If you're tired of sucking on smog every time you venture out on your motorcycle, this new helmet from a Spanish startup might be the remedy. Zyon's modular lid features a proper air filter built into the chin guard to trap airborne pollutants and fumes when you ride.
The Madrid-based company has been prototyping this helmet since 2022, along with a patented four-layer filter. The first layer tackles water, bugs, and large particles, the second captures fine particles, dust, and allergens, the third is made from activated carbon to absorb harmful gases, and the last is a fabric called Spunbond which protects the carbon layer.
You can regulate the airflow and ventilation by switching between three modes with a single button. A mobile app lets you know about the air quality around you, and alerts you when it's time to replace the filter (generally between 1-3 months, depending on your usage). It also receives a signal when your helmet detects a fall, and automatically alerts emergency services and selected contacts.
Since it's modular, the helmet's chin guard can flip up into open face mode when you want to enjoy the rush of the wind in your face. There's also a retractable sun visor, and a movement-sensing, braking-activated rear light.
You'll need to charge the helmet over USB-C for those smart features to work, and it will run for 18 hours on a full battery. Zyon says the helmet is made from a lightweight fiber shell, is ECE 22.06 P/J certified for safety, and features the established Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) to protect your head from rotational impact.
Since Zyon first revealed the helmet last year, the company says it's racked up more than 4,000 pre-orders of its US$935 kit. That includes the lid in your choice of five colors and six sizes, 12 filters to keep you going for at least a year, a cleaning kit, and a helmet bag.
It's worth noting this isn't the first helmet with a HEPA filter: the Puros from Indian startup Shellios debuted in 2022 with a similar selling point, and is available for as little as $56 locally. That's a lot cheaper, but it's also only certified under India's less-stringent safety standards.
Zyon is still accepting pre-orders, and intends to deliver an initial batch before the year is out. Given its high asking price, it's going up against popular premium options like the Shoei Neotec 3 and the Schuberth E2 series. Those won't filter the air for you, but they sure as hell will protect your noggin in the event of a crash. I'd wait for some reviews before I snap one of these up.
To above, can a get the filtering for half the price?
I'd think one would also need a neck skirt to keep air from coming in under the helmet. That would get very warm.
I don't see this being all that effective without either having a seriously good chin skirt or having a fan to keep positive air pressure. I did think it was a near idea until you started talking about app connectivity and other features I think are just more annoying than anything else to have in a helmet. I wouldn't mind having a fan that I need to recharge occasionally, but having to connect my helmet to my phone so that my helmet can tell the app to let me know that it thinks I've been involved in a fall? If I've wrecked, I already know about it. If I've wrecked hard enough, it's not even my problem anymore.