Smith Vantage

[Sinecure]

Nice looking helmet. Spendy though. Hopefully they'll show up on Tramdock next year for $60 like Variant Brims have.

[volklpowdermaniac]

Anyone have a picture of this helmet on their dome....

I went to look at one yesterday, and was a little underwhelmed, it was matte black so maybe that's the issue, but sitting next to the variant, it just looked a little wierd...

looked like the bastard stepchild of a maze and a variant, everyone's raving about its style and comfort, maybe I just need to see it in action.

The variant is still one hell of a nice helmet

[ludwigk]

I've owned the Variant for two years now and today I tried on a Vantage due to the all the hype. Well, at least for me, they do NOT fit the same. The Variant fits me perfectly while the Vantage put pressure on the front and back of my head. Because of this, the Vantage also felt less secure. However, the Vantage was also noticeably lighter. Hope that helps?

[umby]

I had a proform card from smith sitting around so I used it for a vantage. It showed up last week and it is noticeably lighter weight than my variant brim. It seems to fit fairly similarly for me, but all heads are different so that is hard to gauge I guess. It looks a little weird on my head, but I am sure I will get used to it. The venting system looks pretty sweet and should come in handy for my sweaty self.

[iamTRuTH]

I received mine from smith last week, and it does fit slightly different. It was initially tighter in back, but after messing with the adjuster it fits nice.

[Choucas]

Just picked up a new Vantage + I/O goggles. Replacing my Variant Brim + Phenom. I liked the old combination very much and used it without complaint or incident for 3 years. At first blush, the new one is better. Helmet fits me better all around. Same size (L) but a better, snugger fit. Goggles integrate perfectly. I have a bigger head and like big goggles/max visibility, so this is a great combination for me.

[ludwigk]

Just picked up a new Vantage + I/O goggles. Replacing my Variant Brim + Phenom. I liked the old combination very much and used it without complaint or incident for 3 years. At first blush, the new one is better. Helmet fits me better all around. Same size (L) but a better, snugger fit. Goggles integrate perfectly. I have a bigger head and like big goggles/max visibility, so this is a great combination for me.

I went to the shop to try the Vantage again as I really wanted one but I just could not get it to fit right. Instead I walked out with a new Variant Brim Evolve to match my new I/O Evolve googles. I agree the integration of helmet to I/O google is perfect for guys like us with 'big' heads.

[ludwigk]

Just picked up a new Vantage + I/O goggles. Replacing my Variant Brim + Phenom. I liked the old combination very much and used it without complaint or incident for 3 years. At first blush, the new one is better. Helmet fits me better all around. Same size (L) but a better, snugger fit. Goggles integrate perfectly. I have a bigger head and like big goggles/max visibility, so this is a great combination for me.

I went to the shop to try the Vantage again as I really wanted one but I just could not get it to fit right. Instead I walked out with a new Variant Brim Evolve to match my new I/O Evolve googles. I agree the integration of helmet to I/O google is perfect for guys like us with 'big' heads.

[toiletduck]

How's the profile from VB to Vantage then? I feel like most helmets (Sweet excluded, but I can't afford their prices) make me feel like a bobblehead, but the marketing blurb mentioned that the Vantage was "low profile". I have a VB, fwiw.

[Nasty]

The Vantage seems to fit better on me than the Variant and a lower profile. Very light and durable so far. I thought the fit was too loose until I adjusted it to be snug but not uncomfortable. Like the goggle strap and venting also.

[volklpowdermaniac]

Trying to pull the trigger on a new dome piece.... have gone to the store twice now and still can't make up my mind.... i love the variant, and i can't get myself in love with the vantage, but i have some FOMO going on with this vantage....


fear of missing out (for those of you not in the know)

[DasBlunt]

My brand new with tags Variant Large is for sale in gear swap.....100 shipped.

[The Reverend Floater]

A few answers:

1. Vantage is noticeably lower profile.
2. Technically, the two should fit the same, but I won't argue the reality. Everybody has a different head, etc.
3. Vantage is much, much lighter.
4. I'd encourage people to try on helmets (Smith's and otherwise) with their coat on. Why? Because everyone looks like a freak in a tshirt and helmet! For real--you'll get a better feeling for what you'll look like.
5. The Smith goggle/helmet integration thing might sound like a "buzz word" or the like, but the venting integration really does work--so much so, that if you have your vents wide open and wear contacts, you'll feel the venting working. The vacuum concept really does work. Great for schweaty peeps like me.
6. Keep the comments coming. We really do listen to you guys. Not promising that we can react every time, but we pay attention.

[The Reverend Floater]

One more thing, just to stoke the fires and the imagination. I saw the 2011/12 product today and more than anything I've seen yet (including I/O's or the Variant Brim 3 years ago), I can truly say that we are going to unleash some serious game changing, next level shit in the next few years. I am very proud of our engineers, product managers and of the company's commitment to the goods and sport. People get ready.

[Christmas]

Just got a Vantage this weekend and it's awesome. Very well-made, fit is great, and I can't think of anything I'd change with the design/style. My only (literally tiny) gripe is that the small leather-ish tab attached to the goggle-clip strap is already starting to disintegrate.

And for people having trouble finding audio kits in-stock for their Vantage, I picked up some $30 Giro Skullcandy TuneUps and they fit & work great in the Vantage with no mods. Haven't used it on the mountain yet, but the sound quality is surprisingly good.

[Slice]

One more thing, just to stoke the fires and the imagination. I saw the 2011/12 product today and more than anything I've seen yet (including I/O's or the Variant Brim 3 years ago), I can truly say that we are going to unleash some serious game changing, next level shit in the next few years. I am very proud of our engineers, product managers and of the company's commitment to the goods and sport. People get ready.

Anything along the lines of the Zeal Transcend?? I gotta believe you guys are working furiously on something like that.

[ready2tumble]

Does the Vantage fit more like the Variant or the Maze? Maze fits my tiny head snuggly but comfortably in a small, whereas the Vantage small pinches. The medium Vantage is a little baggy, but I can't find a small to try so am hesitant to go down a size. Like the vents, though.

[Ash]

I have one day in my new Vantage. Very comfortable and light weight. I did notice a little pressure on the back of my head after wearing it with goggles (Smith I/O) for a few hours. I have a big dome (size large) so I'm hoping the goggle strap will stretch a little bit and put less pressure against the back of the helmet.

[North]

Has anybody had trouble with the micro adjust mechanism on this helmet? I went to try one on this weekend and out of 10 Vantages they had on the floor I found 2 that worked smoothly. What's the deal?

[mikemcee]

My micro adjust basically doesn't work but that's been my only disappointment with the Vantage so far.

[Sinecure]

Got a Vantage. Been wearing Variant Brim for two seasons. Vantage has better venting and the tabs don't break off like on Variant (at least not so far). Plus vents stay open/closed better. The ear flaps on Vantage are built to handle headphones/speakers. I love that the brim is molded in - my Variant one kept trying to come off. Only thing they didn't really get right is the headlock adjustment on back. Still the same as Variant. I almost never use the earflaps. Without earflaps you have to remove the little velcro things off that adjustment strap, but it is still bare plastic on the back of your head. I don't really notice it, but it would be much nicer if it were softer rubber or rubber coated plastic or had something fuzzy on it.

Overall, Vantage is awesome. If twice the price of Variant, then I'm not sure which I'd choose. But if price is similar, or you won't feel the pain of the price of Vantage, best helmet I've had in 15 years of wearing helmets.

[Sessiøn]

Still loving the shit out of mine. I will echo what everyone has said about the micro adjuster. It's garbage. Smith should take a small que from bicycle helmet makers and put something a little more user friendly on there. That being said once I set it I havn't worried about having to adjust it.

[MJbumper1121]

I have had my VB for 3 yrs now and have absolutely no complaints other than it doesn't work great with the prodigy goggle. The phenoms work great with it.

[North]

Hmmm...bummer on the micro adjust thing. I don't think I'd need to set it more than once, but my issue is most of the Vantages I looked at were so locked up I wouldn't even be able to do that (i.e. couldn't open or close it AT ALL).

I'm still having a hard time understanding why Smith can't get a handle on tech that was introduced (and perfected) by bicycle helmet manufacturers 10 years ago. It seems like an awesome lid otherwise, but you'd think that a $200 lid would be dialed in every aspect of its design.

[PowTron]

3 days in my Vantage, and I love how light it feels and the venting.

I will echo that the adjustment SUCKS in the back, and also that with my I/O's it fits really tight on my face...BUT, there is no gap or wind that gets in at all. I think this will get better, as the goggles are brand new and should stretch a bit.

I really like the helmet, I just wish they would get the adjustment on the back fixed. I wonder if I will end up with a broken one on THIS helmet, like I did on my last two Variants. Oh well.