Black Diamond Half Dome Helmet

Pros: Comfortable, affordable & lightweight.
Cons: I haven't been able to come up with any yet.

I was in need of a caving helmet and the Black Diamond Half Dome fit the bill. The helmet was designed for climbing but we cavers have to take what we can get. I first tried the Petzl Ecrin Roc but the chip straps bothered my earlobes. The chin straps...

Pros: heavy duty helmet, relatively inexpensive, durable and safe. looks good
Cons: somewhat heavy, hot, uncomfortable chin strap

This is a nice helmet when it comes to heavy duty punishment. the plastic it made of gives you security that nothing is going to perforate your skull unless a meteor falls on you since it like wearing armor. the patch of dense styrafoam under the top...

Pros: Nice shell design. Available in three great colors.
Cons: Thick, non-adjustable, rigid foam liner. Low side vents.

If you're expecting a well-fitting, comfortable helmet then don't buy the Half Dome helmet by Black Diamond. I was shocked to find a thick, non-adjustable, rigid foam lining in the top. Unless you have a perfectly round head this will be very uncomfortable as it doesn't distribute evenly across the crown of the head leaving a few points where it presses firmly. I question the effectiveness of this helmet b/c the force of an impact will be focused on the points of contact rather than be distributed and when you have a rigid foam that doesn't "give", even a slight blow could be quite painful. Also, low side vents promote a lot of heat and perspiration buildup in the helmet. Before you think of purchasing this helmet i strongly recommend you try it on first. As an avid climber and caver I would recommend a different helmet.

Pros: bomber protection easy adjustment
Cons: chinstrap not the best

I agree that it's a little heavy, and the straps aren't the greatest, but it's easy to adjust if you need to put a toque on underneath it, and it's bomber.