If you knew how excited I was when Ski-Doo announced the Pyra helmet in the spring of 2022, especially when I saw the yellow color variant! Now imagine my delight when Ski-Doo agreed to send me a copy to try out! That’s exactly what I’m presenting to you today.
The Ski-Doo Pyra helmet is interesting for many reasons, but I think I’ll start with the price. At an MSRP of $225 at the time of writing, if the helmet is as good as Ski-Doo promises, it’s quite a deal!
An affordable helmet, but no less safe
Ski-Doo puts a lot of emphasis on safety with the Pyra helmet. In fact, it has both DOT and ECE 2206 certifications. We often neglect to wear a good helmet, especially when we are on a tight budget. I think it’s great that Ski-Doo offers a helmet with these certifications for such an affordable price.
I’m probably biased: but WOW!
The look is absolutely amazing! Whether it’s the yellow variant or any other, it’s extremely well done. At about 1300g, it is also very comfortable to handle and of course, to wear. The strap feels oversized, which makes it very easy to attach and detach, even with thin gloves.
The build quality seems very good as well. It seems like the fact that the helmet is so light gives a false impression that it is “cheap”, but it is not; I have nothing to say about the build quality.
As an aside, if you choose one of the colored variants of the Pyra (it also comes in matte black), it’s pretty messy! I hope this doesn’t surprise you, but it’s always good to keep in mind. On the other hand, a good wipe down and the helmet looks like new!
The visor that doesn’t inspires my trust
Unlike most full-face headsets on the market, this one is adjustable by hand, and without tools. The haptic feedback is not at all pleasant and I think it could work better if the effort required for the adjustment would be greater. There were several times when I had to readjust the paddle while putting on or taking off my glasses. I finally resigned myself and got the paddle where it wanted to be.
To remove the visor, you have to pull to release the kind of snaps and it’s not very pleasant. It’s clearly not meant to be done regularly, so be warned if you travel a lot and need to pack your helmet in a suitcase.
The Ventilation System
One aspect that really impresses me about the Pyra helmet is its ventilation system. Hatches in the mouth and forehead provide ideal ventilation, especially when doing more demanding maneuvers. Speaking of which, this is the first helmet that I don’t feel the need to rip off my head when I have to run to shoot the skates of a caught friend (same thing if I’m the caught friend!). I simply remove the glasses to prevent them from fogging up and the air intake is excellent.
On warm days, it is even possible to remove the deflector. Being fairly chilly in general, I don’t think I’ll need to remove it, but I can at least take it off to clean it.
One thing I would have appreciated for cold days is to have hatched at the mouth. The air intakes are relatively aggressive and being able to close them when, say, trail riding could be especially helpful. That said, the baffle and a good hood that covers the mouth solve a lot of the problem. This comment only applies to very cold days and/or when it is very windy.
The Edge XL goggles
I had the chance to pair the Edge XL with my Pyra helmet test. Admittedly, these are the glasses to get if you want to complete the Pyra look. Note that the glasses are also available in a standard (non-XL) version. The version I chose has the advantage of better sealing the face opening at the helmet, which I personally prefer.
One aspect I expected better from the XL glasses is the peripheral vision. I would have appreciated seeing a few more degrees instead of “foam” when my eyes are turned to either side.
In my entire winter, I think I had only one episode where the scope tended to want to boil. As soon as I got back on my way, the fog disappeared immediately. I think that in order to have a completely bulletproof system, Ski-Doo would have to develop a breath deflector to keep the hot air from getting into the glasses.
The Fit
The fit is really excellent. My only problem is when you put the goggles on. As the helmet’s deflector rises quite high at the level of the mouth, you have to “twist” the goggle so that it does not catch on this deflector. On the other hand, once that is made, nothing to say!
Conclusion
To conclude, the Pyra helmet is excellent, especially with its very aggressive price. It is safe, looks great and does the job very well. It was the talk of the town all winter long! My favorite aspect is without any hesitation its ventilation system which makes off-road riding much more pleasant.
As for the Edge XL goggles, they are the perfect complement to the Pyra helmet. They sit perfectly on the helmet to protect the face and allow us to enjoy our snowmobile rides!
I would like to thank Ski-Doo for allowing me to try these items this season!
