Giro Sport Design Jackson W MIPS Helmet

The Helmet

Giro built the Jackson W to be the helmet you forget you're wearing. It sits low on the head without looking bulky and stays out of the way of your goggles and whatever beanie you've got stuffed underneath. This is the women's version of a shell a lot of our own staff already run on their days off - same protection.

MIPS is built into the shell here, not tacked on as an afterthought. That layer shifts slightly on impact and cuts down the rotational force your brain takes in an angled fall - which is more common than a straight-on hit. Good thing to have and hope you never actually need.

What Sets It Apart

The venting is where this helmet earns its keep on a warm spring day or a hard-charging lap through the trees. Giro calls it passive-aggressive venting - open channels that pull air through without you doing a thing, and stack vent technology that pushes warm, damp air out the top before it fogs your goggles. Push through a bump run or a slushy afternoon and you'll notice it by the third lap, not the first.

Dial the fit in with the In Form 2 system - a rear dial with vertical tuning so you can adjust up and down, not just tighter or looser. That matters with gloves on. Nobody wants to fumble with a helmet strap at the bottom of a lift line when it's still in the teens out.

Inside, the ear pads pull off if you want less bulk, and the padding is Polartec, so it wicks sweat instead of holding onto it. On a cold Pennsylvania morning, that same padding holds a little warmth too - our early-lap regulars notice that one fast.

Fit & Sizing

We stock the Jackson W in Small and Medium only. No Large in this model, so it's built for smaller-to-average head sizes - if you run bigger, we'll point you to a different Giro shell that fits better. Head shape matters as much as the tape measure, so come by any of our three locations and put it on before you buy. A helmet that measures right on paper can still feel wrong at the temple or tight over the ears, and a dial fit only fixes so much of that.

Why Willis

We've been fitting Pittsburgh-area skiers and riders since 1970, and a helmet isn't something we'll ship you blind. Stop into our South Hills or North Hills shop, or swing by our store at Seven Springs, and we'll get the fit right and walk you through what MIPS actually does.