Helmets

Helmets could soon offer better protection while also being more comfortable, thanks to a new padding material developed by HRL Laboratories. It's claimed to be better than foam at withstanding impacts, while also keeping heads cooler and drier.

​According to research conducted by Canadian materials engineering technologist Albert Beyer, about 68 percent of hockey, skiing and snowboarding-related concussions are caused by impacts to the back of the head. With that in mind, Beyer created The Goose Egg.

This unique British contraption can take a pounding better than pretty much any other helmet on the market, and come back for more, again and again. It's also flexible enough to squash into a more compact shape for transport, making it a real oddity worth a closer look.

​If cycling helmets weren't so bulky to carry around, it's entirely possible that more people would actually use the things. That's why British cyclists Josh Cohen and Dom Cotton invented the Cyclo, which features a unique "flipclip" design.

We're seeing more bike helmet makers move away from foam in favor of higher-tech materials that provide better head-protection. The big boys have now gotten in on the act, as Trek has announced its WaveCel helmets – they're said to be 48 times more effective than foam, at preventing concussions.

​After 10 years on the market, AGV has updated its flagship convertible adventure lid - the AX-8 - with a new AX-9 that takes things to the next level in comfort, touring capability and high-speed aerodynamics. We've spent a couple of weeks with our heads in one.

​It was three years ago that we first heard about Orbi Prime sunglasses, which use four integrated cameras to record 360-degree interactive video. Orbi has now unveiled a more robust version of the glasses, but perhaps more interestingly, it's also built the technology into a football helmet.

​Whether you call them beanies, tuques or simply wool hats, a lot of downhill skiers wear the things instead of helmets, as they're so much more comfortable. Well, that's why the ANTI Ordinary A1 was created. It's usually soft and pliable, but hardens to protect the head upon impact.

​It was back in 2012 that we first heard about the ICEdot Crash Sensor, a bicycle helmet-mounted device that detected when the rider had crashed. ICEdot was acquired last year by Specialized, and a new-and-improved version of the technology is now featured in Spec's ANGi line of helmets.

With a full carbon shell, twin 1080p cameras front and rear, Bluetooth audio, active noise cancelling, Alexa-powered voice control and a proper drop-down HUD screen, this Taiwanese smart helmet seems to tick a ton of boxes for an early bird Kickstarter pledge of US$899.

Back in 2016 we first heard about the Bluetooth-equipped Coros Linx bike helmet, which streams audio from the user's smartphone to bone conduction transducers in the head straps. Well, Coros is now trying something different and reportedly better, with its SafeSound line.​

​Although many motorcycle helmets do have vents that help air to flow through, it goes without saying that the slower the speed of the bike, the weaker that flow. Momodesign is offering a solution to that problem, in the form of a helmet with a built-in fan that comes on when the bike slows down.