POC Obex BC MIPS vs Smith Vantage 2 MIPS: Which Ski Helmet Should You Buy?
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The short answer: For lift-served skiing the Smith Vantage 2 MIPS is the more comfortable, more adjustable helmet: 40 vents with two sliding regulators, a Boa 360 dial and a plush, warm liner. The POC Obex BC MIPS is the better pick if you tour, hike or ski sidecountry, because it is lighter, airier and carries a RECCO reflector and an NFC medical ID chip. Both cost about the same at list, roughly $295-300. Vantage 2 ~$295 list (often ~$220 on sale) | Obex BC ~$300 list (often ~$265)
Why People Compare These Two
These are the two helmets that keep turning up at the premium end of a ski shop wall, priced within a few dollars of each other and both wearing a MIPS sticker. That makes the question feel like a coin toss. It isn't. The Vantage 2 is a resort helmet built around comfort and ventilation control; the Obex BC is a lightweight all-rounder built around going uphill and being found if something goes wrong. Pick by where you ski and the choice makes itself.
One note on names. Searches for “POC Obex MIPS vs Smith Vantage” usually mean the regular POC Obex MIPS, the resort version. We review the Obex BC, the backcountry variant that adds a RECCO reflector, an NFC medical ID chip and reinforced shell panels. Fit, shape and ventilation are the same across the two Obex models, so almost everything below applies to both; where the plain Obex differs (it is a little lighter and cheaper, and has no rescue features), we say so.
Head to Head Specifications
Figures are approximate and drawn from the brand product pages at poc.com and smithoptics.com, plus retailer listings and independent reviews. Weights are the brands’ published numbers; reviewers have measured the Vantage 2 heavier than its claim.
| Spec | POC Obex BC MIPS | Smith Vantage 2 MIPS |
|---|---|---|
| List price (approx.) | ~$300, often ~$265 on sale | ~$295, often ~$220 on sale |
| Rotational protection | MIPS Evolve | MIPS |
| Impact structure | EPS liner | EPS plus full Koroyd coverage |
| Shell construction | Polycarbonate shell, ABS top section, aramid reinforcement panels | Three-piece hybrid shell (in-mold lower, hard-shell upper) |
| Ventilation | Adjustable vents, fewer and simpler than Smith’s, tuned for airflow on the climb | 40 vents metered by two sliding regulators (fully sealed to wide open) |
| Fit system | POC 360 degree adjustment dial | Boa 360 dial |
| Buckle | Standard snap buckle | Fidlock magnetic buckle |
| Rescue features | RECCO reflector, Twiceme NFC medical ID chip | None |
| Weight (claimed) | 500 g (XS-S), 530 g (M-L), 590 g (XL-XXL) | ~500 g (M); reviewers measured 580-635 g |
| Sizes | XS-S 51-54 cm, M-L 55-58 cm, XL-XXL 59-62 cm | S 51-55, M 55-59, L 59-63, XL 63-67 cm |
| Head shape | Rounder medium | Roomy, fits a wide range of shapes |
| Ear pads | Removable, thin | Removable, thick and warm, audio compatible |
| Certification | ASTM F2040, CE EN 1077 class B | ASTM F2040, CE EN 1077 |
| Best for | Touring, sidecountry, hot days, skiers who want rescue tech | Resort laps in any weather, goggle integration, all-day comfort |
Protection: MIPS Alone vs MIPS Plus Koroyd
Both helmets meet the same alpine standards and both use a MIPS slip liner to let the shell rotate a few millimetres in an angled hit. The difference is what sits under the shell. The Vantage 2 lines the whole helmet with Koroyd, the welded straw-like material that crushes progressively, on top of its EPS; independent lab testing has generally rated Smith’s Koroyd helmets well in direct and oblique impacts. POC relies on a conventional EPS liner but wraps the shell in aramid panels, which is about penetration resistance from rocks and ski edges rather than impact energy. Neither brand claims one approach is safer for lift-served skiing, and a helmet that fits is safer than either technology on paper.
Weight and Ventilation
On the scale the POC wins. Its M-L is published at 530 g and reviewers broadly confirm it, while the Vantage 2’s 500 g claim is for a medium and real-world measurements run 580 g and up because of the Koroyd and the dense liner. You feel that on a bootpack and over a long day. In airflow the story flips: the Obex BC breathes well and has an adjustable vent slider of its own, but it is a simpler system, whereas the Vantage 2’s two regulators let you seal 40 vents shut on a January chairlift and open them for the spring slush lap. If you ski cold lift-served days and hate a cold head, the Smith is the better tool. If you climb for your turns, the POC is.
Fit and Head Shape
POC shells run toward the round side of medium. Skiers with long, oval heads sometimes report temple pressure and a gap at the front and back of the Obex, and they usually end up happier in a Smith or Giro. The Vantage 2 is the more accommodating shape: reviewers describe it as roomy and voluminous, with enough slack for a thin beanie underneath, and the Boa 360 cradle gives fine micro-adjustment. One recurring complaint is the Boa dial pressing on a pronounced occipital bump, so try it on if you have one. Both brands advise sizing down when you land on a boundary, because a snug shell with the dial backed off beats a loose shell cinched to its limit.
Goggle Pairing
Smith designs its helmets and goggles together: the AirEvac channels in the Vantage 2 brim line up with Smith frames such as the 4D MAG and the budget Frontier, so there is no gap and less fogging. POC does the same with its own frames, and most large-frame goggles from other brands sit flush under the Obex brim too. If you already own goggles, bring them to the fitting; a gap between brim and frame is the most common reason people return either helmet.
Rescue Features and Who Actually Needs Them
The Obex BC’s RECCO reflector makes you detectable to organised rescue teams carrying a RECCO detector, and its Twiceme NFC chip stores medical information a rescuer can read with a phone. Inside a patrolled boundary those features rarely matter, and they add weight and cost. Once you duck a rope, skin a ridge or ski a sidecountry gate, they are a cheap insurance policy. The Vantage 2 has none of this, and if you want a Smith helmet with touring credentials the lighter Method Pro MIPS is the closer comparison.
Price and Value
At list the two are within $5 of each other, so value comes down to discounting and use. The Vantage 2 drops to around $220 at end-of-season sales, and the original Vantage MIPS it replaced is now a clearance item at steep discounts if you can find your size. The Obex BC rarely falls below about $265. For resort-only skiers the Smith is therefore the better buy as well as the better fit for the job; for anyone who tours, the POC’s extra $45 or so buys the features you will actually use.
Choose the Smith Vantage 2 MIPS if: you ski lift-served terrain in all weather, you want to control ventilation from sealed to wide open, you wear Smith goggles or have a longer or larger head, or you value a warm liner and a Fidlock buckle you can work with gloves on.
Choose the POC Obex BC MIPS if: you tour or ski sidecountry even occasionally, you want a lighter helmet that stays on during the climb, you ski spring or warm conditions, you have a rounder head that suits POC’s shape, or you want RECCO and a medical ID chip built in.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the regular POC Obex MIPS a better match for the Vantage 2 than the Obex BC?
For resort skiing, yes. The standard POC Obex MIPS keeps the same shape, dial and ventilation but drops the aramid panels, RECCO and NFC chip, so it is lighter and usually ~$50-70 cheaper. Against it, the Vantage 2 still wins on ventilation control and liner comfort, and the Obex still wins on weight.
Which is warmer, the Obex BC or the Vantage 2?
The Vantage 2. Its ear pads are thick, its liner is plush and the regulators can close every vent. The Obex BC is deliberately airy and reviewers suggest a thin beanie under it on cold lift-served days.
Which is lighter?
The POC Obex BC. POC publishes 530 g for the M-L; the Vantage 2 is claimed at about 500 g for a medium but independent measurements put it at 580-635 g depending on size.
Do both helmets work with goggles from other brands?
Yes. Each pairs best with its own brand’s goggles because the brim and vents are designed together, but large-frame goggles from Oakley, Giro and others generally fit both; check that the goggle vents clear the brim and that no gap opens at the forehead.
Read the Full Reviews
Full deep-dives on each helmet: POC Obex BC MIPS review · Smith Vantage 2 MIPS review. See all our picks in The Best Ski Helmets of 2026/27, and our other head to head, POC Obex BC vs Giro Ratio MIPS.