Did you find wearing a helmet a bit annoying, especially when you going back from your hairdresser? In that case, here is the final solution for your problem. A pair of Swedish designers have got just the invisible helmet for you – Hövding (Swedish for “Chieftain”). Besides its main function, to protect your head, Hövding gives you a charm during cycling, due to its shape and design. Helmet is worn around the neck and it is actually a collar for bicyclists.
Functioning more like an airbag than a traditional helmet, which can only be seen in case of accident. The airbag is shaped like a hood, surrounding and protecting the bicyclist’s head. The trigger mechanism is controlled by sensors which pick up the abnormal movements of a bicyclist in an accident. Hövding also includes a “black box” that records the 10 seconds of data about a cyclist’s movements before and during a crash. The creators ask users to send them the box after accidents, so they can continue to refine and improve the helmet.
On their website, designers, Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin said they first began mulling the idea when Sweden passed a law requiring everyone 15 years old or younger to wear a helmet when cycling. That struck them as a fashion disaster, so they’ve decided to take action.
“Bicycling is something we do every day and there’s a sense of freedom that goes with it. Although people are well aware of the risks on the roads, the vast majority are choosing to bicycle without a helmet. When it comes down to it, people do really want to protect their heads in road accidents, but there are limits. It isn’t the bicyclists who need to change, it’s the product.”
The collar is now available with either of two “shells” – one black and the other a multi-colored paisley design. When converted from Swedish kroner, Hövding will cost you about $600.
