The Smith Summit Mips Review

The Smith Summit Mips Helmet

Smith has been making goggles since 1969 and helmets since 2006. No doubt you have seen their gear on the hill, I rocked a Smith Vantage helmet for many years. With the explosion of backcountry and ski- mountaineering, Smith had to innovate to make a helmet to match the changing interests of skiers and boarders and the Smith Summit Mips was born. This casual-looking triple-certified helmet resulted from collaborating with Cody Townsend and Hadley Hammer. With those two at the helm, you would expect that this helmet would have solid ski mountaineering chops, and it doesn’t disapoint.

Overview of the Smith Summit Mips helmet

Size Tested: Large (59-63cm)
Weight: 450 (claimed) 470 grams on my scale
Vents: 33
Days Worn: 80
Country of Origint: China
Usage: Splitboarding, Heliboarding, Resort boarding and maybe skiing

Smith Summit Mips Certifications

The Smith Summit MIPS is triple-certified. Twice for non-motorized snow sports and one for mountaineering. For more info on certifications, head to our Multi-Norm Helmet Round up, here.

ASTM F 2040 (skiing)
CE EN 1077: 2007 CLASS B (skiing)
EN 12492 (climbing)

Safety Features + Construction

Mips

Smith uses two technologies to keep wearers of the Summit MIPS from sustaining injuries. The first piece of tech is right there in the name, MIPS. This is a low-friction layer inside the helmet. When the wearer impacts something, let’s say the ground, it reduces the rotational motion to the head by rotating within the helmet. This works when the wearer has an impact at an angle. Should the impact be in a straight line on the helmet, say like a rock falling on the top, MIPS does not change the impact resistance.

Koroyd

This is where the second tech, KOROYD comes into play. Koroyd looks like a lot of straws welded together. When they are impacted, they crumple, reducing the amount of force on the wearer. They also act as small vents too, adding breathability as opposed to a closed foam with little to no gaps.

Construction

The Smith Summit Mips is made with Hybrid Shell construction. An outer shell made of ABS matched with a polycarbonate inner. This puts the materials where they are best utilized with no extras to add weight Both of these are the industry standard for helmets across the board. For more info, head over to Smith’s Protection Page.

Fit

As you would expect from Smith, the Summit MIPS is packed with enough comfort features to match its outstanding safety features. Most notable is the Flexible Fit System with BOA at the back of the helmet. This cradle fits just behind the head and keeps the helmet from rotating forward when properly adjusted. It takes up no extra space when worn and fits over a beanie or ball cap well. When the helmet is not being worn, likely being carried on the outside of your pack, the Flexible Fit System tucks into the helmet neatly and allows the helmet to lay flat against the bag. Adjustment is is easy, as you would expect from BOA. The Flexible Fit System is broad enough that it spreads pressure evenly and goes only unnoticed when removed.

There is no liner in the Smith Summit Mips but it does come with Ionic+® antimicrobial lining strips. They look just like the padding you get on a bike helmet. They cushion the helmet nicely but provide no warmth.

Luckily, a thin beanie that surprisingly fits over my ears is included with the Summit Mips helmet. I have a rather large head and long hair so it is rare that a winter hat that is meant to be worn under a helmet covers my ears. Kudos to Smith for designing a helmet beanie that matches the size of the helmet. The beanie is quite thin and won’t do in temps below -10 but for most other days, even slightly warm spring days, it does the job

Features

On both sides of the helmet are Pack Attachment Tethers. Small stretch elastics that allow the user to thread clips through to hold the helmet onto a backpack. They are quite tight and I found them hard to use while wearing gloves. I have several helmet nets and tend to default to those when using the Smith Summit MIPS or attaching the helmet by running the slid straps from my backpack through the helmet straps.

At the side of the helmet and forward to the pack attachment tethers are Integrated Headlamp Routers. Small plastic clips to keep your headlamp from flying off the top of the helmet. They work as intended though I didn’t have any adventures in the dark to test this.

The helmet is covered in 33 vents of various sizes that do not close. They do not fill with snow nor allow snow to melt onto your head, partially because there are no vents on the very top, and those that are close to the top of the helmet are quite small.

Somethings Missing

Since the Summit MIPS is double-certified for skiing, the one thing I thought I would surely find is a goggle strap. I was sorely mistaken. It’s not an entire deal breaker for me, but I have no idea why there is no goggle strap. I like to ski in storms and well, as much as I hate to admit it, crashes happen and without a goggle strap, goggles can get lost. Let’s hope the next iteration has a goggle strap.

Who is the Smith Summit MIPS for?

The Smith Summit Mips is a fantastic helmet, there’s no doubt there. The Boa closure is second to none in offering a snug fit. The styling is fantastically casual while still maintaining its triple-certified chops. The colorways are awesome but that lack of a goggle holder bothers me to no end. I also have to give kudos to Smith for their size options. There is an XL version that fits folks with melons up to 67cm and a small version down to 51cm. Helmets for all!

At the time of writing this review, I think this is the most stylish multi-norm helmet on the market. Here’s to new challengers and new innovations. In the meantime, do your best Cody Townsend impression here: Smith Summit Mips Helmet.

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