Hovding is a protective collar designed for people that hate wearing helmets.
Equipped with an airbag that inflates on impact, this invention will help preserve the sense of freedom and not ruin your hairstyle.
Also check out: Laser Bike Lane and Bicycle Wheel Light
tine
the things that get invented for fashion’s sake <3
Oct 20th, 2010
Lau
I love it!!!!!
Oct 21st, 2010
Art of Concept
So great!
Oct 21st, 2010
Bill
So what happens when you lean over to pick up your bag too quick?
Oct 21st, 2010
Fillibert
you need a hard shell to spread the force of impact. Also a slippery surface on the helmet helps to slide on asphalt so it doesn’t snag and rip the airbag off your head. Good idea but not realistic in real life situations
Oct 21st, 2010
Yona
@Fillibert, euh.. have you seen the tests? it looked as if it can make quite a difference!
Oct 21st, 2010
Jessica
Oh, I want this. Very much so. I despite helmets; the straps always feel like they’re choking me.
Oct 21st, 2010
devilsways
i doubt if one single glas piece pokes through wat would happend
Oct 21st, 2010
NiSa ZuL
awesome!!! xoxo
Oct 21st, 2010
alex
Saw the inventors of this speaking about their producs, they are students at my university. Anywho they have tested it for over 6-10years (cant really remember) but the helmet will only “open up” when one falls with a bike, you can pick up stuff, run up stair cases etc with no problems it wont open up!
But its pretty expensive, running you about 3 000 Swedsh kroners. But what they wanted to bring out was an ALTERNATIVE to a helmet for those not wanting to wear a helmet. They did field studies, and its shows that most people dont use a helmet for the following reasons (generally speaking)
– you have to carry it around all the time
– peopple said that they dont think helmets match the outfit that they are wearing (while with the air bag you can change the exterior look/color)
– people dont want their hairs to get ruined
and that is what they were looking to solve…
Oct 21st, 2010
Mia Lazar
teaser looks good.
Oct 21st, 2010
nina
who rides their bike in a frilly little tutu?
Oct 21st, 2010
c'mon
BAHAHAHAHA… that is so stupid.
Oct 21st, 2010
Rose
Sure it inflates if you’re hit from behind, but what if you fall off your bike? Would it inflate after you’ve smashed your head in?
Oct 21st, 2010
Chad
I ride my bike for exercise, often when the temperature is over 80 degrees fahrenheit. It would look more ridiculous to wear that cumbersome scarf than a helmet in my opinion. This concept does have potential for some applications through further development (i.e. the military and overprotective moms).
Oct 21st, 2010
Toasty O's
I think I will just stick with my helmet.
Excellent concept, through, I can see the reasoning behind it.
Oct 21st, 2010
Rindane
The model actually hits his nose on the last test in the video
Oct 21st, 2010
FunkyHendrik
Haha, it makes me want to get hit by a car :-)
Oct 21st, 2010
Danny
Excellent!
So you hit the tarmac floor and then it inflates, great!
Oct 21st, 2010
Jaqi mugo
Brilliant
Oct 21st, 2010
Tenebre
“Hövding” translates to chief, but it’s also slang for joint / spliff.
Oct 21st, 2010
Karin L.
It’s a stsart in the right direction. What happens with a side collision?
Oct 21st, 2010
GiDEZEL
it probably does provide some protection, but it won’t replace a helmet.
better than nothing at all, but still not good enough.
Oct 21st, 2010
Catie Bird
If you don’t like wearing a helmet you probably wouldn’t like wearing an inflatable collar around your neck. Just Saying…..
Oct 21st, 2010
Reilly
Am I the only one that thinks this is stupid?
Oct 21st, 2010
Dee
What if you fall on something sharp or on a rougher surface?
Oct 21st, 2010
Matthew
lol so dumb
Oct 22nd, 2010
Matthew
if it isnt broke dont fix it! regular helmets work fine.
Oct 22nd, 2010
Doink
If someone put alot of effort into thinking how to make this work, then it’s definitely a good piece of equipment to have. Although i don’t see it used into downhill rides, i guess it is still good to ride your bike and enjoy the summer breeze and not the sweat from a cumbersome helmet.
Oct 22nd, 2010
Mad scientist jr.
how about somebody makes airbag that covers whole body? you did saw that first test where doll nearly crushed it arm? think about real situation…..
Oct 22nd, 2010
sauerkrautmaiden
this is actually pretty awesome… regular helmets do not protect the neck area at all… i would think it would be made with more durable material as you would assume you’d be hit on asphalt…
Oct 22nd, 2010
Avtodeti
This invention is very promising!
Oct 22nd, 2010
KIN
great idea, but i think they could improve it by giving more atention to face protection also… doesnt looks like that it does great work around the chin/nose area. But still a great idea.
Oct 22nd, 2010
Malc
Judging by the video, this probably gives you better protection than the vast majority of cycle helmets on the market. Whilst the price mentioned in an earlier post would probably make it this a non-starter commercially for the average cyclist, I could see potential for a system along similar lines for motorcycle racing or for cycle racing depending upon the weight of the device.
Oct 23rd, 2010
Pico
Funny idea…but,I don’t know if it is a suitable alternative to bind some kind of explosive device round my neck instead of just wear a lite helmet…
Oct 24th, 2010
Midet
Lol it’s like popcorn but for your face
Oct 26th, 2010
Tex
Another expensive product for the stupid and vain? We Americans have had one for years! Check this advanced, cutting edge technology out: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/airbag-helmet.html
Nov 5th, 2010
Rob
What about front impact? Your face will be sheared off, I think if you care about your head save your money and your life get a helmet. If people worry about image I don’t think they will wear this! (or ride a bike)
Nov 6th, 2010
John
a solution without a problem…
1- not for the good people :
There is much more skull injuries for car driver, not for biker (because of speed of cars…). Then, this protect have to be use by car driver before use by bikers.
(at the opposite of what most people think, because of different speed, car drivers died much more than bike riders…)
2- not the good protect for biker :
As see in the video… the strong hurt for the biker is in his back, not in his head…
(you can die or become tetraplegic or paraplegic with hurt in your back)
In bicycle, you hurt your hands, arms and legs more often then your head…
3- the ONLY protection for riders, in car-bike accident :
The limitation of car speed :
at 30km/h (20mph), 90% riders and walkers survive,
at 45km/h, 50% riders and walkers survive,
at 70km/h and more, NO riders and NO walkers survive !
http://antivoitures.free.fr/choc_pieton.jpg
A really good think to save lifeS :
Learn those speeds and consequences in driving license lesson and use this question in exam…
And, if you are a city responsable, make information of those killing speed, and reduce the speed in town (30km/h i.e. 20mph)
Conclusion :
A product imagine by non-rider…
Nov 7th, 2010
jay tee
a neat idea, but it addressing the core problem would be far more fun… after all, if the driver of the cars would pay more attention to the road instead of their cell, radio, etc, these conversations wouldn’t be necessary… Us poor dopes who actually prefer cycling everyday to owning a car are at the mercy of people who put more effort into retrieving the prize from their cereal box than getting their drivers licenses….
Apr 11th, 2011
Nic
love it but will i still have a fine for not wearing a helmet ?
in my city you can rent a bike anywhere to go anywhere very nice but you have to carry a helmet with you all the time just in case you decide to go for a ride ! non sense. so I thought about a helmet that you wear when you ride but deflate when you dont. I think with the right material and air pressure it would be faisible.
anyway keep the good work.
Nov 12th, 2011
Michael
Can this be used as ski helmet?
May 2nd, 2012
Megan
You should design a whole body protector that blows up when a motorcyclist is about to fall off their bike?
Jun 27th, 2014
Swiper Fox
“Equipped with an airbag that inflates on impact…”
Uhm… what if there are sharp objects to pierce the airbag upon impact?… or what if the mechanism failed to deploy the airbag?
Jul 1st, 2015
Jennifer Camperud
You all need to market this to hospitals for people that have seizures. I just saw a picture of a lady that had a seizure and had to have ten staples in her head. People that have seizures could really use something like this!
Jul 22nd, 2015