The Petzl Meteor Helmet started life as a lightweight climbing helmet but it is now much more than that. In response to demands from the adventure racing community the Meteor was tweaked slightly and the buckles changed so that it would also pass the EN requirements for whitewater sports and cycling as well as climbing.
Now there is no need to have 3 helmets for 3 sports, just use the Meteor III+.
As a cycle helmet, the Meteor is comfy and works really well. It’s not that vented so might be a bit warm on hot days but conversely it’s great in bad weather. Now it doesn’t look like a classic cycle helmet, so maybe not for your die hard tdF fans but thats a personal choice. It’s climbing heritage means that the Meteor has little clips to hold a headlamp in place, great for winter commuting.
As a canoe helmet I didn’t really notice any difference between the Meteor and any other dedicated watersports helmet I have used, so it seems to do the job just as well. There is no ear protection from the Meteor like there is from some water sports helmets, but there are also plenty of watersports helmets with no ear protection.
As a climbing helmet, the Meteor is brilliant. Really lightweight so there is no neck strain even on long routes. Great visibility all round plus comfort and good grip from the cradle. Easy to attach a headlamp for pre dawn starts. The only point to note is that for continuous small knocks a polycarbonate shell helmet will have more durability but about double the weight over the Meteor III+. For lightweight climbers and multi sports users it’s perfect.
