Extreme Skiiing With a Backbeat

The Outdoor Tech’s Chips Bluetooth headphones snap into your helmet, making it simple to hear tunes on the hill.

We love to sound track our shredding. But listening to music on the mountain isn’t always simple: tucking ear buds beneath a ski helmet is uncomfortable, as is switching tracks via cord-mounted controls. That’s why we’ve been wearing the Outdoor Technology Chips. The Oreo-sized Bluetooth headphones slip into the liner of your helmet and pair with your phone; controls on the back of each allow you to tap to play music, take calls, or skip tracks even when you’re wearing fat mittens. Sound-wise, they’re punchy and clean enough to recreate the throbbing pulse of Monster Magnet and Black Skulls, while the battery lets you play tunes for about eight hours per charge. The Chips are compatible with the liners of most helmets, including models from most manufacturers including Bern, Giro, and Smith; Outdoor Technology is releasing a line of other accessories, including over-ear headphones and beanies, into which the chips can fit. We’ll likely stick to our daily-wear headphones; but on the mountain, these are some of the best. [$130; outdoortechnology.com]