SMITH SNOW HELMETS F/W 2025/26 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Snow Helmets F/W 2025/26 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Smith
Interviewee: Kate Gaeir, Global PR Manager

Which products sold best in the winter 2023/24 and why?
Core bestselling models like the Vantage continue to be customer favorites, but new introductions like the Method helmet sold well in the season due to ts minimalist exterior and eight fixed vents that keep air flowing and goggles fog-free. In the 24/25 season we are seeing early success of a minimal retro inspired style with the Rodeo helmet that balances clean modern style with solid safety and comfort

Are you feeling the impact of climate challenges (unpredictable conditions, snow at higher altitudes, more expensive costs) on your product demand and development?
Certainly Smith, alongside our partners & retailers, feels the impact caused by unprecedented climate & economic conditions. We’re incredibly grateful for our three Product categories of Snow, Bike & Eyewear and the diversity they provide. While we can’t predict the future – we all can help to shape it & we’ve placed more focus than ever on long term, innovative & sustainable solutions that will allow Smith to continue to anticipate, imagine & adapt product solutions & collections to an ever-changing landscape.

What are the design and material highlights of your 2025/26 collection?
In 25/26 – we are proud to introduce the Vantage 2 as a long awaited update to the original hybrid construction snow helmet. In the new version, we’ve introduced an additional ABS shell as part of a tri-shell hybrid construction that combines two ABS shells at the crown of the helmet, with a lightweight PC shell in the lower portion. For the crown ABS shell, we used a combo ABS/PC blend, allowing us to bring the overall weight down without sacrificing protection.

What colours and designs are you featuring in your 2025/26 collection? Any standout collaborations?
Smith continues to offer foundational colors for carryover with our retailers, plus color refresh options to stay on trend season after season. For 202/25, the color pallete is divided among Foundationals (Red, Royal Navy, Slate, Black, White, Chalk, and Fatigue Green), Dynamic (brigths including yellow, orange, blues, and greens), Neutrals (muted pinks, purples, blues and greens), and Terrene (earth tones of tans, rusts, deep greens). For collaborations, Smith continues its longstanding partnership with non-profit High Fives Foundation with the Method Pro helmet and Squad MAG Goggle.

Which product do you expect to grow the most in your 2025/2026 collection?
TBD

How are you implementing sustainability in your products and production processes?
Smith’s continued efforts to do better for the environment, the Rodeo and Rodeo Jr helmets are constructed of 60% (by weight) recycled or upcycled materials under the Global Recycled Standard. In addition, Smith has discontinued the use of plastic waste across packaging of wintersports products. This includes the removal of polybags and internal plastic protectors across packaging. In addition, all retail boxes are produced from post-consumer recycled cardboard that are designed to easily fold flat for compact storage for reuse and/or disposal. The move signifies an incredible reduction in waste including 1.2 million polybags eliminated annually from helmet production. Smith also removed foam blocks and pads from its helmet boxes – used to protect the product during transportation – and re-engineered the box with an insert that adjusts at the corners to help cradle the helmet. The box is robustly designed to be shipped as is, reducing the need for a secondary shipping container.

What are your marketing stories for 2025/26?
Smith’s 60^th Anniversary kicks off in 2025, and throughout the year we’ll mark the occasion and celebrate a long rich heritage of innovation and commitment to snow sports through events, product launches, and retailer tie-ins. There will be a continued focus on storytelling with a the diverse roster of athletes and celebrating our products and technologies that enable everyone to get out there and do what they love on the mountain.

How are you supporting retailers to sell this category?
Staff training and retail support is incredibly important to SMITH. We rely on shop employees to effectively communicate our design features and technology benefits to customers, and utilize several programs – including ENDVR – to provide training tools and incentives for promoting SMITH within their locations. In addition, we’ve added signigicant resources to our trade marketing division to support retail displays, graphics, and point of purchase opporunties to continue driving the SMITH message in store.

Key Products:

New for 2025/26 are the Vantage 2, Descend & Descend Jr helmets.

The Vantage 2:
will also be a hero product for Smith, a long awaited update to the original hybrid construction snow helmet. In the new version, we’ve introduced an additional ABS shell as part of a tri-shell hybrid construction that combines two ABS shells at the crown of the helmet, with a lightweight PC shell in the lower portion. For the crown ABS shell, we used a combo ABS/PC blend, allowing us to bring the overall weight down without sacrificing protection.

Smith Vantage 2 Helmet

The Descend:
Continue the energy and growth across Alpine helmets, at an accessible price point full of technologies and protective measures.

Smith Descend Helmet

Descend Jr helmets:
Continue the energy and growth across Alpine helmets, at an accessible price point full of technologies and protective measures.

Smith Descend Jr Helmet