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“World’s thinnest bicycle helmet” handles repeat impacts, folds into your hip pack

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More people than ever seem to be seeking out ‘micromobility’ solutions, whether that’s a bike share or scooter. But what about the helmet? Most riders don’t seem to carry a helmet with them, so they end up riding without. But what if a helmet was easier to carry, and took up less space in your bag so you always had it at the ready? That’s where the Newton-Rider comes in.

World’s thinnest bicycle helmet Newton-Rider

World’s thinnest bicycle helmet Newton-Rider

While certainly not the first slim or folding helmet that we’ve seen, the Newton-Rider makes the claim of the “world’s thinnest bicycle helmet,” measuring 16mm thick. Claiming that the average helmet measures somewhere around 30-35mm, the Newton-Rider keeps it thin with the use of visco-elastic and non-newtonian materials.

The use of these materials means that the helmet supposedly passes EN 1078 and CPSC safety standards while also being a multi-impact helmet. We say supposedly, because Netwon-Rider states that “we have made numerous tests on certified equipment to get to the 16mm of thickness. Because of the experience in the team with detailed knowledge in polymers and design we have achieved something not yet seen in bicycle helmet construction. We know it does comply to EN 1078 and CPSC, however authorities only assign the certification officially once mass produced.” That seems to indicate that it’s not actually certified yet, which means if you back their indiegogo campaign, it’s for a helmet that will most likely be certified once it’s produced.

World’s thinnest bicycle helmet Newton-Rider

In between the flexible impact panels, there is a flexible elastic liner which allows the helmet to conform to any head shape. Those separation lines also allow the helmet to be folded into a relatively flat form to fit into your bag.

The flexible design seems to be used to create a one-size-fits-some helmet, with the sizing listed at 57-60cm. Compared to something like a Giro Caden MIPS with a size range of 55.5-59cm for a Medium, the Newton-Rider has a slightly smaller range of fit of 3cm.

Non-Newtonian materials are usually fairly dense, which makes sense given that this helmet’s claimed weight is 450-460g. That’s not crazy heavy, but it’s also not light for a helmet that is claiming to be the thinnest.

World’s thinnest bicycle helmet Newton-Rider

The other question mark is the seeming lack of ventilation. It’s possible that the liner between the protective pads will be highly breathable, but even so it seems like this helmet will not run as cool as the competitors.

Offered starting today through an indiegogo campaign, the Newton-Rider starts at about $81 and the first helmets have an estimated ship date of February 2021.

indiegogo.com

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Miclaroc
Miclaroc
4 years ago

Call me when it’s ventilated

Joenomad
Joenomad
4 years ago

Wasn’t much of an actual demo. Let’s see a nice slide out, or endo and a good noggin bump to the ground. That would be a demo video.

Murdock
Murdock
4 years ago

couldn’t they just have formed it with holes or slots?

Tom
Tom
4 years ago
Reply to  Murdock

not sure that would work – non newtonian materials may rely upon material/support immediately adjacent to strike to provide the necessary deceleration. Putting a hole in it would allow the edge to collapse, thus no protection at the edge.

Craig
Craig
4 years ago

could they not get a human to read that ad?

Interstellar Mind
Interstellar Mind
4 years ago
Reply to  Craig

Seriously. If they can’t even get a human to narrate the thing, how are they going to get a human to ride with it on??

Pete
Pete
4 years ago

A pound on the head is better than a head pounding.

CH
CH
4 years ago

I am extremely skeptical this could pass CPSC. I don’t want to get into the weeds of helmet regulations and testing but some of the design aspects are just not conducive to passing certification.

I potentially see it passing EN1078 and handling some aspects of the CPSC testing if their materiel is a step forward in impact attenuation and does not change properties with temperature. However, their claims just seem way too good to be true. Like most helmets like this that flood crowdsource websites promising the world.

David Lewis
David Lewis
4 years ago

Rather similar to the HeadKayse helmet at https://www.hedkayse.com. That’s also foldable, multi-impact, and has passed EN1078. Personally, I’m intrigued but would want to wait until they’ve been out in the real world and the folks at Virginia Tech have gotten their hands on them. Beta-testing helmets doesn’t seem like a good life choice to me.

ted
ted
4 years ago

If some of the pad edges were thinner and overlapped (armadillo/pillbug) with other pads then it could allow some needed airflow although it may become thicker.

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