Edelrid Zodiac 3R Review
German company Edelrid have a strong brand identity based on innovative design and sustainability. The Zodiac 3R helmet reflects both of these aspects of the brand, as the first climbing helmet on the market to be made largely from recycled materials. The helmet has a polyamide outer shell, made from recycled ropes sourced from the company's own rope factory. The EPS foam inner is also 100% recycled. Given helmets are de rigeur these days, it is fantastic that climbers now have the option of making a helmet purchase with a greener footprint.
The sustainability story alone doesn't make for a good climbing helmet. Thankfully, like most modern climbing helmets on the market, the Zodiac 3R is lightweight and comfortable enough that once you put it on and start climbing you basically forget it is there. The helmet meets the EN 12492 standard and is UIAA approved, so it is as safe for climbing as other helmets. In fact, if the thickness of the foam above your head is anything to go by, I'd guess the Zodiac offers better than average protection from an object falling from above.
The Zodiac 3R also features everything you'd expect from a modern helmet, security for a head torch to be fitted, a harness and latch system that is simple to operate and adjustable to fit a wide range of head shapes and hair styles, and large vents to keep your head cool.
All the modern helmets I've tried (Black Diamond Vapour, Petzl Meteor, Edelrid Zodiac) are comfortable and light enough for these factors not to be an obstacle to using them. My original Black Diamond Half Dome wasn't comfortable or particularly light, and climbing helmets have come a long way in the last two decades.
There are marginally lighter options than the Zodiac, but I don't consider the weight difference significant enough to be a factor. If it is a factor for you, it may drive you to choose otherwise.
Comfort is also an individual thing, and despite the adjustability usually on offer, different heads and hairstyles are going to work with different helmets slightly better. For my head shape and lack of hairstyle, the Petzl Meteor offers an ever so slightly more secure fit. This doesn't make a difference comfort-wise, but when I move my head around while climbing it moves on my head a bit less than the Zodiac. For me, the Zodiac feels like it has a slightly higher centre of gravity and is more prone to moving around on my head. This is just a fit thing, I can adjust the Zodiac's straps to make it feel more secure, but for me it sacrifices a bit of comfort around the jaw as a result. With the slightly less secure setup, it is still secure enough on my head, I just notice this when moving between the two helmets. For other people, this may not be the case at all and I recommend trying on a few different helmet options to see which fits your head best. I prefer the more angular styling of the Zodiac to the rounded shape of the Petzl helmets, but as I don't have to look at myself when wearing a helmet, I tend to prefer whichever one I think about least when wearing it.
The Zodiac 3R only comes in one size and colour (black, presumably because the recycling doesn't allow other colours) and so if you have strong colour preferences (respect), or a particularly large or small head, you may be better served elsewhere.
These minor points aside, the Zodiac 3R is an excellent helmet and one that is easy to recommend to climbers, especially if you want to support sustainable manufacturing processes.
-Tom Hoyle