Help! Removing Earpads from Smith Vantage Helmet? (2024)

Can anyone point me to a video or something visual, or just actual, useful instructions for removing the ****ing earpads from this helmet? This is what Smith told me:

"To remove the ear pads you pull the Boa fit out of the shell of the helmet from each temple side, then weave it out of the ear pads. They can then be removed by pulling them straight down. They will snap back in. "

This is not helpful. I have no idea how to "pull the Boa fit out of the shell." And the Boa thingy is circular and runs through the fabric, so I don't see how I can "weave it out."

I love everything else about this helmet, but FFS, how can it be this hard to liberate my sweaty ears for spring skiing?

Thanks for any help.

Well, hey, I managed to do it all by my Sally self! Here's what worked:

Pull the liner out of the helmet so you can see everything.

Step 1 (see image): Gently remove the loop of the boa wire from the plastic hook/tab thingy near the temple.

Step 2 (see image): Pull the boa wire toward the rear of the helmet, through the plastic tab that's just behind the ear.

Step 3: Repeat for the other side of the helmet

Step 4; Pull the now-free boa wire through the fabric of the whole earflap piece, which goes behind the head and connects both earpads..

Step 5. Set earflaps aside and thread the wires back through the "step 2" tab and over the temple hook. Voila! Free ears!

I hope this helps. I didn't curse nearly as much as I was prepared to.

Philpug said:

All it takes is a big jerk.

Click to expand...

Explains why I was able to figure it out so readily!

Thank you @SallyCat it worked! I wonder why it's needed at all if you can put the flaps back in without it, which I did.

It must have some kind of purpose?

And thanks @Philpug although jerking it out didn't solve the problem with the wire, it was important for me to know so I wasn't worried about pulling too hard, because you do need to pull hard.

Steve said:

Well of course the boa has a purpose (tightening the fit) so I wrote to Smith and asked them if it matters that I put it back toghether without threading the wires through the pads. We'll see what they say.

Click to expand...

After removing and inserting earpads a bunch of times the connection can get sloppy and not as secure (at least on the helmets I have) I assume having a wire through them would prevent accidentally loosing one.

Smith just confirmed that it doesn't really matter if the boa threads through the earpads.

So take 'em off and put 'em back on without the boa going through them and you have easy to remove and replace earpads.

Thanks @SallyCat