Sponsored (all words are my own):
When I first moved to Sweden, I remember asking Per for a lift to work. He was baffled: ‘why can’t you cycle?’ I gestured outside the window at the snow. ‘And?’ he replied. You see, nowhere does ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing’ apply more! Swedes hop on their bikes rain, wind or snow. I reluctantly obliged that day (it helped that the cycle paths had been cleared before the roads!) and now it’s second nature to hop on my bike all year round. BUT I’m ashamed to say, I haven’t been wearing a helmet. I know, TERRIBLE! Until now, that is. Except it’s not a traditional helmet,  it’s a Hövding airbag for urban cyclists. Now, I know this post isn’t about interiors – but I hope you’ll forgive me as it is the BEST of local Swedish design – and it’s genius! Read on if you love to get about by bike, this might just revolutionise your ride!

They set about designing a helmet that’s worn around the neck like a collar and which would inflate in the event of an accident. Hövding Sverige AB was founded the same year.

Charge the airbag at home (not very often though as version 3 stays charged for up to 15 hours cycle time). The latest version is also adjustable to comfortably fit your neck. When you hop on your bike you turn the airbag on. And when you hop off again you turn it off. It’s as simple as that!

But what happens if I have an accident?

In the unfortunate event of an accident, the airbag inflates in 0.1 seconds to form a hood that supports your neck and protects the head from injury.

How does it compare to a traditional helmet? 
Scientific research has shown that the airbag system provides 3 times better shock absorption than a traditional helmet and up to 8 x better protection than traditional bike helmets. Not bad!

The Malmö based firm has sold over 150,000 airbags for cyclists and over 4000 cyclists have benefited from its protection.

Since it is activated by movement, the only time it won’t inflate is if you receive a direct hit – for example, if you were to cycle into an overhead branch without seeing it.

Love a little tech?!
If you’re the techy kind (don’t worry if you’re not, I’m not either and it works perfectly fine without the tech too!) – the latest version connects to your phone via Bluetooth. The Hövding app shows how far you’ve cycled, your remaining battery time and in case of an accident, notifies your selected contacts.

Love a little Analog?! 
I picked up a sticker when was at the Hövding mother ship here in Malmö which reminds me to turn my Hövding on and off at the start and end of my rides. Works for me!

Oh, and you can also customise your airbag with a jazzy cover like a Harris Tweed, Paisley, or Hi-vis design. They’re all waterproof and dirt-repellent.

These days, I feel a whole lot better when I ride about town – and I think my airbag looks pretty smart too, don’t you think?!

Bring on the rain, wind and snow Sweden, I’m ready for it!

Fancy one for your bike rides? Hövding airbag for urban cyclists are available to buy online (ships throughout Europe). You can also find your nearest retailer here.

Got any questions? You can read more about Hövding here and find the FAQ here. Feel free to ask away below too!

Niki

This post is sponsored by Hövding, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands that I love and think you will too. It’s always a pleasure to put a spotlight on local brands doing wonderful things! 

Disclaimer: No one at My Scandinavian Home, in any way whatsoever, can be responsible for your use of the information in or linked from this website. Any action you take upon the information on this website is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our website. 

Sponsored (all words are my own):
When I first moved to Sweden, I remember asking Per for a lift to work. He was baffled: ‘why can’t you cycle?’ I gestured outside the window at the snow. ‘And?’ he replied. You see, nowhere does ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing’ apply more! Swedes hop on their bikes rain, wind or snow. I reluctantly obliged that day (it helped that the cycle paths had been cleared before the roads!) and now it’s second nature to hop on my bike all year round. BUT I’m ashamed to say, I haven’t been wearing a helmet. I know, TERRIBLE! Until now, that is. Except it’s not a traditional helmet,  it’s a Hövding airbag for urban cyclists. Now, I know this post isn’t about interiors – but I hope you’ll forgive me as it is the BEST of local Swedish design – and it’s genius! Read on if you love to get about by bike, this might just revolutionise your ride!

They set about designing a helmet that’s worn around the neck like a collar and which would inflate in the event of an accident. Hövding Sverige AB was founded the same year.

Charge the airbag at home (not very often though as version 3 stays charged for up to 15 hours cycle time). The latest version is also adjustable to comfortably fit your neck. When you hop on your bike you turn the airbag on. And when you hop off again you turn it off. It’s as simple as that!

But what happens if I have an accident?

In the unfortunate event of an accident, the airbag inflates in 0.1 seconds to form a hood that supports your neck and protects the head from injury.

How does it compare to a traditional helmet? 
Scientific research has shown that the airbag system provides 3 times better shock absorption than a traditional helmet and up to 8 x better protection than traditional bike helmets. Not bad!

The Malmö based firm has sold over 150,000 airbags for cyclists and over 4000 cyclists have benefited from its protection.

Since it is activated by movement, the only time it won’t inflate is if you receive a direct hit – for example, if you were to cycle into an overhead branch without seeing it.

Love a little tech?!
If you’re the techy kind (don’t worry if you’re not, I’m not either and it works perfectly fine without the tech too!) – the latest version connects to your phone via Bluetooth. The Hövding app shows how far you’ve cycled, your remaining battery time and in case of an accident, notifies your selected contacts.

Love a little Analog?! 
I picked up a sticker when was at the Hövding mother ship here in Malmö which reminds me to turn my Hövding on and off at the start and end of my rides. Works for me!

Oh, and you can also customise your airbag with a jazzy cover like a Harris Tweed, Paisley, or Hi-vis design. They’re all waterproof and dirt-repellent.

These days, I feel a whole lot better when I ride about town – and I think my airbag looks pretty smart too, don’t you think?!

Bring on the rain, wind and snow Sweden, I’m ready for it!

Fancy one for your bike rides? Hövding airbag for urban cyclists are available to buy online (ships throughout Europe). You can also find your nearest retailer here.

Got any questions? You can read more about Hövding here and find the FAQ here. Feel free to ask away below too!

Niki

This post is sponsored by Hövding, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands that I love and think you will too. It’s always a pleasure to put a spotlight on local brands doing wonderful things! 

Disclaimer: No one at My Scandinavian Home, in any way whatsoever, can be responsible for your use of the information in or linked from this website. Any action you take upon the information on this website is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our website.