The Black Diamond Half Dome is a quality helmet at a great price. As with most climbing gear, it’s easy to get caught up spending a lot of money trying to find the best stuff for you. You can find a lot of designs, colors and fancy helmets on the market. But which is the one?
You should check out many helmets before settling on one you feel comfortable with. It takes a lot of research to find a helmet that suits your needs and desires.
The needs might be lightweight, safety, budget, comfort, etc. Whereas desires might be color, ease of adjustment, and any other fancy features.
Here’s one helmet they may just fit what you’re looking for.
Design
The Black Diamond Half Dome is available in 4 sizes and 5 colors to choose from. The sizes provide the needed comfort and snug fit. It is a nice helmet with a great, easy to use adjustment system. The ease of adjustability and extra colors mean that more people are likely to use the helmet.
After getting a new design, this helmet also features a ponytail hole (for long hair) and a suspension system. With that came a lower profile as well. Also, the new design comes with more ventilation, a change to the look of the headlamp clips, and a significantly smaller size of the adjustment wheel.
Safety
The Black Diamond Half Dome is made from a hard plastic shell with foam on the inside. It is far more durable than all of the lighter polycarbonate shells that protect the foam on EPS helmets.
It does pass CE and UIAA specifications and can take a hard hit when climbing. Compared to other helmets, this one can be dropped and tossed around (even though it is not recommended) without cracking it.
Comfort
If you try this helmet as a first helmet, you will consider it to be pretty comfortable. Compared to higher-end helmets, it may not be as comfortable. But for the price it’s at, the comfort level is quite good.
It is a hard shell helmet, so you may notice it’s weight a little more than expensive carbon versions – but it is negligible. And the chin strap fits well.
Features
The adjustability this helmet offers is one of the best on the market. This helmet has the widest range of adjustment. Whether a person has a small head or a large head, he or she can fit in this helmet without a problem. Just by sliding a plastic band on the back of the head, you adjust the helmet. That band can be tightened and loosened as well, by spinning a wheel which is user-friendly.
That is one of the reasons this helmet is perfect for rock climbing sport guide companies or tour programs. It can be used by multiple people, just by adjusting it. The chin strap, however, takes a little bit longer to adjust, but not to the point of annoyance.
Furthermore, the headlamp attachment has four plastic clips that easily hold a headlamp in place. The clips are made to slide a headlamp band up underneath them and have small teeth, which hold the bands in place. It is an easy to use and user-friendly feature.
The Black Diamond Half Dome also has great ventilation as well.
Durability
As mentioned previously, the Half Dome features a hard plastic shell with foam on the inside. That provides far more durability than the lighter, thin, polycarbonate shells that protect the foam on the EPS helmets. This design is proven to be the most durable for long-term use.
This helmet could take more than one bow from rocks, ice, or other projectiles if need be. Compared to other helmets, it pretty safe to say that the Half Dome doesn’t need to be “babied” or worried about too much. It’s quite sturdy.
Conclusion
The Black Diamond Half Dome offers fantastic value for the price. It is really durable and affordable at the same time, therefore presenting a great value. But it’s definitely geared more towards beginners.
If you’re not a beginner, you might be looking for a better ventilated or more lightweight helmet and maybe considering a more expensive purchase.
However, the easy adjustability and the awesome durability make the helmet a top pick for the price. It provides all the necessary features without sacrificing much.
This helmet might be the most popular helmet in the United States. While it might not be the most lightweight or the most ventilated helmet, it really does provide safety and durability. If your first priority is safety, but you’re not willing to invest that much, this helmet is a perfect choice.
- Co-molded EPS foam with low-profile polycarbonate shell
- Updated, low-profile suspension system
- Streamlined, lightweight headlamp clips
- One-handed fit adjustment dial
- Easily adjustable chin strap
