The designers of the Closca urban folding helmet have been able to get 434 Kickstarter investors, well surpassing their funding goal of US$45,000 and bringing in more than US$60,000. As a result, the US and EU safety-certified helmet will be delivered to backers in October.
What puts the helmet a head above others, said Closca Design founder Carlos Ferrando, is that it was designed to be both fashionable and compact. While there have been other attempts at creating foldable helmets, Ferrando said he wanted something that didn’t sacrifice safety for fashion. At the same time, he knew that a helmet that didn’t look good wouldn’t be worn by those looking to take a quick spin around town.
“The Closca helmet has born with the aim to make easier the decision to use helmets in cities as important safety products, and therefore increase the number of bikes in cities,” Ferrando told BikeRadar. “The Closca collapsible bike helmets merge fashion and safety in one cool bundle, solving the main restraints for urban cyclists in using helmets.”
The Closca helmet also addresses the issue of where to put a helmet after you’ve ridden to your destination. The compact design enables you to stash it in a backpack, and Ferrando noted that this could make it perfect for use with bike share programs.
The Closca helmet will come in six styles
The helmet meets the EU EN1078 safety standards thanks to its EPP polymer inner shell, which offers excellent impact protection characteristics. The material is able to absorb the energy from a hit while dissipating the impact through its plasticity, preventing it from reaching your head.
“Our helmet has passed all safety tests; we have been able to produce a medium size and get certification for the US and EU,” Ferrando said. “In our opinion, many people who love our product cannot believe how a collapsible helmet can be safer than a conventional one. For shock absorption, using different parts gives better results.
“If you compare the front of any car, it is better to absorb the crash with a flexible structure than rebound with a rigid one; small movement between parts allows a ‘team working’ during a crash.”
On the fashion front, the manufacturers have created six different covers in two different hat/cap styles, including a flat cap and a duckbill. “The helmet has interchangeable covers and an open community to collaborate with users and clothing brands in designing new ones,” Ferrando said. “The product is validated and we are working to obtain large and small sizes and prepare also the certification for Canada and Australia.”