Invisible bike helmet, now available to buy

The Hövding — a wearable airbag for cyclists, packed away while riding and activated in the event of a crash — can now be ordered for EUR 399.

Helmets are enough of a hassle that some cyclists refuse to wear them, and encouraging them to do so is tricky. We’ve already seen Netherlands-based EGG make the devices more customizable in an effort to get kids wearing them, but now the team behind the Hövding — a wearable airbag for cyclists, packed away while riding and activated in the event of a crash — has just announced that the innovation is available to buy.

Created by Swedish design students Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin, the invention has been in the works since 2005, at which point it was just a concept for a master’s thesis. Rather than sitting on top of the head, the Hövding is worn around the neck, much like a scarf. Inside, it contains sensors that detect the movement of the collar. If it senses an accident has happened, the bag inside is filled with helium gas in 0.1 seconds and immediately wraps around the cyclist’s head to protect them from the impact. The Hövding actually protects more of the head than a typical helmet and is more convenient to wear. It also contains a black box that saves ten seconds’ worth of data recorded before the incident. The video below shows the Hövding in action:

Although the device was made available to pre-order around two years ago, when it was still in the testing stages, consumers can now get their hands on the Hövding by ordering it from the company’s web store. The helmet itself is priced at EUR 399, with multiple designs to choose from.

Spotted by Lori Webb and Murray Orange, written by Springwise