Mammut Wall Rider Helmet – Unboxing Preview

It has been more that 6 months that I have been researching for a new helmet that I would be using for my outdoor adventures. I have been looking at all different kind of helmets and of course from various brands. My requirements for a new helmet were rather specific and the activities I would be using it are mainly alpine climbs, winter mountaineering and climbing activities. Therefore, I wanted to have a rather lightweight helmet that would be comfortable to wear all day long. My final choice was to purchase the Mammut Wall Rider.

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2912 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmet

There are three main types of helmet construction; roughly categorised as Foam, Shell and Hybrid. I have decided that the best option for my requirements was a Hybrid design. On the aforementioned categories, we also have the hardshell helmets and the lightweight foam.

Hardshell Helmets

Hardshell helmets are composed of an ABS outer shell covering a small piece of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. The polystyrene is positioned at the top of the helmet and is designed to absorb impacts just like in lightweight foam ones. The biggest advantage of hardshell helmets is that they are considerably less expensive than lightweight foam ones.

Lightweight Foam

Lightweight foam models are constructed primarily of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam covered with a thin layer of polycarbonate plastic, which protects the foam. In this type of construction, the structural component is the polystyrene foam.

The easy choice for me was that I would go for a lightweight hybrid type helmet. Though, the rather difficult choice was which of the Mammut Wall Rider and Petzl Sirocco, I would choose. Both of these models that have EPP foam, also have a partial shell. The Petzl Sirocco has a small polycarbonate crown, while the whole front half of the Mammut Wall Rider is covered in hard plastic. Actually, the most important factor for my final decision was the fact that the Mammut Wall Rider had a better and bigger coverage area for the front part of the head, compared to the Petzl Sirocco.

The Mammut Wall Rider helmet combines a little bit of everything, with an open and well-vented EPP foam in the back and a plastic shell in the front. It keeps the traditional helmet look and feel up top, but sheds ounces off the more traditional hard-shell helmets.

Mammut developed the Wall Rider helmet to combine an expanded polypropylene, shock-absorbing structure with a rigid shell. To save weight, the hard shell covers only the top and front of the helmet, where impact from falling objects is most likely.

Packaging

The Mammut Wall Rider Helmet was delivered in a very nice black box and within the box was a small cloth bag where the helmet was carefully placed. In addition, attached on the helmet, there were the helmet instructions, but also replacement foam pads for the internal part of the helmet. I particularly liked this extra attention to this detail.

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2907 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmer Packaging

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2908 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmer Packaging

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2909 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmer Packaging

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2910 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmer | What’s in the box

Design

The Mammut Wall Rider Helmet has a beautiful industrial design and great manufacturing, thus the really nice and good in quality final outcome. All details on this helmet are well made and the combination of EPP foam and plastic hardshell, make this helmet unique.

The Wall Rider offers great comfort in large part to its extremely low weight but also thanks to soft padding in the right spots, the brow and top of the helmet, and thin straps that keep a low profile and contribute to a comfortable fit.

Sixteen ventilation holes are of good size and are distributed primarily on the sides and rear of the helmet with two of them found in the front, aiding good air flow in the helmet.

In addition the Wall Rider offers good protection in a low profile design. Mammut offers this helmet in three different colours. Chill (light blue), Night (dark blue) and Orange. Due to extra safety reasons, I have selected the Orange colour, because above the alpine line, it is always useful to wear bright colours.

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2911 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmet – Top View

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2920 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmet – Side View

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2921 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmet – Side View

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2913 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmet – Rear View

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2914 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmet – Logo detail

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2915 — Mammut Wall Rider Helmet – Front detail

Headlamp placement

Two sleek and snag free headlamp clips are situated on the front of the helmet, offering a solid hold on the straps of a headlamp. On the rear of the helmet is an elastic cord with a small tab that allows users to disconnect the cord from its hook. So far, I have not used the headlamp, so I can not judge how easy or difficult is to place the headlamp on the helmet, but for sure, this operation can not be done with gloves.

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2916 — Elastic cord for head lamp placement with nice logo detail

Adjustability

The textile harness can adjust in three ways: the V-yoke around the ears can be shortened, the back strap can be adjusted to fit your head circumference, and then the chin strap can also be shortened. The first thing you want to dial in is the V-yoke, so that the buckles sit just below your ears (for better lateral stability) and so the chin strap buckles to side and not under your chin (for greater comfort). My initial impression is that this operation should be done with bare hands and without gloves.

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2918 — chin straps and comfortable padding

Mammut_Wall_Rider_Helmet_Review_2919 — Internal comfortable padding

Bottom Line

The Mammut Wall Rider is a lightweight, comfortable molded foam helmet with good ventilation and increased durability from the partial capping of the helmet with a hard plastic shell. The thin chin straps and comfortable padding is very appealing and there’s basically no reason not to wear this helmet every time you go out climbing.