Unit 1 has released what could very well be the ultimate helmet for urban cycle commuters. Integrated into its sleek veneer is a host of LEDs at the rear that serve to inform traffic of the rider’s intentions. Braking? The Faro has automatic lights for that. Turning left or right? Use the handlebar-mounted remote to send moving arrows across the back of the helmet, clearly indicating the direction you’re about to turn. This helmet is packed to the brim with cool safety features… here’s more.
Unit 1 Faro Helmet
In addition to its strip of white LEDs out front, and red LEDs on the rear, the Unit 1 Faro Smart Helmet packs a further 40 LEDs at the rear, the behavior and color of which is customizable through the Faro App. An accelerometer inside the shell detects when the rider is slowing down triggering the LEDs to light up indicating to traffic that you’re braking.
It seems you can tune that too; you can have them flash quickly to be more attention-grabbing than to just simply stay on continuously through the braking. That accelerometer serves another purpose; that of a crash detector. If it senses the helmet come to a very sudden stop, it communicates with the Faro App on your smartphone to alert your chosen emergency contacts of a fall.
The handlebar-mounted remote is an optional add-on. Simple left and right buttons allow you to indicate at junctions to let traffic at the rear and side know that you’re making a turn – without taking your hands off the grips. The lights for that can be customized too; choose flashing arrows that move in the direction you’re turning, or opt for a block of lights to flash on either side, a bit more like the indicators on cars.
MIPS is another optional add-on. This is a separate liner that sits inside the EPS liner that allows the helmet to rotate 10-15mm in any direction upon impact independently to the wearer’s head, reducing energy transferred to the rider. It’s a common helmet safety technology used widely on performance road and mountain bike helmets and is said to make any helmet around 10% safer.
Pricing & Availability
The Unit 1 Faro Smart Helmet is available to pre-order direct from Unit 1 now, with a pre-order discount of 10% bringing the price down to £139.99. Add MIPS and a handlebar-mounted remote for an extra £26.47 each. The next batch is due to ship in late November.
