Bern Baker 2012

I have had four Bern Bakers now and I love them! The fit can't be beat, and they provide excellent protection. My three previous Bakers had fun ins with trees so they got their jerseys hung up in my garage. These helmets do come in two different types, which has lead to a lot of confusion about Bern helmets and their ability to protect your head in a crash.

All Berns come in either an EPS (Extruded Polystyrene, if you were wondering), which is the industry standard, and a proprietary foam. The EPS helmets, which say "sink fit" on the back right below the goggle strap clip, are fully certified by ASTM as a helmet just like any other helmet. The proprietary foam models, or Hard Hats, do not quite meet ASTM standards for single direct impact protection so they are not certified. However, the EPS foam breaks down during impacts so they need to be replaced after any moderate impact.

The Hard Hat versions, however, recover from impacts so they can protect effectively through continuous use without having to be replaced. The choice between the two is difficult, I have had both, and hit trees with both, and either one can result in minor bruising, or in an ambulance ride. I tend to wear a Hard Hat for park, where I'll be taking a lot of smaller hits, and I would prefer an EPS for trees or big mountain where higher speed impacts are likely, but it depends on your skier type, ability and terrain preferences.

• Design
  Clean
  Busy
• Weight
  Light
  Heavy
• Durability
  Fragile
  Durable
• Style
  Uncool
  Cool
• Size
  Small
  Big
• Padding
  Thin
  Thick
• Audio / Cell features
  None
  Command center
• Ventilation
  None
  Tons