the 'world's safest' bike helmet is an airbag inside a collar

swedish brand hövding has released their third generation cycling helmet – a collar-like device containing an airbag that activates in the event of a crash. billed as the world’s safest bicycle helmet, the hövding 3 inflates in 0.1 seconds and forms around the head and neck like a protective hood.

images courtesy of hövding

the collar uses sensors that read the cyclist’s movement pattern 200 times per second and once it detects abnormal movement caused by an accident it inflates. this efficiently fixates the neck and protects the head from injury. according to scientific studies conducted at stanford university, the airbag technology is 8x safer than traditional bicycle helmets.

for the development of the third-gen model, hövding has included a newly upgraded battery lasts up to 12 hours. users can also connect the collar to their smartphone via bluetooth to access an ios and android compatible app.

the app includes additional features like battery notifications and the analysis of bicycle data so cyclists can see where accidents are occurring. the data is collected to petition for better infrastructure in those areas. there is also a function that allows users to contact people in the event of an emergency.

the hövding is easy to take on and off using a zipper fastening at the front. it comes in one size and can be adjusted to a suitable and comfortable fit using a BOA dial located on the back of the collar.

hövding 3 is currently available from the hövding website for £249 (approximately US$310). so far, over 185,000 bikers have begun using the product.

project info

company: hövding

model: hövding 3

price: £249 (approximately US$310)