For those who have everything: Hövding Invisible Helmet
The bike helmet has evolved from necessity to haute couture accessory.
Air bags and haute couture, an unlikely combination, come together in the Hövding Invisible Helmet for bicyclists. Though this Swedish product seems ridiculous at first, “it was perhaps inevitable that the helmet evolve from hair-flattening safety necessity to accessory,” given the rising number of bike riders in metropolitan areas. Deflated, it merely looks like a jacket collar or plush scarf. However, attached sensors detect sudden changes in velocity or angle that indicate an accident. That’s when it inflates within a tenth of a second to resemble “a futuristic headpiece in a Björk music video.”
$528, hovding.com
Source:The New York Times
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: March 31, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published