Outdoor Gear Lab

Despite the high pricetag, GriGris are one of the most popular belay devices in the world. The reasons are many and varied. Its assisted locking mechanism saves you hand strength and, with proper technique, can improve your safety margin. Furthermore, when compared to the other assisted locking models, the GriGri 2 is lighter, smoother, and competitively priced. Although most climbers will still need a secondary device for rappelling two strands, we believe the GriGri 2 is the best device..." go to full review

The Women's CAMP Armour costs the same amount as the regular CAMP Armour, so if you are in the market for a helmet, it does not cost you anything extra to go for the women's specific version over the regular unisex version. This helmet is the least expensive women's model that we evaluated, so if you are on a budget, but need a helmet, this would be a viable option...." go to full review

This is the best deal for a women's helmet. If you already own a unisex helmet and find squeezing it over your hair is uncomfortable, then you may want to consider an upgrade to the Elia...." go to full review

The Wild County Rock Lite is nearly identical to the Wild Country Alpine Shield if you take off the shield. The differences are they have a different interior lining and the Rock Lite has a dial sizer rather than the pinch sizer on the Alpine Shield. The Rock Lite is $80 compared to $100 for the Alpine Shield. I don't ice climb much so I don't use the shield. So for me, the Rock Lite would definitely be the call. Its main competitor is the Petzl Meteor III+. The Meteor 3 is 0.9..." go to full review

The Armour makes a great wall climbing helmet. In fact, it works equally well for nearly any situation you'll encounter climbing, from ice, trad, sport and big wall (including nail-ups), even alpine. When big wall free climbing, we generally go for a polycarbonate helmet such as the Petzl Meteor III, but despite the heavier weight of the Armour, we still reached for it because it felt tough and has great ventilation. It also feels more out of the way than the Half Dome...." go to full review

The Sirocco is an ultra-light helmet which should be reserved for the hardest sends where every gram counts. It is not durable enough for everyday use. We think that most climbers would be better served by the less expensive, more durable, and slightly more adjustable Meteor III +, which wins Editors' Choice Award. However, climbers who would otherwise skip the helmet due to the weight should consider the Sirocco...." go to full review

The Meteor is the best climbing helmet on the market, and wins our Editors' Choice Award for climbing helmets. This is our testers' favorite helmet for all types of climbing from mountaineering to sport climbing. This helmet took top scores in all of our tests and we awarded it a rare perfect 10 in comfort and ventilation.

We recommend the Meteor to any climber from beginner to pro no matter what discipline of climbing you do. We tell all our friends "Just get a Meteor..." go to full review

The Elios is the most comfortable hardshell helmet we tested. We find it to be just slightly more comfortable than the Black Diamond Half Dome for two reasons. First, the brow padding is soft and fuzzy compared to the firm smooth padding of the Half Dome. Secondly, the way the rear adjustment band contacts the occipital area is more ergonomic and feels better when the helmet is tight.go to full review

The Skywalker II is a very heavy, poorly fitting helmet which we had to force ourselves to wear. The hard plastic shell is durable, but the shape of the inner foam is prone to damage, making it a less than bombproof helmet. We recommend either the Petzl Elios or Black Diamond Half Dome as lighter, better fitting alternatives for the same money. For a much lighter though less durable option we highly recommend the Petzl Meteor III +.go to full review

The Half Dome is comfortable, durable, and an excellent value at $60. It scored very similarly to the Petzl Elios, in our tests but costs $5 less. We think that either one of these helmets are excellent options in the hardshell category. The main drawback to either of these helmets is the extra weight compared to lightweight foam helmets, but they are both cheaper and more durable.go to full review