Hövding: The "Invisible" Bike Helmet

Recently there have been articles circulating around the web with headlines along the lines of "Swedes Invent Invisible Bike Helmet." While the headline sounds like something out of a tabloid, the actual product, called the Hövding, is 100% real and is a truly impressive piece of cycling technology.

I looked over the Hövding website to get an idea of what exactly this "invisible helmet" was, and I've got to say, it's pretty cool. The Hövding is the result of an Industrial Design thesis project by two extraordinarily innovative Swedish cyclists, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, who honestly did set out to create an invisible bike helmet. As they put it, "if people say it's impossible, than we have to prove them wrong." Their website does a great job explaining the development process, but it's it's worth mentioning that Haupt and Alstin put in seven years of research in order to make sure that their helmet consistently activates in an accident, but not when you bend over to pick up your keys.

The Hövding fully inflated

So how does it work? Essentially, the Hövding is an airbag for cyclists that deploys in the event of an accident. It is worn as a collar around your neck, and turned on by a clip on the zipper-pull. It looks something like wearing a scarf around your neck - slightly bulky, not not bad looking by any means, and it won't cause helmet-hair. The outer, waterproof-fabric shell can even be changed to suit your style.The "helmet" is battery-powered, lasting for approximately 18 hours of cycling, and can be recharged via USB. In the event of an accident, it deploys in one-tenth of a second (0.1 seconds) and fully covers the wearer's head without restricting vision. It actually provides more coverage than a traditional bike helmet and "provides more than three times better shock absorption than any other helmet." (Hövding website). After watching the complete crash-test video, I must say that I'm convinced as to the Hövding's effectiveness as an alternative to traditional bike helmets. It inflates instantly once it detects a fall, and seems to be able to do so reliably and consistently. The level of protection it provides is impressive, as is the technology behind it. There is even a "black box" in the collar that records crash data, and the company requests that you ship it back to them in the event of an accident so they can collect and analyze the data.

The Hövding during normal cycling

That said, nothing is perfect, and even the Hövding has some shortcomings. First off, it's battery-powered, so there is the risk of the battery dying or not holding a charge after a couple years of use. Additionally, if the cyclist wears it but does not turn it on, it won't do any good. Also, while it may solve the issue of uncomfortable bike helmets and helmet-hair, it does seem rather bulky to me. Then again, I don't like scarves all that much, either. I imagine a second-generation model will aim to cut down on bulk, but I can't imagine wearing the current model on a hot summer day. Also, the Hövding is not cheap. It retails for €399 ($538 USD), which is very expensive compared to traditional bike helmets, but understandable given the technology involved. As the company grows, I would expect the price to drop somewhat. The final issue is simply that it is currently only available in Europe, so it will be a while before any of us in the USA can give it a try - something I'd love to do.

Overall, I'm truly impressed by the Hövding. Not only does it provide the first effective alternative to a traditional bike helmet, the company behind it seems to be focused on all the right things. Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin have created an innovative product and I do not see them stopping there. I really look forward to when the Hövding will be available in America, as well as whatever Haupt and Alstin create next. Helmets off to two ingenious bike safety pioneers.

So what do you think? Would you wear this as opposed to a traditional bike helmet?

Bonus Link:
Here is an excellent short film documenting the Hövding: http://vimeo.com/43038579

Note: Images used above are property of Hövding.