To wear or not to wear, that is (unfortunately) a question a lot of commuters ask themselves. We all know that a helmet is beneficial to safety but other things come into play when deciding to wear one. Those against wearing helmets argue that they are ‘cumbersome’, ‘sweaty’ and ‘uncomfortable’. That’s not even mentioning the ‘helmet hair’. Those arguing for wearing one would say all of that is worth it not to have a massive hole in your head.
As a commuter the helmet can prove annoying. You either have to pack an extra bag or carry it around with you. Neither of which are ideal. How can you save the environment, keep fit and still look professional?
Today we are discussing and delving into the world of foldable bicycle helmets. Can a collapsible bike helmet be both safe and compact? They have been around for about a decade but are still rarely seen. Often being made by small businesses rather than the big boys.
| Safety | Looks | Collapsibility | Weight | Ventilation | Price (AUD) | |
| Brooks | ++++ | +++ | 20% | 780g | ++ | $180 |
| Morpher | +++ | ++ | 55% | 430g | ++ | $150 |
| FEND | ++ | ++ | 60% | 580g | ++++ | $100 |
| 174Hudson | ++++ | ++++ | 40% | 330g | +++ | $140 |
| Park and Diamond | unknown | ++++ | into a water bottle | 445g | +++ | probably around $100 |
| Closca | ++++ | ++++ | 55% | 290g | +++ | $200 |
| Hedkayse | ++++ | +++ | 50% | 495g | +++ | $200 |
| EcoHelmet | unknown | + | 60+% | <300g | unknown | $5 |
| Cairbull | +++++ | + | 60+% | 440g | ++++ | $76 |
For any bike helmet to be worth the investment it needs to be safe, otherwise you might as well wear a beanie. They also need to be breathable and lightweight. These are all issues the collapsible world has to overcome whilst being able to make their designs sleek and compact. The first designs in 1997 were relatively compact and safe but they weren’t lightweight or sleek. This stopped them from hitting the big time market. Over the years designs have improved somewhat and are even being displayed in museums!
Bike helmet safety
Every bike helmet has to be approved by the CPSC for America and EN1078 for Europe. These certifications involve vigorous testing ensuring the helmet can withstand forces from certain angles and heights etc. If your helmet doesn’t have this mark on it, don’t bother with it!
Collapsibility
There are three main ways in which a bicycle helmet can collapse.
- In half down the middle (rare)
- Accordion-style
- Flatten top to bottom
Helmet designers need to think about the function of the helmet whilst making them attractive. No one is going to fork out the cash for an ugly, heavy helmet whether it goes completely flat or not! Some designers have expertly managed to incorporate the folding element alongside sufficient ventilation, naturally making the helmet more lightweight and sexy!
A good example of a fold-in-half-down-the-middle style helmet was the Morpher helmet but unfortunately these guys have had to stop their production. This was fairly unique in its design, most similar designs tend to follow the accordion-style approach.
The FEND helmet is an example of an accordion-style with excellent ventilation. Some have questioned the safety of it due to the large gaps but it is approved by the CPSC. Another bonus is that it comes in under $100 unlike a lot of collapsible bike helmets.
A helmet that flattens top to bottom and is highly rated is the 174Hudson. Made by the same people who make the Closca it has similar design features. It reduces by 40%, weighs around 330g and is safety certified. This design comes in a range of colours and also comes in under $100.
Attractive
Let’s be honest, bicycle helmets aren’t the first thing down the Paris fashion week catwalk. They come in all shapes and sizes these days, some with built in dinosaur spines and some that look like you could take them to the moon. This is often a sticking point with commuters. The most fashion forward collapsible helmet we have found is soon to be on the market. It’s from Park and Diamond. It looks like a baseball cap and is fully safety certified, washable and compact. It’s downside is that it is at the heavier end of the spectrum at 445g despite claiming to be lightweight.
The helmet that is already on the market and is turning design heads is the Closca. It won several design awards and folds down around 55% in one movement. It’s safety approved and weighs less than 290g.
The Brooks Carrera has been reviewed as being more fashionable than collapsible. It comes in various colour combinations and with a leather carrying strap for the hipster commuters amongst us. It only collapses by 20% and weighs a hefty 780g so maybe you could just get a higher spec normal helmet for the $170+ price tag?
Lightweight
With added functions often come added components. This then usually leads to more weight. The Motorika Snapit was created in 1997 and is believed to be the first safe collapsible helmet. This weighed over 500g. That’s a little bit much to be carrying around all day and is giving us a neck-ache just thinking about it. To put it into context the Limar Ultralight+, the lightest ‘normal’ helmet on the market, weighs only 175g!
The lightest foldable helmet we have found is soon to be in production. The EcoHelmet won the James Dyson award for design and is undergoing safety testing before being sold on the market. It folds up smaller than any other folding helmet, is a lot cheaper, a lot lighter and fully recyclable. Oh, and it’s made of paper! The Closca is the lightest currently available at 260-290g depending on size.
Longevity
If you’re a commuter investing in a helmet you want it to last. You don’t want it to survive one incident and then it’s done.
One brand who pride themselves on their helmets lifespan is the Hedkayse guys. This helmet is inoffensive looking and folds up accordion-style to almost 50%. They boast that the helmet still passes the EN1078 after 300 impacts. We could have put this helmet in the design section too as they come in all different designs, you can even get cow print! They are at the pricey end of the spectrum sitting between $300 and $500!
If that’s a bit out of your price bracket the look towards the Cairbull FIND. A great but chunky looking helmet passing UK, European and US safety testing. Despite its bold appearance it folds down 60% of its original width. One thing that makes this helmet stand above others is its resilience, it’s opening selling point is it’s ‘multi-impact’ nature which is mirrored in reviews.
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