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Smith Vantage MIPs size and comfort

jo3st3

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Picked up a Smith Vantage MIPs helmet, and kind of surprised by the fit. 60mm head, and that's lower end of Large, yet the large is pretty darn tight. A little rubbing on the ears as well. Are the MIPs helmets very tight to get the MIPs technology to work, or just sized weird. If their chart is right, I'm a Large all day, but it fits weird.

Any advice? Just go XL or is it suppose to fit snug like this for the MIPs? Is the Level the same way?
 

raytseng

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A MIPS helmet by virture of just shouldn't extraoridnarily tighter than non-MIPS the brands have sized that in. They usually retain the same "fit". To me the feeling should be more slippery or feeling not seated/not deep enough/"loose", rather than tight specifically.

There maybe a small aspect that the MIPS layer might not be exactly flat and with the brand new liner it is puffed up a bit and taking up space which would packdown a bit after some use, but that's very minor.
Sizing is just all over the place and no real trend attributable to MIPS vs nonmips. it can be of just this particular model might be sized a little small; or the issue can be that the helmet shape is not a match to your head shape.

Brands typically go with similar head shapes; so if it is just plain off in shape; you need to try a different brand e.g. giro for oval headers.

Source: me trying a bunch of helmets last year, including smith vantage/smith quantum and a bunch of giros.
 

silverback

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Two stupid questions:
Did you use the wheel adjuster on the back side?
Did you buy an "Asian fit"?

My dome is about 59mm and the large fits great when adjusted down close to the smallest setting so the size chart is right on. The medium is a hair too snug.
 

Yo Momma

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I had to cut the cables on the zip connectors w/ scissors that tighten the helmet from the disk in the back, on one of my Smith helmets (Non-MIPS). Now it fits perfect. With my older Smith helmets, I didn't have to do this mod.
 
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jo3st3

jo3st3

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Two stupid questions:
Did you use the wheel adjuster on the back side?
Did you buy an "Asian fit"?

My dome is about 59mm and the large fits great when adjusted down close to the smallest setting so the size chart is right on. The medium is a hair too snug.

Adjusted to be the largest size
Just says Regular large 59-63

looked at some reviews on amazon and there were similar concerns. most people said to size up.
 

Bad Bob

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Just got a new Smith helmet last night. Was surprised it required an XL. The newer venting is very cool. Hope it helps with foggy goggles. Liner is falling out of the old helmet, it's time.
Now need to find new stickers.
 

Tony Storaro

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MIPS has nothing to do with this. Smith's sizing is just odd and they do fit small.
Had Vantage in the past, on Quantum now. My head is like 58 something and for Quantum I went for 59-63.

However, before sending it back, I'd suggest you wear it around house for some time with a cap underneath it. These lids seem to somehow loosen up with time.
 

Henry

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The shape of your skull matters. Some people have a round noggin, some oval, some long-oval. Hats & helmets are made in different shapes for different heads. Most makers don't describe the internal shape of their helmets. Smith fits me fine. Giro, makes great helmets, doesn't fit me. Jo, try different brands of helmets to find which helmet designer has a head shaped like yours.
 
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jo3st3

jo3st3

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I purchased a Smith Level... same size... fits completely differently and if anything is a little big (which makes sense since I'm on the low end of the fit range). Bought a second Smith Vantage just to see if I got a weird one... but no... fits the same. Much smaller than the Level and a more snug and almost too small of a fit feeling. Maybe it would break in to fit, but I think it's odd how different it is from the Level.
 
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jo3st3

jo3st3

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Just got a new Smith helmet last night. Was surprised it required an XL. The newer venting is very cool. Hope it helps with foggy goggles. Liner is falling out of the old helmet, it's time.
Now need to find new stickers.

Did you use a Large in the past?
 

Edd

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Glad this thread was created. I bought this helmet a few weeks ago and had to size up to a large for the first time. I asked my wife to grab a medium for me because she gets a discount at the ski area she works at; I was shocked when it was tight as a vise, with the adjustment wheel on the loosest setting. That was with no balaclava on. I thought I was going crazy and felt bad asking her to exchange it. The large fits my smaller head perfectly. Pretty sure they’re not selling the Asian fit at New Hampshire ski shops.
 
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jo3st3

jo3st3

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Smith helmet size chart

SMALL51 - 55
MEDIUM55 - 59
LARGE59 - 63
X LARGE63 - 67

My head measures 59/60, which is between a medium and large size, and the large fits much tighter than I had expected compared to any helmet before in that size (as if the Large was a Medium). I not only thought it felt small, my fiancé said it looked small on me compared to the Smith Level. And it's not in the head circumference so much, as I can use the boa to tighten a little, but the width of the helmet with the super thick ear pads, makes it feel pretty narrow.

The same Large size in the Smith Level MIPs model fits loosely and requires a decent amount of tightening with the boa like adjustment and still leaves a gap between the ears and ear pads, so the Vantage MIPs just has a narrow construction for some reason.

I tried the Vantage in an XL and I could have used that also (fit more like my old Large Giro), but was concerned after some break in it could get too sloppy given it's far from my head size, so I stuck with the large at this point. I've skied with the large a few times now with a thin head cover and had no major issues so I think it's breaking in a little.

My advice, if you measured correctly and are between sizes or close to the top of the range, I would definitely go with the larger of the two. Also, I think this helmet is designed to fit very close for maximum protection and warmth, where as some helmets are kind of sloppy, so it takes some break in and getting use to it I guess (think of it fitting like a motor cycle helmet vs a traditional ski/bike helmet).

I found the features of the helmet to be top notch, especially the venting and ability to keep you warm or to dump heat. And with vents open, I didn't have any major wind whistling noises, unlike the Level which I found to be noisy. You just have to get the right size. Try before you buy.
 
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