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Bicycle helmets split opinion among cyclists.
The safety aspect is undeniable, but many of us still opt to go without. But why?
Largely it comes down to comfort, vanity and practicality. Helmets can be uncomfortable, make you sweat more, are bulky to carry around and, as pathetic as it sounds, don’t half mess up your hair. Daft, but turning up to work looking like you’ve just got out of bed isn’t a great look.
I know, I know, it’s not big and clever not to wear a helmet, nor would I ever, ever discourage anyone from wearing one and I also know I won’t care about my hair when I’m lying in a hospital bed… but still.
One company looking to bridge the gap in the market is Closca, based in Valencia, Spain, with their attempt at a stylish folding helmet design, launched last year following a Kickstarter campaign that received over 400 investors. The helmet is now available to buy online for €62 (about £50).
There are essentially two key elements that this helmet boasts that differentiates itself from others on the market: style and collapsibility.
Style
The cycling-market is screaming out for more stylish helmets to be introduced, and this Closca helmet is certainly a step in the right direction.
The helmet is basically comprised of two parts: the helmet itself and a cover – which is essentially a cap. The cover is easy to attach and remove from the helmet, with Velcro around the edges of the helmet keeping the cover in place. This also means that you can swap and change between covers – of which Closca have various designs available for €22-a-piece.
I love the idea of this helmet, however I did find it to be a little bulky overall, something that the cover accentuates somewhat. Obviously, with a product like this, there are limitations on how much you can ‘slim line’ the design without compromising on the safety elements, though.
Collapsibility
The helmet’s collapsibility function is the other big selling point from Closca. The video below shows how easy the helmet is to prepare, with the size of the helmet easily compressed with your hands using the clever sliding function on the interior.
Collapsing the helmet is ideal for when you’re off your bike as it should easily slide into your bag, while Closca also kindly provide a fetching drawstring bag with every purchase.
Safety
From a safety perspective, the helmet design is constructed using three separate parts of EPP foam which are joined together with a cross strap system. Meaning if you do crash, these parts will work together to enhance shock absorption.
Overall
The idea of the Closca Folding Helmet is fantastic, combining style and practicality. However, for me, the bulkiness of the helmet while wearing it is a little too much and is also a little spicy at €62, and the styling isn’t particularly flattering – meaning this won’t be the product that convinces me to switch to the safe side of the cycling community.
