Helmets - hire or buy?

[chicaguapa]

We need 4 helmets in total and I'm balking at the cost when they'll only be worn for a week. At least ski jackets, snow boots can be worn here if it snows. So I wondered about hiring them? We are going to Morzine.

Do you ski a lot? If you do then it would be worth it in the long run.

We were in Morzine at the weekend. It was dead as a dodo.

Most ski shops will hire them out. One less thing to pack although we usually put ours inw ith skiboots.

No. We probably won't go again for a few years at least. My dad's taking us but he is insisting on brand new ones. I was wondering what was wrong with the hired one? We are happy to use the ones at the Snowdome and local ski slope.

I would hire them-by the time you go again they are likely to have grown.

if you are going regularly, buy (they can get passed down the line lol). if not, hire.

dh and i have our own. we have 3 kids helmets that we bought initially, but as they have grown out of them we have just hired. this year we might buy, but only because we have just moved within driving distance of the slopes, and so can't be doing with the faff of having to spend half our lives in the hire shops. tis going to be an expensive season i fear.

have a lot of fun!

dh & I own helmets. ds1 & 2 started with rental (well in Canada kids helmets are always free) but when I saw how much it would cost to rent in Morzine we brought them their own. ds3 got brought one on sale, but out grew it - so only got a a weeks use. He is back to the free Canadian ones. When ds1 and 2 out grow theirs I'm not sure we will buy again, depends where we ski.

buy one ,so that you are sure they have not been damaged previously.Ifr they have had an impact or been dropped heavily ,they could be cracked.

And get onto the Lidl mailing list - we got DD's helmet from there last year - cost £13 and they cover quite a range (I think is around a 4-5 cm change) so will do for at least 2 years and you have the security of knowing how they have been treated.

If you go to the snowdome, have a look at Ski Warehouse (online here).

Or if there's one anywhere near you Decathlon are also reasonable.

Thanks for all your replies. I will probably buy then if Morzine is expensive to hire them.

Check the intersport.fr website, it shodul give you an idea of cost - the prices are normally standard within the chain.

chekc here for an idea of cost. You will struggle to find a child's helmet to buy in uk under £35.

Actually Aldi, Lidl, Tchibo, Decathlon, Ski Warehouse as mentioned above will all do childrens's ski helments in the uk for less than half that.

Have just checked DD's Lidl helmet - has a 3 cm expansion range so should last for at least 2 years. They just aren't "pretty" - light or dark grey were the choices last year.

i've just bought mine from www.littleskiers.co.uk for £20 and they are an adjustable size from 48cm - 52 cm so i am hoping it will last quite a few years so cheaper than renting. also i was worrie dtoo about how the helmets had been treated when renting, if dropped or years old how do you know how well they will protect? I also bought a little flower helmet cover to pretty it up as my little girls wants pink on everything!