Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet

Curated from 98 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: May 19, 2024

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Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet

Brand: Black Diamond
Price: $59
Snoop Score:
6.9
Sentiment
7.3
Popularity
9.5
Technical
6.0
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Snoop's Take

The Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet is a reliable safety equipment designed for climbers, ensuring protection during outdoor activities. Users have praised its comfortable fit, with one noting, "I have the BD half dome. super comfy to me," while others highlight its lightweight design and durability, stating that it encourages prolonged use for safety. Despite some criticisms regarding the foam interior and its tendency to hold odors, overall consumer sentiment leans positively, making it a recommended choice for climbers seeking a dependable helmet. The helmet is built with a durable ABS outer shell for impact protection and EPS foam for shock absorption, meeting climbing safety standards. Users appreciate its easily adjustable fit and lightweight design, making it suitable for extended wear. With effective protection during impacts, many climbers feel more secure wearing it, stating that it has performed well in various climbing scenarios. In conclusion, the Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet is generally well-received for its comfort, safety features, and durability, making it a recommended option for climbers looking for a reliable helmet in this 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

The foam on the inside of the thing is too hard! Do they not make a decent helmet that fits comfortably onto a person’s noggin?

Negative Feedback
Product
6.9
Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet
Buy on Amazon for $59
Sport Climbing
6 / 10
Mountaineering
6 / 10
Caving
6 / 10
Via Ferrata
6 / 10
See how this compares to all Helmets

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.
Recommended for a straight medium fit
“petzl meteor is either s/m or m/l. of you are in fact a straight m i recommend the black diamond one.”➕
“Black Diamond Half-Dome. $60, everything you need in a helmet.”➕
Comfortable for extended wear
“I have the BD half dome. super comfy to me.”➕
Comfort encourages prolonged use
“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.”➕
Durable material reduces cosmetic damage
“It's pretty durable and won't show dents how you're envisioning.”➕
Comfortable fit compared to knit caps
“The thing with helmets is that they look nice, are very comfortable, don’t itch, and are warmer than knit hats.”➕
Effective protection during impacts
“I felt the helmet rotated instead of my neck and could have prevented quite a bit.”➕
“the top 10+ tested helmets are all MIPS.”➕
Encourages helmet use for safety
“Best wishes to your daughter for a quick recovery and kudos to you for insisting she wear a helmet.”➕
“Thank you for sharing this. More people need to wear helmets.”➕
Easily adjustable fit
“Talk to me about helmets. What helmet do you have? What's a good helmet for someone into sport climbing?”➕
Great for safety during climbing
“the helmet performed pretty well!”➕
Lightweight design enhances comfort
“the helmet is for rockfall. Period.”➕
Good insulation keeps helmet cool in sun
“Not as much as you think due to all the foam in shell.”➕
“Yeah foam is a good insulator.”➕
“The foam and the wind cooling it as you ride keep the helmet just dandy.”➕
“The helmet's 1" of foam does a great job of insulating from direct sun.”➕

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.
Foam interior is too hard for comfort
“The foam on the inside of the thing is too hard! Do they not make a decent helmet that fits comfortably onto a person’s noggin?”➕
Exposure of foam material reduces durability
“the new version is simply polystyrene up to the outside what exposes this weak foam material straight to the elements.”➕
Minor scratches occur easily
“It does invite minor scratches.”➕
Holds smells over time
“it seems to hold smells pretty bad.”➕
Styrofoam lining deteriorates over time
“The vertex vent is an excellent helmet.”➕

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

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PETZL BOREA Women's Durable HelmetPETZL BOREA Women's Durable Helmet$69
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Black Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing HelmetBlack Diamond Half Dome Rock Climbing Helmet$59
6.9
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6.3
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KAILAS Selma Ⅱ Rock Climbing HelmetKAILAS Selma Ⅱ Rock Climbing Helmet$58
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Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.
Discussion on comfort levels of climbing helmets
“There are plenty of comfy helmets, I would go with a reputable climbing helmet though and not one from Amazon”➕
Discussion on low profile and ventilation features
“Anybody have experience with Black Diamond Vapor helmet? Experienced caver looking for a new helmet, and was attracted to the Black Diamond vapor's low profile, ventilation, and headlamp clips.”➕
Comparison of helmet materials and thickness
“the soft shell of the helmet makes it too lightweight for caving use.”➕
Comparison with other helmet types
“Get one that has foam all around your head including the back and sides where your head will hit if you take a nasty upside down fall.”➕

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.
Debate on using climbing helmets for ski touring
“Climbing helmet for ski touring I was thinking about buying black diamond vapor helmet or any other climbing helmet for ski touring.”➕
“A couple companies(Mammut and salomon. Maybe others) make helmets that are rated for both.”➕
“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.”➕
“Climbing helmets only protect you from stuff falling onto the top of your head.”➕
Variety of helmet types and preferences
“We are just trusting the documentation.”➕
“This is just more information about why I ski with MIPS :)”➕

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’
Discussion on best climbing helmets
“Does anyone have a helmet to recommend? I'd like to stay under $60. However, I'd pay more if it meant saving my life.”➕
“https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/climbing/best-climbing-helmet”➕
“I tried on the Petzl Boreo and like it as an entry level helmet.”➕
Inquiry about the specific brand/model of helmets
“That foam is hard to protect your noggin from impact.”➕
Discussion on cleaning helmets
“Clean? Who tf “cleans” their helmet?”➕
Discussion on helmet fit for large heads
“I'm in the process of buying some gear and realized I have a huge head and it's hard to find a helmet that would fit me.”➕
“I will be listening in patiently to this thread. I’m a member of the big head club too and have a hard time with hats/helmets!.”➕
“I can't offer a positive experience, but I bought a Petzl Sirocco mountaineering helmet. Petzl's sizing is annoyingly small, the M/L I have is for a head circumference up to only 24".”➕
“I have a big ass head and west a mammut wall rider mips.”➕
Recommendations for reliable helmet brands
“Avoid Amazon and cheap helmets. Stick to big names like REI, OnRope1 & Inner Mountain Outfitters.”➕
Discussion of the best caving helmet
“The Ecrin Roc is the best caving helmet ever created.”➕
Recommendations for alternative helmets
“It's not quite as cool as ventilated suspended models (it's a shell and foam design), but I stayed fairly cool in TAG and bumped my head *way* less than with any of the Petzl helmets I've had.”➕
Comment on comfort of competing helmets
“I used to wear the Black Diamond Half Dome for caving, which is a great low-cost, lightweight, vented option.”➕
Inquiry about first-time helmet usage
“I just bought a half dome as my first helmet, should I be worried?”➕
Discussion on alternatives to Black Diamond helmets
“Any alternatives I should consider? Edelrid Shield or Petzl Meteor? Any others”➕

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.
Discussion on various climbing helmets
“Helmets What helmets do people recommend for year round usage, from summer climbing to winter mountaineering and climbing?”➕
“I use the Petzl Meteor. 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.”➕
Debate on necessity of specific 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.”➕
Discussion on MIPS helmets and safety benefits
“Any thoughts on MIPS helmets? Have you seen any better outcomes or mostly just marketing?”➕
“I did undergrad research in university with football helmet testing for a materials lab - the important thing is they wouldn’t be worse than a standard but they can be better for specific cases.”➕
“MIPs helps.”➕
Discussion about helmet specifications and safety
“They're more in the hardhat category than anything.”➕
“A lot of the research goes into getting people to wear helmets.”➕

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