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Review of Hedkayse cycle helmet

Fed up worrying that your cycle helmet needs replacing after all the knocks and bangs it gets during a commute or in the boot of your car? There’s now an answer in the shape of ‘Hedkayse’, a new approach to the cycle helmet.

Made with a flexible proprietary polymer material called Enkayse instead of the usual tough, often shiny, outer shell and inner EPS, which the brand has demonstrated by throwing it off cliffs and even driving cars over it, makes it very tough and durable indeed.

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Most other cycle helmets should be replaced if dropped onto a hard surface, for fear of invisible, hairline cracks.

Unlike standard ‘one strike and you’re out’ cycle helmets, this one can be knocked, pounded, dropped and bashed - and claims to retain all of its protective qualities. Which means it’s ideal if you're one of those cyclists who likes to throw your bicycle and kit into the back of the car at the weekend for a little countryside activity.

There are other differences too. It looks different, and I like the look. It is a lot less dorkish than the average cycle helmet which is seldom flattering - thanks to the stippled ‘military grade Ballistic Nylon’, to use the makers’ terminology. In short it looks like a piece of robustly-designed, purposeful sports equipment and even has minimalist, reflective decals.

Hedkayse cycle helmet
Hedkayse cycle helmet

Claimed to be ‘one size fits all’, it uses a new form of lock for the chin strap, which works fine after a little practice and even allows a little measure of extra adjustment every time you fasten it. It also has a new ‘X-strap’ fitting, made to cater for heads measuring from 49-58.5cm.

They advise that it might take a few minutes to get the right fit and it does, but it’s worth it; after 15 minutes of patient readjustment I managed to get a comfy, close fit, aided by the large Velcro adjustor/fastener at the rear.

It weighs in at 492g on my kitchen scales, considerably more than the 272g of my ‘standard’ Bell cycling helmet, but it doesn’t feel heavy. It’s also claimed to have an anti-microbial liner and the liner is nicely soft to the touch, even for those short on hair.

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Its other big selling point is that it is foldable, although it’s a question of degree, as it certainly doesn’t fold flat. What it does do is squash down by around 50 per cent in width, into a neat carrying case, that takes up less room in your boot or bag, encouraging you to take it with you on the move. Which is a good thing.

On the road it’s comfy and good to wear, although, fortunately, I haven’t put it to the ultimate test and hope not to. The makers claim that it has successfully passed impact tests and that it is certified to EN1078 Safety Standard.

With four big front-to-back ventilation slots it lets a lot of air (and rain) in. Fortunately, bearing in mind the London grime, it is also hand-washable.

As a refreshing take on the ‘usual’ cycle helmet, and for those who know they don’t tend to take good care of their gear, it is certainly worth considering. Some will balk at the £150 price but, as they used to say of motorcycle helmets , if you’ve got a £10 head, get a £10 helmet.

David Williams can be found Tweeting at @djrwilliams

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