Is Cardboard the Future of Bicycle Helmets?

the next trick will be making vents that will work. but, if i can get a lower-profile helmet for my giant head that is lighter, i’ll be buying two or three.

As fully described in Cycling Active April 2011 issue, published March 24

It’s an really interesting concept– although I had a similar idea about ten years ago and an engineer explained why I was full of baloney– but the testing is irrelevant.

Until it’s tested on the full required-by-law ANSI or EU protocols, all strength claims are worthless. Heck, I can make a helmet out of steel that’s a lot “stronger” than any existing model, but you wouldn’t want to wear it in a crash. The ANSI protocol is easy enough to set up, and the EU is much easier to pass.

Interesting idea. The cardboard is a lot softer than the foam, so it deforms more. However, I see a few potential problems

1) Not omnidirectional. Performance will depend greatly on the angle it’s hit at
2) Probably not very stiff. It’d be easy to damage in regular use, or just by throwing it into a bag.
3) Fit. In order to get a roc-lock type fit, as on bell helmets, you’d have to put a lot os stress on areas that couldn’t take it. Also, notice how the giro in the video heald the head securly, but on the cardboard helmet the head rebounded all the way out of the helmet
4) Difficult not to rip or deform the cardboard at attachment points
5) Ugly

I could see these being $20 helmets for kids or if you forgot yours, but I just don’t see them holding up. Also, similar results could be achieved by having an inner, softer layer in conventional helmets, or by adding soft, deformable ribs on the outside protected by a hard but thin plastic shell. If they get crushed, the helmet still isn’t ruined.

Interesting. It shows that it absorbed more impact too, since it didn’t bounce as high. Put a shell on it to better distribute forces and deflect and it’d do better. Looks a little bulky, but since it’s being styled as a skate lid and not a road helmet, that’s alright. Should make for a really light helmet. I wonder what kind of interior it’ll have, an interior with just padding or maybe a suspension fit system (like kevlar helmets).

I’ve heard of foam helmets helping kids survive having their heads run over. I doubt this would do that though, so I still see foam helmets still taking bulk market share. Would be interesting if this becomes appealing enough in terms of price, style, and usefulness to take market share.

I can see it already. This may produce a wave of helmets made of all sort of renewable organic/renewable materials, such as recycled bottles, old fabrics woven into some linen, or whatever. Would be like how Styrofoam is being replaced by other materials in packaging nowadays.

Genius! I smell a conspiracy to kill off the hipsters. Unsafe helmet that only hipsters will buy, when it fails… who will care! I envision the Guiness guys going BRILLIANT right about now.

Last time I checked, my whole body is attached to my head.

cardboard is softer, so it makes sense that it would cusion a light load better. put full bodyweight behind it and it will blow through its ‘travel’ and youre hitting your head directly on the concrete

@gillies bell helmets and giro are the same… Bell Sports owns Giro, the Giro branded helmets are bell helmets with different names and themes… You pay more for the giro logo. If you compare both brands line up you will see the same helmets. It’s like Dodge and Chrysler – same vehicles different trim and price.
Check this out
Giro Xar msrp 130$ vs Bell influx —- same helmet, different color, and a few vestigial cosmetic changes
http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/cycling-helmets/xar.html
vs
http://www.bellsports.com/cycling/helmets/dirt/cross-country/influx

@ chipollini. untrue. the bell helmets are rounder and the giro helmets are more oblong I sell both and I have seen first hand how the “same model” in the same size fits differently. they are the same company but the helmets fit different head shapes for instance asians usually prefer the bells In my experience due to their shape.

it is also true that bell extends to a lower price point and giro, a higher price…. they are similar to diamond back and raleigh some bikes are very similar but each bike fits its own entity. an each range is different.

Cardboard….not waterproof.