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The Petzl Meteor didn’t win the UK Outdoor Industry Award for Best Climbing Product for nothing. The new 2019 Meteor is a great improvement on an iconic climbing helmet.
We reviewed the last, updated model of the Petzl Meteor helmet in 2014. I’ve loved every one of them and even prefer them to the Sirroco helmets. Although the updated Sirroco that Richie reviewed in 2017 looks very similar and for me the 70g difference is compensated by the full polycarbonate shell and the lower price tag.
The 2019 updates have been well thought out and are not just cosmetic and even include a CE Ski Touring certification so no need to buy and carry a full ski helmet for that once a year ski tour. It is, however, only certified for Ski Touring so it isn’t suitable for Alpine Skiing.
The Petzl Meteor now conforms to the Petzl Top and Side Protection label which means the design and construction offers optimal protection against side, rear, front and top impacts. You have to remember that most head injuries come from impacts against the rock when a climber falls. Injuries from rock fall onto the top of the head are less common. The enhanced ridge at the top of the helmet though means that the Meteor should keep you safe from small rock showers and more often when your partner brings half an icefall down hacking away to find a good pick placement. The top of the Meteor is a great improvement on the previous versions of the helmet, it looks good too!
There’s plenty of padding at the forehead and crown and replacements are provided for when you need to wash or replace them. The cradle is easy to adjust with your thumbs, it’s still a little fiddly with gloves on but there’s a good range of adjustment and if you buy the correct size you’ll be able to wear it with a hat or hood on. I would advise that you spend some time getting the helmet to fit properly ay home as you will need to adjust the cradle so that it rests under the rear of your skull and that your ears sit in the middle of the side V’s. The magnetic chin strap buckle is still the same as the previous model and it worked well then so why fix it I say. So there has been little change on what id already an excellent design and if you are upgrading from the Meteor 4 then you won’t really notice any real change in adjusting the fit to suit you.
Venting is always an issue with helmets and is the main reason why many people choose not to wear one (as well as the bulk). The new Meteor has had some improved vent slots added. The back has been especially improved with a large vent slot, even better than the Sirocco, although the styling is very similar and it wouldn’t surprise me if the vent hole appeared in any future updates to the Sirocco. The Meteor is probably as vented as it can be for now – but maybe tech will improve and the vents could get larger. We’ll wait with interest.
The Petzl Meteor 2019 has been updated in that the rear headtorch clips have been replaced with an elasticated clamp that not only means it’s super easy to get a headtorch on the helmet (even with gloves on, which I’ve never been able to do), but you can secure a pair of goggles to the helmet; which means at least you can have both secure when you are enjoying your epic night time descent in a Cairngorm blizzard.
Finally, the super light Petzl Meteor comes with spare head and crown bands and a neat, branded bag to help keep the helmet in tip top shape. It’s sleek and stylish design means there really is no excuse at all to not wear a lid, come on you know it makes sense.
The Petzl Meteor comes in three colours: gray, red/orange and violet and two sizes; S/M and M/L.
The SRP is £75 and it is available from specialist retailers.
Disclaimer – CGR reviewers are never paid to provide a review and the website does not take advertising or link to affiliate sales. We are a bunch of keen climbers and travellers that accept sample products and offer an honest and independent review of the item. The reviewer will often keep the sample after reviewing it for both hygiene and safety reasons and more often it’s in no fit state to return!
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