Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet

Name: Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet
Price: 69.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 7.4 (94 reviews)

Curated from 94 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: December 27, 2023

Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet

Brand: Black Diamond

Price: $69

Snoop Score:

7.4

Sentiment

7.8

Popularity

8.6

Technical

6.2

Buy on Amazon for $69 See All Helmets Reviews

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Snoop's Take

The Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing and Mountaineering Helmet is designed to provide essential head protection for climbers and mountaineers. With its lightweight and durable construction, this helmet is perfect for extended wear during outdoor adventures. Consumer feedback highlights the helmet's comfort and fit, making it suitable for medium to large sizes, with one user noting, "super comfy to me. I wore it for 5-6 hours yesterday without any discomfort or issues." Additionally, its robust design offers good side impact protection, although some users mention reduced cosmetic durability and sizing inconsistencies. Overall, the helmet has been praised for its affordability in relation to its quality and safety features. Given the positive sentiments regarding comfort, safety, and durability, the Black Diamond Capitan Helmet is highly recommended for climbers seeking a reliable and comfortable head protection solution in its category.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Helmets

petzl meteor is either s/m or m/l. of you are in fact a straight m i recommend the black diamond one.
Positive Feedback

It does invite minor scratches. Like, if you dig your thumbnail into the exposed foam and pull it along, it'll leave a mark.
Negative Feedback

7.4

Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet

Buy on Amazon for $69

Sport Climbing

8 / 10

Mountaineering

9 / 10

Caving

7 / 10

Via Ferrata

9 / 10

See how this compares to all Helmets

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.

Recommended for medium/large sizes

“petzl meteor is either s/m or m/l. of you are in fact a straight m i recommend the black diamond one.”➕

“First climbing helmet recommendations? Hey everyone! I've started climbing outside more and I'd like to buy a helmet.”➕

Lightweight design

“Get the $100 black diamond one. The super ultralight ones little brother.”➕

Comfortable for extended wear

“super comfy to me. I wore it for 5-6 hours yesterday without any discomfort or issues.”➕

Good side impact protection

“This is one of the better helmets at the lower price bracket. It offers better side impact protection which a lot of cheaper hard shell helmets lack.”➕

Durable material

“It's not polystyrene that makes up the bulk of the helmet, but polypropylene.”➕

“Mine stays pretty clean. It isn't very porous. Also it feels surprisingly durable.”➕

“I like a helmet with a fairly robust plastic outer shell. I tend to give my helmets hard use, and foam does not hold up for me.”➕

Comfortable fit encourages extended wear

“This. For me a slight reduction in durability (mainly cosmetic) is a small price to pay for comfort, which in turn encourages me to keep my helmet on more.”➕

Comfortable and lightweight

“This is what we use, works well, comfortable and lightweight, ability to hook a head torch on”➕

“It's comfortable, has held up well, and is all around totally fine.”➕

“I honestly forget it is on my head.”➕

Good fit for large heads

“I have seen some info on the Black Diamond Captain being a good fit for large heads, but I've also seen people arguing that it isn't true to size.”➕

“For me it’s not just the circumference but also the volume and I wear a M/L BD half dome.”➕

Comfortable and warm compared to knit hats

“The thing with helmets is that they look nice, are very comfortable, don’t itch, and are warmer than knit hats.”➕

Recommended for safety while skiing

“some guy came in bleeding from his head. I bought a helmet right then and there, and have never skied without it since.”➕

Provides good protection in falls

“the helmet performed pretty well!”➕

Comfortable helmet encourages extended wear

“Like others have said, find the most comfortable, then you will look forward to wearing it.”➕

Good side protection for climbing

“Many climbing helmets are mainly for impacts from the top.”➕

Affordable price for quality

“Black Diamond Half-Dome. $60, everything you need in a helmet.”➕

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.

Reduced cosmetic durability

“It does invite minor scratches. Like, if you dig your thumbnail into the exposed foam and pull it along, it'll leave a mark.”➕

Sizing may not be true to size

“I looked at Grivel helmets, and the old Salamander L/XL was for up to 66cm or 26"! But it was discontinued years ago and replaced by the Salamander 2.0, whose L/XL laughably only fits up to 62cm, or 24.4".”➕

Holds smells over time

“it seems to hold smells pretty bad.”➕

Styrofoam lining deteriorates over time

“The vertex vent is an excellent helmet.”➕

Climbing helmet lacks side impact protection

“There is virtually no protection for the side and it most likely won’t do anything for you if you hit you head.”➕

“The thought of neurological damage freaks me out, personally, so I would say it’s not worth the risk.”➕

Not rated for ski impact protection

“Technically it isn't rated for the sort of impacts often sustained in a ski crash.”➕

Not suitable for caving

“It has a soft shell like a bike helmet, so it is not good for caving.”➕

“The soft shell of the helmet makes it too lightweight for caving use.”➕

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product Name	Price	Score	See Details	Buy Now
Mammut Skywalker 3.0 Climbing Helmet	$69	8.8	Details	Buy
Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet	$69	8.3	Details	Buy
Singing Rock Penta 2 Lightweight Climbing Helmet	$79	8.3	Details	Buy
OutdoorMaster Rock Climbing Helmet	$39	7.7	Details	Buy
Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet	$69	7.4	Details	Buy
PETZL BOREA Women's Durable Helmet	$69	7.0	Details	Buy
Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet	$59	6.9	Details	Buy
Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet	$59	6.3	Details	Buy
Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet	$59	6.2	Details	Buy
Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet	$59	5.9	Details	Buy
OutdoorMaster Climbing Helmet - Rock Rescue Helmet	$49	5.8	Details	Buy
Mammut Crag Sender Helmet	$79	5.7	Details	Buy
KAILAS Selma Ⅱ Rock Climbing Helmet	$58	5.0	Details	Buy
Pfanner Protos Integral Arborist Helmet	$334	5.0	Details	Buy
Petzl BOREO Men's Helmet	$69	4.0	Details	Buy
ipoob Adult Safety Hiking Climbing Caving Work Helmet	$69	4.0	Details	Buy
Fusion Climb Meka II Climbing and Zipline Safety Helmet	$54	2.6	Details	Buy
Tontron Climbing Caving Helmet (Blue, Large)	$43	0.6	Details	Buy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.

Discussion about helmet comfort and fit

“https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-helmet”➕

“Whatever you buy, make sure it fits your head well!”➕

Discussion about helmet specifications and safety ratings

“They're more in the hardhat category than anything.”➕

“It was kind of annoying actually.”➕

Discussion about helmet certifications for climbing and skiing

“Look for dual certified helmets, with proper climbing and alpine ski certification CE 1077.”➕

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’

Discussion about other helmet brands

“I like it quite a lot.”➕

“Mammut has a new triple certified helmet coming out next year they just previewed at [ISPO to be the replacement to the Wall Rider]”➕

“It doesn't feel as solid as my SP Ascender MIPS. I'm a bit paranoid in that department as I have had a few concussions while snowboarding despite wearing a helmet.”➕

“The Vertex is loose enough that when I look up with a pack on the back of my pack pushes the helmet over my eyes, if that makes sense.”➕

Debate on cleaning helmets

“Clean? Who tf “cleans” their helmet?”➕

Discussion about helmet sizing challenges

“I’m a member of the big head club too and have a hard time with hats/helmets!.”➕

“I have a big ass head and west a mammut wall rider mips.”➕

Discussion about avoiding cheap helmets and sticking to reputable brands

“Avoid Amazon and cheap helmets. Stick to big names like REI, OnRope1 & Inner Mountain Outfitters.”➕

General recommendations for caving helmets

“Are those a death wish? Or could it get me through a couple trips until I figure out if this is something I can do more often?”➕

Comparison of different helmet brands

“The Ecrin Roc is the best caving helmet ever created.”➕

Discussion on suitability of climbing helmet for ski touring

“The main reason that i consider switching from skiing to climbing helmet is the breath ability and the light weight that climbing helmets provide.”➕

“There are now lots of dual rated helmets specifically for ski mountaineering, and petzl is trying to get a new rating established particularly for ski mountaineering with the meteor helmet.”➕

Discussion about MIPS helmets and their effectiveness

“Any thoughts on MIPS helmets? Have you seen any better outcomes or mostly just marketing?”➕

“MIPs helps.”➕

“Mips stands for "multidirectional impact protection system". Basically more recent concussion and TBI studies have shown that a lot of the damage in a head injury is caused by the brain rotating inside the skull.”➕

“MIPS helmets basically let the shell of the helmet slide slightly over the foam/cushioning layer.”➕

General conversation on the importance of wearing helmets

“Thank you for sharing this. More people need to wear helmets.”➕

“People are always commenting here about how everyone needs to wear a helmet and I've been convinced to purchase one from this sub.”➕

Comparisons with other helmet brands

“If you're looking for a low profile helmet that's hard shell (with ventilation and clips) then I'd highly recommend the [Edelrid Targa].”➕

“The Vertex is an excellent lightweight helmet, though the absolute Cadillac of comfort is the Kask Super Plasma.”➕

Discussion about alternatives to Black Diamond helmets

“Thoughts on Black Diamond Vector/similar helmets? My helmet is in need of replacement after 3 years of use and abuse.”➕

General advice on helmet comfort and fitting

“First Helmet? I'm starting to take a look at finally getting out of the gym and was wondering what recommendations you lot have for a first helmet, preferably not too expensive.”➕

“The best helmet is the one you're going to wear. They're all safe, go to a store and try some on, see which one is the most comfortable and buy it.”➕

“Can't stress this enough. You want a helmet that you're going to wear. If that means you pay a little extra, so be it.”➕

Recommendations for alternative helmets

“using SP Ascender for some time now and have no complaints, slighty heavier than standard climbing helmet but still light and can use for few different activities be it climbing in summer or ski touring or ice climbing.”➕

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.

Debate on necessity of specialized caving helmets

“I have been using a black diamond halfdome helmet that I have from rock climbing as my caving helmet, but is there anything more suited to caving specifically?”➕

“Yeah it doesn't completely cover the back. But also, if there isn't some big advantage to using a helmet made specifically for caving, I'll probably keep using the one I have.”➕

Concerns over neurological risks in case of head impacts

“Personally I just take off my helmet when I’m going up and put it on for when I’m starting the descent.”➕

Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet

Curated from 94 real Reddit conversations

Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet

Snoop's Take

Black Diamond Capitan Rock Climbing Helmet

Sport Climbing

Mountaineering

Caving

Via Ferrata

What it does well!

Where it needs some work!

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Core Power Plays

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

Cautionary Callouts

You May Also Like

Explore more Categories