Giro’s Taggert helmet and Comp goggle offer sleek, advanced protection to make your happy places happier.
Founded in California in 1985, Giro serves skiers and riders of all stripes. The world has changed a lot in 40 years, but Giro has remained steadfast in its commitment to product innovation on a granular level, always serving the user and sweating every detail. We reap the benefits when we’re out in the winter elements—where these little details make our happy places happier.
Giro Taggert Helmet
With a clean aesthetic and lightweight but highly protective construction, the Giro Taggert is the choice for skiers and snowboarders who want a top-tier lid that doesn’t sacrifice style. Drawing from decades of safety and design features across Giro’s line, the Taggert is perfect for lapping the park or exploring every last acre of the resort.
The Taggert uses in-mold construction, fusing an ultra-durable polycarbonate outer shell with an EPS foam liner. This process makes the helmet lightweight yet strong, enhancing both comfort and protection without adding bulk. So the helmet is incredibly sleek but offers all the impact resistance you need. This is thanks in large part to Mips technology.
So what is it? Originally developed by a brain surgeon and a biomechanics scientist, Mips (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) is a low-friction layer designed to flex slightly in the event of an impact to help redirect rotational motion away from the head.
This layer mimics your brain’s default protective system, which allows the brain to move slightly inside the head during an impact. Mips is designed to work on the same basic principle. The low-friction layer works in tandem with the energy-absorbing layers (the “padding”) so that the head can move 10–15 mm inside the helmet on impact.
Knowing this system is there in case we need it is a big confidence booster.
We also like the helmet’s Passive Aggressive Venting System, featuring a discreet exterior vent design and interior channelling for optimal airflow and temperature regulation. Passive/auto venting means a more streamlined helmet that works anytime you need it, for riding, hiking or standing static.
The Taggart helmet is designed to be compatible with Giro goggles, offering an integrated fit to minimize gaps and ensure airflow. This compatibility reduces fogging and delivers a trouble-free fit whether the goggles are on your face or up on your helmet.
And thanks to the In Form 2 fit dial fit system and moisture-wicking liner (with Ionic+ pure natural silver on the surface of the fabric for antibacterial and anti-mildew properties), the Taggert is comfortable both with and without the user wearing a beanie or gaiter. For cold temps, the extra layer is recommended, though the liner offers plenty of warmth on its own.
We also like the ear pads, which are protective, warm but breathable, low-profile (they are recessed just inside the helmet’s outer shell) and don’t impede hearing.
Giro Comp Goggle
We like a goggle whose lenses you can swap on a chairlift while wearing gloves. And that’s just one reason to like the Giro Comp Goggle. With VIVID lens technology and optics by ZEISS, your on-slope vision has never been sharper, and the EXV+ (Expansion View Technology) frameless design delivers an uber-wide field of view. The EVAK vent technology and triple-layer face foam deliver plush comfort in all conditions.
But the magnetic SNAPSHOT lens system deserves special mention: It allows you to swap lenses on the fly (and on the chairlift) in seconds, without cold hands. (The bonus lens we demoed, the VIVID Infrared, is ideal for low light/night skiing. And it slides into the microfiber goggle bag for easy storage and access.) Starting at the right-hand end (if you’re wearing the goggle), gently pry the lens away from the frame, and it will release from the magnets.
And the lens? It’s a revelation. Seeing the world through VIVID helps you shred with more confidence.
How does it work? For starters, flat light is no friend to skiers or snowboarders. Clouds or haze can seriously compromise your ability to size up snowbound terrain with the naked eye. When you can’t make out your lines, your confidence diminishes. VIVID lens technology aims to kill flat light (by blocking the spectrum of light that creates flat light conditions) and deliver high-contrast vision so you can read terrain better and ride like a boss.
And the lens performs not just on cloudy days. It optimizes vision in all snow-affected light environments by allowing in the blue spectrum of light that improves contrast. The result is maximum contrast in all the details of your terrain (coupled with full UV protection). The lens also reduces glare like a champ so you can observe your surroundings with heightened precision.
VIVID imbues every day, no matter how cloudy, with bluebird levels of clarity and contrast.
