ERT vs. MIPS: What Snowboarders Should Know About Helmet Tech

It ain't 1987. Wear a helmet.

That part doesn't need much explaining.

What gets less straightforward is everything written on the box: MIPS, ERT, impact management, rotational protection, linear impacts, low-friction layers and a pile of other terms that can make buying a helmet feel more complicated than it needs to be.

Two systems you'll run into are ERT — Energy Reduction Technology — and MIPS — Multi-directional Impact Protection System.

They approach impact management differently. Here's what that actually means.

First: What a Snow Helmet Can — and Can't — Do

A snow helmet is designed to help reduce the forces reaching your head during certain impacts.

It is not a concussion-proof shell.

ASTM F2040, one of the primary standards used for recreational snow-sport helmets in North America, sets performance requirements for things like impact protection, retention and stability. ASTM also makes an important point: the protection provided by any helmet has limits.

That's worth remembering whenever a helmet brand starts sounding like it discovered immortality.

Certification matters.

Fit matters.

How the helmet manages impact energy matters.

But no piece of helmet technology can guarantee that you won't get hurt.

Linear vs. Rotational Impacts

To understand ERT and MIPS, it helps to understand the two kinds of motion they're trying to deal with.

Linear Impact

Think of a relatively straight hit.

Your head hits something and slows down quickly. The helmet's shell and impact-absorbing material are designed to help manage some of that energy before it reaches your head.

Traditional helmet materials such as EPS foam already play a big role here.

Rotational Impact

Real crashes aren't always straight.

Catch an edge and slam at an angle, clip a tree, hit uneven snow or take an off-center impact and your head can rotate as well as decelerate.

That rotational motion is another part of the impact equation and is why additional helmet technologies have been developed.

What Is MIPS?

MIPS has been around long enough that you've probably seen the little yellow logo inside a helmet.

Its basic idea is pretty simple.

A MIPS-equipped helmet uses a low-friction layer inside the helmet that is designed to allow a small amount of movement between the helmet and the head during certain angled impacts.

The goal is to help reduce some of the rotational motion that could otherwise be transferred to the head.

That's what MIPS is designed around: rotational motion management.

It doesn't replace the helmet's normal impact-absorbing structure. It works alongside it.

What Is ERT?

ERT stands for Energy Reduction Technology.

Instead of relying on a separate low-friction slip layer, ERT uses strategically positioned soft polymer pads inside the helmet.

According to ERT, those pads are designed to deform during an impact and help manage both linear and rotational impact energy.

The material is soft and flexible under normal conditions, which also means the pads can become part of the helmet's comfort system rather than feeling like another hard piece sitting between your head and the shell.

That's one of the reasons the technology interested us.

ERT vs. MIPS

This is where we'd rather not turn helmet technology into a Pepsi-vs.-Coke argument.

Both systems are trying to reduce forces reaching your head.

They just approach the problem differently.

MIPS:
Uses controlled movement between layers inside the helmet to help manage rotational motion during certain angled impacts.

ERT:
Uses soft polymer pads designed to deform and help manage both rotational and linear impact energy.

That does not mean every ERT helmet is automatically safer than every MIPS helmet.

A helmet is a complete system.

Shell construction, impact foam, coverage, fit, certification, geometry and additional impact technology all work together. Comparing one piece of technology in isolation only tells you part of the story.

Why We Use ERT

We use ERT in our helmets because we like the way the technology approaches impact management.

Instead of adding a system focused only on rotational motion, ERT is designed to contribute to the management of both rotational and linear impact energy.

We also like that the material is soft.

That matters because a helmet still has to be something you'll actually wear all day.

We wanted impact technology that could work inside a low-profile, lightweight helmet without turning the inside into a complicated pile of plastic and padding.

That's the reason we went with it.

Not because MIPS is bad.

Not because one acronym magically makes a helmet safe.

It made sense for the helmet we wanted to build.

Fit Still Comes First

You can put a lot of technology into a helmet and still screw things up with a bad fit.

A snow helmet should sit securely around your head without painful pressure points.

It shouldn't wobble around when you move your head, and you shouldn't need to crank the adjustment system painfully tight just to keep it in place.

A few things to check:

• Measure your head and use the manufacturer's size chart.

• Try the helmet with the goggles you actually ride in.

• Adjust the fit system until the helmet feels secure rather than squeezed.

• Make sure the helmet sits properly on your forehead instead of tipped way back.

• Fasten the chin strap correctly.

• Check that your goggles aren't being crushed downward by the helmet.

And don't size up just because you want to wear a massive beanie underneath it.

Thin balaclava. Proper helmet fit. Done.

Look at the Certification

Whatever impact technology you're considering, start with the helmet itself.

For snowboarding and skiing, look for recognized snow-sport helmet certifications such as ASTM F2040 and/or CE EN 1077, depending on the helmet and market.

ASTM F2040 covers performance requirements for helmets intended for recreational non-motorized snow sports including skiing and snowboarding.

The extra impact technology comes after that foundation.

After a Hard Hit

Helmets aren't trophies.

If you've taken a significant hit, don't keep riding it because the shell still looks clean.

Some impact damage can happen inside the helmet where you can't easily see it.

Check the manufacturer's guidance and replace the helmet when required.

Same goes for helmets that are cracked, crushed, damaged, or have components that are no longer working correctly.

Your helmet has one job.

Let it do that job.

The Bottom Line

ERT and MIPS aren't magic force fields.

They're two different approaches to managing forces during an impact.

MIPS uses a low-friction system designed primarily around rotational motion.

ERT uses soft polymer pads designed to help manage both rotational and linear impact energy.

We chose ERT because that approach made sense for the kind of helmets we wanted to build: low-profile, comfortable and designed around the way snowboarders actually wear their gear.

But don't buy a helmet because of three letters printed on the box.

Look for the proper certification.

Get the fit right.

Make sure it works with your goggles.

And wear the damn thing.