Is a heated snowmobile helmet too luxurious or is it actually practical? We have all had times out riding where we get a little cold and wish we had something else in our gear setup to make the time out riding more enjoyable.
Could a heated snowmobile helmet be that piece of gear that keeps us on the snow longer and more comfortable than other helmets? Throughout the remainder of this article we will discuss whether the heated snowmobile helmets are worth the hype or not. If you’re thinking about replacing your snowmobile helmet with one of the top snowmobile helmets on the market, choosing a heated shield snowmobile helmet is something to consider.
Heated Snowmobile Helmets: Worth The Hype?
Typically the riders using heated snowmobile helmets are the longer distance trail riders and, no offense, but the older crowd. Maybe we are wrong about the older crowd part, but then again maybe the older crowd is just wiser than the younger crowd or they have deeper pockets, or both. Regardless, not many mountain riders we know choose to use a heated helmet. The main reason for this is generally mountain riding is much more physically involved keeping riders warmer just from the constant movement making hesitated gear less desirable. Along with that, the weather in most mountainous regions is rather consistent in temperature and not typically extremely harsh. Now don’t get us wrong here, there can definitely be cold days in the mountains. We have experienced several of them!
Heated helmets have a full cover face shield sealing off the entire helmet from the elements of mother nature whereas the helmets chosen by most mountain riders have an opening for your choice of goggles, referred to as a Snocross style helmet. These are highly desired amongst mountain riders for this reason. Depending on the conditions riders may choose to use different goggles with different lenses or no goggles at all to help improve their vision. Because mountain riders are also more physically involved while riding they also tend to fog up their goggles, impairing their vision and need the option to either remove their goggles or swap them out with another pair. Having the Snocross style helmet allows them to do this.
One of the biggest downfalls we see to the heated snowmobile helmets is the fact that you cannot change out the visor in the event of it fogging and impairing your vision. Your only option would be to raise the face shield and leave your eyes exposed to the weather, which you know is not enjoyable especially if it is snowing or sleeting. With this said, there is a dual-sport heated helmet on the market currently that has the ability to remove it’s full face shield allowing you to use the helmet with goggles or swap out shields if needed, hence the name dual sport. We will talk about this later in this article.
Another thing to keep in mind when considering a heated snowmobile helmet is whether or not your snowmobile is compatible with a heated helmet. Most heated helmets need a way to plug into your sled to power them. If your sled does not have this you may need to look into getting this added to your sled in order to use a heated helmet. Most newer model sleds will have this already installed from the factory, but if you have an older sled it may be something your sled does not have.
Let’s talk about cost. Initially, when we think about a heated snowmobile helmet we think they are expensive. Well as it turns out they are relatively comparable to other non heated snowmobile helmets of similar quality. Although they are pretty much like any other piece of gear, you can basically spend as much money on it as you would like to. Each helmet varies a little depending on their features, but you can pick up a higher quality heated helmet for around $300-$400 US dollars. As far as price goes, we think that is well worth the money!
As stated earlier in this article we mentioned the existence of a dual sport heated helmet that allows you to remove the full face shield for use of goggles or to swap out the shield with a different one. The helmet in reference is the 509 Delta R3L Ignite Helmet. This helmet retails at $299.95 and features a removable heated full face shield, Fid-lock magnetic chin strap buckle, a drop down internal orange tinted sun shield, and so much more! If we were going to run a heated helmet this would definitely be our top pick.
We strongly recommend going to a local dealer and checking out the different helmet options to find the right helmet size, before making your final decision as all helmets have their own fit and feel. One really can’t go wrong with a heated or non-heated helmet. When all is said and done it comes down to preference, your style of riding and your riding frequency. If you ride in very cold climates at higher speeds and get out there a lot then the heated helmet may be a great option for you! Do you use a heated helmet or have you ever tried one? Let us know in the comment section below what your preference is and what you like or don’t like about the heated helmets.
