We thought that this great product for bike riders deserved a mention. Could this concept be developed for horse riders who hate wearing traditional helmets?
The Swedish company that make these inflatable helmets, Hövding started out in 2005 as a master’s thesis by the two founders Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin.
The idea of developing a new type of cycle helmet was in response to mandatory helmet use for children up to the age of 15 in Sweden. This then triggered a debate about whether cycle helmets should be mandatory for adults too and Anna and Terese saw an opportunity. They used their master’s thesis to develop a concept for a cycle helmet that people would be happy to wear – whether they had to or not.
The project resulted in the development of an airbag helmet, which won Innovationsbron’s Ideas Grant and kick-started the process of developing Hövding into a real product for bike riders.
The idea is to place the deflated Hövding collar around your neck. If you have a fall, the airbag inflates and covers a much larger area than a traditional cycle helmet, providing protection where it is needed most as well as providing soft and gentle shock absorption. The pressure remains constant for several seconds, making it able to withstand multiple head impacts during the same accident. After that the airbag slowly starts to deflate.
Here's how it works
What do you think – could it catch on with horse riders? After all, we’re used to inflatable vests – why not inflatable helmets?
