Price
£120
Verdict
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Climbing & Mountaineering, Gear reviews, Helmets,Kathryn James tries out Black Diamond’s lightest-ever helmet
On opening the package I was instantly impressed; the Vapor is really light at 186g, and you hardly even notice it on your head.
It has a low profile and fits comfortably, and the straps are thin and unobtrusive with a simple buckle. There isn’t much in the way of buckle adjustment like on BD’s Vector helmet, but this really doesn’t matter; the ratcheting suspension cradle allows plenty of adjustment to the fit on your head and this can be pushed back into the helmet for when you are transporting it, avoiding damage to the cradle.
Like any helmet of this type, care needs to be taken when transporting it – they are simply not as robust as most traditional-style helmets. I have taken to putting the Vapor in my sack last, getting it out first and not throwing my sack in the back of the car with the helmet in it. As well as saving weight, the Vapor’s geometric open-air design also gives great ventilation. If you want a super-light helmet for rock climbing then the Vapor is a great choice, however at only 40g heavier Black Diamond’s own Vector helmet is significantly less costly (£75) so we think this will become the more popular choice.