If you enjoy skiing on a snowy mountain on a beautiful day, then there is nothing better than skiing while listening to your favorite music. One of the most essential pieces of equipment you need for skiing is a well fitting helmet.
However if you want to be able to listen to music on the mountains, you will need a helmet that has headphone compatibility. In this article, we will go through the 7 best ski helmet headphones for you to be able to ski and listen to music on the mountains at the same time.
These outdoor tech chip headphones can be worn by anyone. With a very minimal design, which is still comfortable to wear, no one will be able to see that you are weaning these headphones.
Outdoor Tech’s headphones come with a simple two button control system. You can pause your music, change the song and answer phone calls from these headphones.
While keeping your helmet and gloves on, thus keeping you warm and protected but still enjoying your music.
These headphones are known for providing crisp and clear audio that work in extremely cold temperatures. Music is streamed through any smart device that has Bluetooth.
These wireless headphones have a charge life of 10 hours, so it gives you plenty of time to ski up and down your mountain, while listening to your favorite songs.
The Outdoor Tech Chips 2.0 Bluetooth Helmet Headphones are a reliable headphone choice, where you can listen to music easily but they also allow you to keep in contact with your friends and team.
Pros
Good Quality - These headphones provide crisp audio for anyone using them, but while talking with these headphones the person on the other end can understand you clearly.
Good Battery - These headphones have a battery life of 10 hours, which gives you plenty of time to do all the mountain skiing that you desire.
Glove Proof - To use these headphones, you don’t need to remove your gloves or helmet. You can push the buttons through your helmet, to change the song or adjust the volume. While also being able to answer calls too.
Cons
Bluetooth Connectivity - Some customers have reported that the Bluetooth connectivity isn’t very reliable and has been known to keep cutting out for some users.
The Outdoor Tech Chips Ultra Wireless Audio is the ultimate hands free headphone. These headphones are like the Apple AirPods for skiers. They have voice control such as Siri, who can change the song you are listening to or answer the phone instantly.
With these headphones, you will no longer need to take your gloves off to change the song or adjust the audio. Also these headphones have a 12 to 16 hour battery life depending on the volume level that you choose to play your music at.
These are a step up from the Outdoor Tech 2.0 chips that are mentioned above. Although this step up, does mean that the price goes up.
These headphones are definitely on the higher end of the market, however you are paying for great audio quality and a strong Bluetooth connection.
Alongside that these headphones are water resistant, so know that these headphones are durable and won’t let you down in any weather conditions, or be affected by sweat.
These Ultra Chips will allow you to listen to your music on the mountains all day, with no issues and with a 2 hour charge time, you don’t have to worry about charging these headphones overnight.
Pros
Sound Quality - Customers have claimed that these headphones have super sound quality, that is crisp and clear to listen to.
Long Battery Life - The minimum battery life of these headphones is up to 12 hours, which means you don’t have to worry about these headphones running out of juice half way down the mountain.
Glove Friendly - These are completely hand free headphones, as they are voice controlled. You no longer need to worry about getting your hands cold to answer the phone, or change the song.
Cons
Sound cuts out - Some customers have claimed that they have had issues with the sound cutting out and connectivity being lost sometimes.
Price - These headphones are on the higher end of the market, so they might not be ideal for someone on a budget.
The Outdoor Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 Helmet Drop-in Headphones are compatible with most audio ready skiing helmet brands. These headphones are said to be easy to use, due its three glove friendly buttons.
These buttons allow you to adjust the volume, change the song, while also being able to answer phone calls. These headphones also have voice control like Siri through its built-in microphone.
The Outdoor Wireless 5.0 Headphones will keep you listening to your favorite music for up to 10 hours. These headphones will provide you with clear audio at an affordable price, compared to other headphones on this list.
Pros
Easy Pairing - These headphones pair very easily to your smart device and connectivity is strong.
Big Buttons - The buttons on these headphones are quite big, so they are easy to use through your helmet with your gloves on.
Voice Control - These headphones have the option of voice control like Siri, which can make these headphones hands free.
Affordable Price - Compared to other headphones on this list, these headphones come in at a more reasonable price.
Cons
Thick Design - A lot of customers have reported that these headphones feel quite thick under their helmet, with some having to loosen their chin strip to make them more comfortable to wear.
Sound Quality - These headphones still provide clear audio, however there may be other headphones that provide a better quality of sound.
The IASUS Drop-in Helmet Headphones are great for skiing, snowboarding and motorcycle helmets. These headphones aren’t wireless, so they will need to be plugged into a device for them to work.
Your phone controls the headphones, so if you want to change the volume or song or answer a call, you will need to get your phone out.
However, on the bright side you don’t need to charge these headphones as they run off your phone battery. Thus you just need to make sure that your phone has enough battery.
These are comfortable headphones to wear. You just need to slip these headphones inside your ear pads and put your phone somewhere safe, in a pocket.
These headphones offer great audio quality and considering these are on the lower end of the market, you can’t complain about having a cord to use them. While also being thinner too, so you won’t even notice them in your helmet.
However if you aren’t convinced, these headphones do come with a 30 day money back guarantee and a 1 year warranty, in case anything goes wrong with them.
Pros
Sound Quality - These headphones provide you with excellent crisp and clear audio quality.
Unnoticeable - These headphones have a small and slim design, so you won’t notice the speakers in your helmet. Thus you can focus on skiing and enjoying your music.
Warranty - These headphones come with a 1 year warranty and a 30 day money back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with the quality.
Cons
Wires - These aren’t wireless headphones so you will have to have your phone connected to them.
Not glove friendly - These headphones are connected to your phone and that is how you use them to change the song or volume or to answer calls. Thus you will have to take your gloves off to be able to do all of these things on your phone.
The Alta Wireless Bluetooth Drop in Helmet Headphones are easy to use and give you a hands free experience. These headphones just simply pop into your helmet and you are ready to start listening.
The Alta Wireless Headphones are compatible with most audio ready helmets on the market.
These headphones were designed by skiers in Utah. Therefore, you can guarantee that these headphones have been designed to be exactly what you want for listening to your music while skiing on the mountains.
The Alta headphones will provide you with clear audio, so nothing will interfere with your music listening experience. With three glove friendly buttons to manage your music and to take calls, these are some of the easiest headphones for a skier to use.
Pros
Can be used in all weather conditions - These headphones have been tested and work in all weather conditions. They work in temperatures up to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Long Battery Life - These wireless headphones have a 10 hour battery life, which can last you all day skiing on the mountains.
Durable - Built with high quality materials, this product will last you years and work in perfect condition.
Hands Free - This product does come with three buttons which are glove friendly and can be used through the helmet. Yet these headphones also have voice control too, which can make these headphones completely hands free.
Cons
Bulky - Some customers have claimed that these headphones can be a bit bulky on your ears. Although some have said after some adjustments they felt more comfortable to wear.
Sound Quality - These headphones do provide clear audio, however some customers believe that the audio could be crisper compared to other headphones.
The BE Headwear Bluetooth Headset are another set of wireless headphones. They can be easily slotted into your headphones. They come with helmet hook and loop mounts for easy installation.
They also come with a USB charger, which will give you a battery life of up to 9 hours before you will need to charge these headphones.
Customers have raved about the sound quality of these headphones. These headphones do come with three buttons to control them with. However they are quite small and difficult to use when you have your gloves on.
These are very durable headphones that will last you for years and they come with a lifetime guarantee. Which is something not many headphones come with. These headphones also come with voice control to make them even easier to use.
Pros
Durable - These headphones are made from durable materials, which means these headphones will last you longer and with great quality.
Long battery life - The BE Headwear Bluetooth Headset has a battery life of up to 9 hours.
Clear Audio - Customers really love the audio quality of this headset and even say that the volume is very impressive.
Cons
Small Buttons - The design of this headset comes with three small buttons to change the song or volume. However the buttons are extremely small and fiddly so you have to stop what you are doing and take your gloves off to use them.
The Bern Outdoor Tech Drop-in Wireless Audio Chips just touch your ears and you can clearly hear your music. This product will come with a USB charger and carry case for ease when travelling.
With these headphones you can make calls with this product and with a two button control system; these headphones are extremely easy to use.
They can be charged in 2 and a half hours and will give you up to 10 hours of battery life, so you can listen to your music all day uninterrupted.
The Bern Outdoor Audio Chips have a very simple design which will blend in seamlessly with your helmet. They are also sweat resistant and have a cold weather resistance, so you know they will continue to work in all conditions.
Pros
Can withstand cold temperatures - The Bern Outdoor Audio Chips can withstand extremely cold temperatures while you are high up in the mountains.
Long battery life - This product will give you up to 10 hours of music listening time.
Glove Friendly - These headphones have two buttons that control the headphones, these are easy to use and can be used with your gloves on.
Cons
Wire is thin - Some customers have claimed that the wire contacting the chips together can damage quite easily. It is thin so you won’t feel it but can damage quite easily after some wear and tear.
Buyers Guide
When it comes to buying headphones to use while skiing, there are a few things you need to consider. Many helmets will already be compatible with most of the headphones that we have mentioned above.
As many helmet headphones have been designed to fit in the ear pad. When it comes to buying a helmet and you know that you will want headphones, you need to make sure that there is somewhere to put the headphones.
Most helmets will be able to accommodate this but it is always worth checking, otherwise you will buy headphones with nowhere to put them.
Wired Or Wireless Headphones?
A lot of the headphones we have mentioned above are wireless, yet we did include one wired headphone. The most advanced headphones will use Bluetooth so you can have wireless headphones.
This way you don’t have to be tied down to your phone. Which gives you a bit more freedom and you don’t have to worry about where you should put your phone, so it is comfortable to ski with.
Wireless headphones can come with buttons on them, which means you don’t need to get your phone out to change the song or volume of your music.
These buttons are also quite big on most headsets, this means you can easily use them through the helmet and you don’t need to remove anything to adjust for listening experience. However some buttons can be quite small and a little fiddly to use.
Wired headphones are controlled through your phone, so you will need to get it out to adjust anything like the volume or change the song. Also by doing this, you will have to take your gloves off which is annoying for many skiers to keep doing.
Wireless headphones may seem like the better option but some users have found that wireless headphones are quite bulky to wear because much more technology needs to be stored compared to wired headphones.
Wireless headphones use more advanced technology, so that also means that the price goes up. Compared to wired headphones which are a little thinner than wireless and come in at a more reasonable and affordable price.
The choice is really up to you, which one you prefer. However it does depend on which one feels the most comfortable to wear. Otherwise you won’t enjoy skiing in the mountains, if your headphones are comfortable and easy to use.
Size
Size is a really important thing when it comes to choosing what type of headphones you want to buy. You want something that is quite small and can easily fit into your ear pads. The larger the headphones you choose, the chance for these headphones causing discomfort.
If the headphones are too large, then they will press up against your head while skiing and will be uncomfortable to use for very long.
You should test your headphones before you decide to go up the mountains, to make sure that they fit. While also checking that they are comfortable to wear, because it could be a long time before you come back from the mountain.
Control Features
As mentioned above, some wireless headphones come with simple buttons to control them. These buttons are quite large and very accessible even with your gloves and helmet on.
Aslo wireless headphones just rely on Bluetooth so while you're on the mountain you won't have to worry about getting your phone out at any point of the day.
Some headphones are also voice activated and have a walkie talkie feature where you can talk to your team on the mountain. All of the headphones mentioned above have most of these features which help make your skiing experience easier than ever before.
Wired headphones also offer these features too, except you do have to use your phone to control them, but they have walkie talkie features too.
Volume
We all enjoy listening to our favorite songs at full volume and enjoying the moment. However you must still be safe on skiing the mountains. Make sure that your headphones aren’t too loud so that you can’t hear other people skiing.
You need to be sensible with your headphone volume, because you need to stay safe and keep others safe too. Being loud could distract you and possibly end up harming yourself or someone else, which no one wants to happen.
Conclusion
Enjoying your music on the mountains is an easy thing to do, you just need to find the perfect headphones for you. Wired headphones are becoming more the norm and actually skiers are finding that they offer better sound quality.
There are a lot of things to consider with headphones for skiing, but the main thing is make sure that they are comfortable to wear, otherwise there is no point in having them if they aren't comfortable.
All the headphones on the list have great sound quality and come with features that makes listening to music on the mountains even easier than before. It is up to you which one you want to choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Dangerous To Wear Headphones While Skiing?
No. Wearing and using headphones while skiing is safe. However you need to make sure that your music isn’t too loud and that it distracts you as you need to still be aware of everything and everyone around you.
Can I Just Use My Normal Headphones Or Do I Have To Buy Specific Skiing Headphones?
You can use your normal headphones that you use everyday, that you put into your ears. However after a while on the mountains they begin to hurt your ears, due to the earphones and your helmet pressing against your ears.
It is advised to use skiing headphones as they have been designed with the purpose of being used inside your helmet, so they won’t hurt you or cause discomfort.
Hi, my name is James Apfel and I have been a keen skier since I was five years old. My parents used to take me on the slopes with them since I could walk, holding my hands as I glided along the snow on one ski.
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