This Inflatable Bike Helmet Just Might Change The Way You Ride
“It all started with a simple question: ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could have a helmet that could fold down like a piece of origami and fit in your pocket?’”
Some forms in design seem set in stone, like the cycling helmet, and they can be a hassle to transport. British design firm Ventete aims to solve that problem with an innovative new inflatable bike helmet.
The company saw a solution to a problem: The ease (or rather, lack thereof) of transporting or a bike helmet, especially for riders who tend to hop on micromobility solutions at a moment’s notice — and thus, without a helmet. The new Ventete aH-1 Helmet collapses by about 90 percent, and inflates in under 30 seconds, ultimately ending up about the same size as a laptop when not inflated. A turn of genius? Perhaps.
The Swiss-made helmet does all this as the result of a pneumatic structural system (patented, of course) and comes with a tire-compatible electric pump that weighs less than 200 grams. It recharges via USB-C, and compresses in a similar fashion to an accordion (a very stylish, sleek accordion). It does all this while featuring a high-tenacity, triple-laminated nylon structure that should prove highly durable and yet lightweight.
A Presta valve integrates seamlessly within the design of the helmet, which also features a customized fit, thanks to its collapsible retention system. The idea became something entirely its own, said co-founder Colin Herperger. “It all started with a simple question: ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could have a helmet that could fold down like a piece of origami and fit in your pocket?’”
10 years of development led to the innovative micro-helmet, which retails for about $456 online at Ventete. The company hopes it’s solving a problem that’s sprang to life since initial research began, Herperger added. “Within Ventete, we have a fundamental interest in where culture is moving to and what events trigger such movement,” he said.
“Intriguingly, we couldn’t have fully anticipated the societal shifts in transportation when we set out to design this helmet ten years ago,” he added, nodding to a massive rise in E-bikes, scooters and spontaneous hop-on, hop-off bike systems. Freedom of movement, as the company says, hopefully now becomes a little more accessible without a traditional bike helmet weighing down riders, instead now equipped with a streamlined helmet that defies convention in size, shape and design.
