints. The Quick-Change Lens System works nicely, and the self-locating magnets make it easy to re-align the lens and pop the endpins back in place. My old arthritic hand’s found it a tad difficult to un-pop the starting end pins to initially remove the lens, but after that, it was easy to remove the other side. The lens EVAK vents helped with air throughput and prevented overt fogging.
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