This is probably as close as a beanie hat can come to providing some sort of impact protection. It'll obviously never challenge a proper helmet - and is not intended too - but given that some riders won't be persuaded to wear a hard hat until it's too late, this may be the next best thing. The story is a simple one...
Beanie specialists Ignite decided to line some of their snowboard-biased hats with d3o filled panels. d3o is a malleable yet impact-resistant wonder-material that's increasingly making a name for itself in body armour and shoes.
Its 'intelligent molecules' structure is soft and squidgy to a light touch but stiffens up (to the point of becoming bouncy) when subjected to sudden impacts. It costs more than twice as much as a normal Ignite beanie, but it probably offers a lot more than twice as much protection as a normal beanie.