Health & Wellbeing

Hövding airbag for cyclists now available to buy

Hövding airbag for cyclists now available to buy
The Hövding is an airbag for cyclists which inflates in under 0.1 seconds to protect your head
The Hövding is an airbag for cyclists which inflates in under 0.1 seconds to protect your head
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The Hövding is an airbag for cyclists which inflates in under 0.1 seconds to protect your head
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The Hövding is an airbag for cyclists which inflates in under 0.1 seconds to protect your head
The Hövding comes with the inflatable collar and a fashionable outer shell designed to add some style to the functionality
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The Hövding comes with the inflatable collar and a fashionable outer shell designed to add some style to the functionality
The Hövding comes with the inflatable collar and a fashionable outer shell designed to add some style to the functionality
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The Hövding comes with the inflatable collar and a fashionable outer shell designed to add some style to the functionality
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We first covered the Hövding airbag collar in 2010 when it was originally shown off to the world by its inventors, industrial designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin. At the time it was available to pre-order but it has now officially gone on sale.

The Hövding is an airbag for cyclists, bringing the now-standard technology found in cars to those who prefer to travel on two, rather than four, wheels. Worn like a collar, it remains deflated until you're involved in an accident, at which time it will inflate in under 0.1 seconds to protect your head.

The Hövding comes with the inflatable collar and a fashionable outer shell designed to add some style to the functionality
The Hövding comes with the inflatable collar and a fashionable outer shell designed to add some style to the functionality

It works by inflating with helium when it detects the abnormal movement that is associated with cycling accidents. A black box recorder is also embedded within the airbag collar to record the 10 seconds of data captured just prior to, and during, an accident.

Each Hövding airbag collar costs €399 (US$540), meaning it's a pricey alternative to more conventional helmets. That price gets you the combination of the collar and a shell; the latter being designed to mask the collar in a fashionable outer layer. Extra shells are available for €59 ($80) apiece for those who want to customize the look of their Hövding to match their outfit.

The video below shows how the Hövding works, as well as brief examples of the rigorous safety testing that has been done to ensure this isn't a case of style over substance. This testing has, in fact, shown the Hövding to be better than conventional helmets when it comes to direct impact forces.

Source: Hövding Shop

Hövding- Airbag for cyclists

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12 comments
12 comments
Marilyn Harris
I'm not sure why they stopped before the moment of impact...?
Marilyn
StWils
This is a fairly trivial alternative solution to a far cheaper solution: Bike Helmets. However, the underlying technology is a great start at a body jacket for motorcycle riders and something similar for ultralight airplane pilots. The significant price of this makes a complete dead end for bicyclists but it may well be a reasonable choice for bikers and ultralight pilots.
Larry English
there is no WAY! i would not use this thing if they paid ME $540
wle
Satweavers
Yeah. It's not very compelling without showing impact.
Scottman
One has to wonder if they've done their market research given the price point they've chosen. At the prices shown it doesn't bode well for sales. While I love the idea, it's not feasible at the listed price for the vast majority of bike owners.
T N Args
What are you guys moaning about, $540 is CHEAP for a good bike helmet.
The market for a safety product that allows riders to ride bareheaded in good weather, ray bans and bandana, is huge.
Jayna Sheats
I don't understand the complaint about price, since it is hard to buy a bicycle other than a kid's toy for less than that, and the danger is only increasing with time due to the increase of traffic congestion and friction between car drivers and bike riders. While it's appearance is not perfect, it definitely beats the standard helmet for anyone who wants to ride a bike as a commuting or shopping transportation. And while formal test data would be desirable, it seems pretty likely that this will beat the conventional helmet hands down.
dalroth5
@Jayna Sheats:
The end of the article (now) links to here:
http://www.gizmag.com/hovding-airbag-tests/23099/
and you're right. :)
Aurora
This is a very good idea.
Iain Salmond
Where are these available ??? Bloody great idea !!
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