A good helmet needs to be protective but not noticeable. Anon’s Merak does that better than any I’ve tested, period.
Thankfully, it’s more strange to see someone skiing or snowboarding without a helmet these days on the slopes. While there are still some purists who refuse to wear one, the data is pretty clear that helmets prevent brain damage. So if you are in the market to buy one, I salute you.
But back to the original statement of helmets coming a long way. Now they are jam-packed full of features and it might be hard to discern true innovation from marketing fluff. And if you’re out there researching Anon’s Merak Wavecel helmet, you probably want to know just that. Are the bells and whistles that make it command a big price tag worth it? Well, after testing it out for the past year, I can say that the tech is no joke, and this helmet truly does stand out as an excellent pick to protect your noggin.
Anon Merak Wavecel Helmet: First Impressions
Bottom Line: A feature-rich, lightweight helmet that has a solid fit and protects all around.
Weight: 480g
Material: ABS (Fancy name for plastic)
Strap: Magnetic closure
Fit: BOA tightness
Pros: Incredibly lightweight, great ventilation, primo features
Cons: Internal foam inserts don’t always stay in place
The first, most obvious thing to notice when picking up the Merak helmet is how light it is. At just over one pound, it’s really not a big strain on the head and neck. This is one of the arguments that non-helmet-wearers make to justify not wearing one—that it makes your head too top heavy. Not so with this. If you do complain about it being too heavy, you might want to work on some neck exercises.
The sizing is pretty standard. I have a fairly round head and it fits well. Thanks to the BOA® adjustment on the back, it’ll stay attached even if not every part of the head is touching the surface—within reason, of course.
Notable Features of the Merak Wavecel Helmet
This helmet is loaded with features, with all of them coming in handy. Here’s a rundown of what stands out:
Adjustable Vents: Just flick a switch, and the vents slide open. This is great for keeping the warmth in when needed, thus saving the need to have a winter helmet and a spring helmet.
Magnetic closure strap: The chin strap having a magnetic snap on it makes it easy to take on and off, even with gloves.
BOA® Adjustment: This is the magic of a newer innovation. While it’s not exclusive to Anon, I have tried other BOA helmets in the past and this one feels like it has the most precise and comfortable fit.
Wavecel: This is Anon’s big differentiator. It helps make the helmet lighter by using less material without sacrificing strength.
The magic in the tech allows it to collapse in a way that won’t rattle the brain. Many people understand MIPS and how it can absorb the impact. This tech does so in a way that doesn’t slide around, it compresses. It will ruin the helmet, but save your skull. I know which I’d rather save!
For more information on Wavecel, check out this video:
Drawbacks
As far as helmets go, it either works or it doesn’t, and for the most part this works great. If I had to get nit-picky I’d say the biggest drawback is the goggle clip in the back. The placement isn’t ideal and it seems like most people on the online reviews suggest that it’s also their biggest drawback. Since that is fairly minor on a safety device, I’ll chalk it up as a recommendation to the design staff to refine and make better for next time.
The other small annoyance is that the liner inside can move around, and doesn’t always stay in place. So sometimes when putting the helmet on, you have to move the liner back into place, and carefully place on to make sure it doesn’t move again before attaching to your head. This is more of an annoyance to people who rush to throw their gear on (like myself) but more detail-oriented people probably won’t notice.
Final Thoughts
Anon’s Merak helmet is a premium choice amongst a sea of ski and snowboard helmets. Sure it might be pricey, but can you put a price on safety? That said, they do have sales from time to time and this helmet will last for many years if you take care of it properly. It’s highly recommended as a lightweight, ventilated, well-fitting ski and snowboard helmet.
If you’re on the fence of which one to buy, this one has our unbiased, whole-hearted (or headed, rather) recommendation.
