OK, maybe this isn’t you. Perhaps you’re a leave it on all the time kind of climber (we know you’re out there and we love you). But tell us, when was the last time you went bouldering? And are we right to guess that you didn’t wear a helmet? This despite the simple fact that you’re 100% guaranteed to take several ground falls per session—because EVERY fall is a ground fall when bouldering. But climbers hardly ever wear helmets during this endeavor.

So, what’s the deal? How do we decide when and where to don our helmets? Will helmets become more ubiquitous in all styles of climbing as time goes by or as technology improves? And will we look back on these days like a modern cyclist, gawking at Tour De France riders a mere 30 years ago bombing descents in the Alps wearing a strangely atavistic cotton cap?

In this Gear Myths, we open the lid (pun intended) on the topic of helmets, reaching out to the best climbers and product designers we know to learn more about their helmet-wearing decision making, and what the future holds for the good ol’ brain bucket.

In traditional fashion, a climbing helmet was worn when the objective was dangerous. So, who better to hear from first than the queen of scary trad climbing, Hazel Findlay. As the founder of Strong Mind—a coaching/community platform for building mental fortitude while climbing—Hazel’s insight into the world of dealing with risk is paramount. And for her, it’s all about assessing the situation.

According to Kolin (KP) Powick, who has been involved in the development, engineering and testing of products at Black Diamond for over 20 years, we’re only going to see more climbers like Connor wearing helmets in the future.

“Just like when I was a kid it was rare to see someone at a ski hill wearing a ski helmet, but now almost everyone is wearing a helmet while skiing … it’s the same with climbing,” he explains. “I’m definitely seeing more and more climbers wearing helmets at the single pitch trad and sport cliffs, and I’ve even seen it a few times at the gym!”

KP explains that the main factors for the increase in helmet adoption are improvements in technology—lighter, better breathability, and lower profile—but also cultural, societal, and educational.

“Just as above where it’s more common now for people to wear helmets at the ski hill—safety, protection, more knowledge about brain injuries, etc. … the times just change and that’s the same thing that’s happening in climbing,” he says.  

 And echoing Hazel, KP adds:

“It’s getting to the point that there is no reason to NOT wear a helmet while climbing.”