Since publishing this article BikeRadar has since received a test sample of the Hedkayse helmet.
It's universally understood that helmets are a single use product: if you're unfortunate enough to whack your head the helmet does its job and sacrifices itself in the process.
But do things have to be this way? Apparently not. Step in the Hedkayse, a product that claims to be the world's first repeat impact protection helmet, meaning it can be reused after one or even multiple impacts.
Straying from the expanded polysterene foam construction of nearly all cycle helmets available today, the Hedkayse is instead produced from a material developed and refined by the people behind the lid.
They call it Enkayse. This soft, elastic material is claimed to have the same high speed damping performance as that of EPS, yet unlike polystyrene it doesn't become permanently deformed following an impact. Instead the elasticity of Enkayse supposedly allows it to absorb impacts without permanent damage, and its tough outer layer is said to be both tear-proof and resistant to penetration from sharp objects.
Here you have an urban helmet that shrugs off impacts that would render other hard hats useless, but how does it perform? Well, a pre-production version of the Hedkayse has already exceeded the requirements of the European cycle helmet standard (EN1078), with the company having its sights set on approval in accordance to all world safety standards from production units.
The springy nature of the Hedkayse means you'll no longer have to be careful moving it about too, so dropping your helmet needn't be expensive, regrettable experience. The softness of Enkayse also works in its favour for other, less significant impacts too – a whack from a tree branch at walking pace for example, would should be damped better than with a regular lid. This is demonstrated quite comically in the video below.
If that doesn't sound too good to be true then try this: the Hedkayse is also billed as being a true one-size fits all product. Yep, thanks to a patented adjustment system the Hedkayse supposedly fits just as well to a child's head as it does to a full grown adult. The design also means the Headkayse will pack down into a smaller version of itself, flattening down to just 5cm wide and reducing its overall volume by 50 percent – which should in theory make it a great travel companion.
It's still early days for this helmet, but a strong initial backing on crowdfunding website Indiegogo suggests that we may well be talking about this one again in the near future.
What do you think? Would you trust a reusable lid? Let us know in the comments box below
