Weight: 515 g in size M (In-Mold construction)
Sizes: S, M, L
TL, DR Review
Premium head protection from the French brand with excellent build quality and strong feature set.
Intro
The Wedze PST 900 MIPS Ski Helmet is one of the new breed of Decathlon own-brand products, which aim at a more premium market than it’s traditional, wallet-friendly fayre. That said, the Wedze PST 900 MIPS Ski Helmet isn’t obviously and immediately super-cheap at £120-odd, but the magic acronym here is MIPS. Throw that additional anti-rotation protection phrase into the mix and suddenly the PST 900 comes back into focus at an extremely competitive pricepoint.
But aside from the value calculations, is it a decent ski helmet, and should you consider buying one?
Decathlon Wedze PST 900 MIPS Ski Helmet Review: Design and Build
The design and build of the Wedze PST 900 MIPS Ski Helmet is immediately impressive, with a noticeable attention to detail overall, and the individual elements. The polycarbonate shell is nicely finished, in a matt white for our test sample, which handles nicely, allowing jacket hoods to slide off and on neatly. The internal pads are engineered in a low-volume style, but are well-placed, the liner features memory foam, which will add a few percentage points of comfort on longer days.
The top vents, controlled by a palm-handy slider on the top rear of the head, slide open and shut convincingly, and allow a good flow of cooling air through the internal channels.
Decathlon counts 8 holes, along with dedicated ventilation channels, 1 rear extraction grille and a ventilated liner, all dedicated to removing warm air when you’re working hard.
The large vent at the rear of the helmet allows passive ventilation too, and appears to be made from aluminium, adding another touch of quality. The semi-rigid ear protectors provide good coverage of the ear (no cartilage pain and excellent hearing) and conform to the shape of the face.
Decathlon Wedze PST 900 MIPS Ski Helmet Review: Safety and Comfort
The key headline is the anti-rotation MIPS system, which adds considerably to the safety on offer, complying with the EN 1077:2007 standard (Cat B) and MIPS anti-rotation system. The MIPS system is designed to minimise rotational energy in the event of an impact, which can be particularly damaging to the brain. The technology behind this is essentially a low-friction layer - the visible yellow layer under the liner - which is designed to allow multi-directional movement of 10 to 15mm.
The above would be essentially useless if the helmet was poorly designed, heavy or uncomfortable to wear, but fortunately that’s not the case here. In our test size, M, Decathlon claims that the weight should be 515g, which our scales agreed with. That's not superlight, but a decent midrange that’s not annoying to wear all day, especially with the additional flexibility you get here for extremes of temperature. The earpieces are semi-rigid, which provides a welcome wind-break, without impeding hearing.
As is usually the case, size adjustment is made via a wheel at the rear of the helmet, a system that works well to resize quickly, for example when swapping in or out a hat. Size-wise most adults will probably want to head for the larger sizes in the range, but kids and adolescents will find the small size much to their liking.
Another key feature is the 30-degree washable liner, which will add considerably to comfort on the second, third and ongoing uses after a multi-day adventure, and the goggle strap retainer (a simple hook and rubber bungee) is beefy enough but understated.
Decathlon Wedze PST 900 MIPS Ski Helmet Review: Verdict
Keenly priced for a top of the line MIPS ski helmet, the Decathlon Wedze PST 900 MIPS offers a lot of bang for buck, as well as a good user experience. It’s well-designed and built, with little in the way of rough edges – literally and figuratively – to put you off. If you’re keen on a premium level of protection for your bonce without paying the earth, this is well worth a look.
The main criticism is that the design isn’t particularly exciting, but equally there’s little to complain about in what is, at the end of the day, a crucial item of safety equipment that just needs to work. In short, it’s a prime Decathlon product – difficult to beat at any price, and something of a benchmark.
Buy Decathlon Wedze PST 900 MIPS Ski helmet: £119.99 Decathlon.co.uk
