New Designs in Bicycle Helmets
Summary: Here are some unusual helmet designs we are aware of. Some of them are promising, but some will never get
to market. You may find some we have not seen yet as Kickstarter or Indiegogo projects.
HEXR
Not so new any more, but the Hexr helmet introduced the bicycle world into the concept of 3d printed
helmets. With a slick scanner-based fitting system based on the iPhone scanner they are producing custom-fitted helmets
at a high but not astronomical price. The process uses castor oil for printing. Unfortunately for US riders, the helmet
is only certified to the European standard, and can't be sold in the US. We have more on our
helmets for the current season page, including the US-made KAV that meets the US CPSC standard and is for sale in the US market.
Kranium cardboard liner
The helmet below was once in the Abus line, the only helmet on the market with a
cardboard layer in the liner. This helmet had a unique liner that combines one layer of conventional EPS expanded
polystyrene and one layer of cardboard honeycomb. We have
a page up on the Kranium technology
with more photos of this helmet. Retail in the UK was £80. The cardboard layer of the liner can be made from recycled
materials and would be considered sustainable, but the EPS layer is no more recyclable than other EPS helmets. Abus says
the helmet was very difficult to assemble. We hope to see Kranium bring a cardboard design to market.
Airium
Airium is a new brand that planned to enter the US market in 2017. This Canadian company already has a hockey
helmet made with a unique air-filled bladder as the liner. There is a special valve that lets a small amount of air
expand a membrane into a cylindrical chamber when an impact starts. When the impact exceeds 30g the membrane contacts a
sharp dart at the end of the chamber and the liner deflates through holes at the end at a controlled rate. We don't find
them on the web now. The helmet becomes loose, signaling the wearer to replace the liner. Airium says the helmet will reduce both linear and rotational acceleration
forces better than standard liners. We don't know when a bicycle version will be marketed.
Spitfire Industry is developing a new helmet known as the
Eco made of recyclable paper in a radial honeycomb pattern. The Eco will fold flat and be very inexpensive to produce. They are intended to be readily available
for shared bike system users. A media reports said it was not yet certified to CPSC as of August 2016, and the testing
shown on the company's video does not even approximate the CPSC lab test protocol. EcoHelmet planned to launch early in
2017, but we have lost track of them.
Headkayse is a UK startup developing a new helmet said to be
capable of multi-impact protection. It will be flexible and foldable. There is a
Daily Mail article with videos explaining, and
an Indiegogo site.
Cyclevision with cameras front and rear
Australia's Cyclevision helmet has integrated HD front and rear facing
cameras. It is a dated road design with unfortunate upswept points in the rear. We don't find their website online any
more.
Hövding (Chieftain) Airbag
The Hövding airbag was on the
European market for years, but the company folded in 2023. We have
a page
up on it with details.
A note for inventors:
We are glad to hear from inventors with new ideas for improving bicycle helmets. But we do
not have the engineering, patent or management skills to make a meaningful contribution to move a product along to the
consumer. We have
a page up explaining that.