I don’t know about you, but one reason I don’t opt to ride my bike or electric scooter more often is because I have to wear a helmet. The impact on my hair is noticeable. Perhaps you are lucky enough to have hair that bounces back into shape immediately after removing the helmet, but I know we are not all so blessed. This is why I am excited about new head safety products that do not press down firmly on the head. For readers of Gizmag or Harvard Business School case studies, you may have heard of Hövding, the Swedish firm that invented the airbag for cyclists. See link to a video on how it looks and works. It sits on your neck like a collar. An internal sensor detects when you are in an accident (the firm studied thousands of bicycle accidents) and triggers the bag’s helium gas inflator.

Hövding’s airbagThe product is currently not available in the U.S. but is becoming more prevalent across bike and sports stores throughout Europe. I did purchase one and am awaiting a shipment from a relative in Europe. Once it does reach U.S. shores it will be interesting to see whether this product becomes accepted. The cost is not cheap at 299 Euros ($338 dollars) and most Americans do not seem to mind wearing a helmet (at least compared to Europeans). The firm will have to sell the public on the safety of its product – it is supposed to be three times safer than a regular hard case helmet.

Would you replace your helmet with a Hovding airbag?