Have you ever thought about putting your bike helmet in your pocket? Inflabi is changing the game with an inflatable helmet for urban cyclists, which is reportedly four times safer than a regular foam bike helmet.
Small footprint, big idea
Inflabi built its bike helmet using a special welded fabric that allows it to shrink to a quarter of its inflated size. No longer a bulky "head saver", but an agile safety accessory that can easily fit into a pocket or backpack.
Announced atEurobike 2023, Inflabi has planned to launch the pre-sale of the helmet starting next August, with a price that will be around 150 euros.
Bike helmet: safety first
How does Inflabi work? Traditional EPS foam helmets rely on compressing or rupturing the foam to dissipate force in a crash. Inflabi takes inspiration from an airbag: instead of relying on foam, it disperses force through the compression of its air chambers.
According to the company, this makes it (depending on the type and severity of the impact) up to four times safer than traditional bike helmets.
And that's not all: the Inflabi helmet, made of abrasion-resistant fabrics, is designed to be reusable even after an impact, subject to checking its condition. A bit like an inflatable mattress, or a tyre: robust and capable of withstanding significantly higher pressures.
Inflabi bike helmet: only the design needs to be reviewed at least
For now, the helmet inflates via a standard pump through a Schrader valve. However, the company is working to redesign the valve system before moving into production. It will likely be scaled and include a pressure gauge or indicator to confirm correct inflation.
Last gem: the technology behind the helmet has been patented, and tests of a new prototype are already underway. The company expects it to comfortably exceed European safety standards for helmets bicycles.
Inflabi hopes to start a pre-sale of 300 initial helmets, with shipments starting in November. The inflatable bike helmet will be available in four sizes and will incorporate a specially designed (but, by the way, still in development) size adjustment folding system.
In short (Italian only)
Cycling safety has never been so convenient… and portable! Inflabi is preparing to revolutionize the way we see protection on the bike, with a helmet that could be not only safer, but also more practical than traditional models.
A safe helmet without the bulk of a traditional bike helmet. And without taking up so much space it will be easier to always carry it with you and use it.
Maybe the future of cycling safety really is… inflatable.
