Hövding
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Company type | Aktiebolag |
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Founded | 2005 |
Founders |
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Defunct | 21 December 2023 |
Headquarters | , |
Number of employees | 20+ |
Website | www |
Hövding ("Chieftain" in Swedish) is an airbag bicycle helmet,[1] launched in November 2011.
Hövding was invented by Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin in Malmö, Sweden in 2005 as a master thesis for the founders' Master of
The two founders Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin left the company in 2015.[6][7]
Hövding is
In March 2015, Hövding 2.0 was released. These changes include improvements to the weight, comfort and change in location of the USB port.
Hövding 3.0 was introduced in September 2019, with new features such as a BOA[8] dial-based adjustment for universal fit, and Bluetooth connectivity to smart phones for firmware updates and automatically sending crash notifications to emergency contacts after a deployment.[9]
In November 2023, the
Safety tests
Folksam
In 2012, the Swedish insurance company Folksam tested 13 cycle helmets on the market. They carried out an impact test on the same principles as for CE marking but with a higher impact speed, 25 km/h instead of 20 km/h.[16]
All the traditional helmets achieved G-force ranging from 196 to 294 g. The lower the value, the better the helmet’s ability to protect the cyclist’s head in an accident. Hövding achieved 65 g, providing at least three times better shock absorption than the other helmets.
Que Choisir
A test by French
Stanford University
A team of bioengineers performed a series of drop tests on the Hovding and concluded that there is an eight-fold reduction in the risk of concussion compared to traditional helmets.[18] The thickness and stiffness of the Hovding was described as "near perfect" in protecting against concussion and head injury. They did, however, find that the air pressure inside the helmet was critical for optimum performance. Partial inflation could cause the helmet to bottom out, where it would give less protection than an expanded polystyrene helmet.
Certimoov
In 2021, French helmet testing organization Certimoov ranked the Hövding highest among the 156 bicycle helmets it had tested to date.[19] They gave the Hövding an overall safety rating of 4.5 out of 5, the only helmet to score higher than 4.
Awards
Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin won the
Criticism is mainly focused on the price of the Hövding,[22] and questions about its functionality during certain types of crashes.[17]
Bankruptcy
In December 2023, Hövding applied for bankruptcy proceedings.[14][15] Bankruptcy comes after "Hövding 3" was banned in Sweden by the Konsumentverket, Swedish consumer protection agency.[23][24][25]
References
- ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ^ "Who We Are". Hövding Sverige AB. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ "Invisible helmet, airbag for cyclists designed in Malmö". Bikestorming.org. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ a b "How Hövding Works". Hövding Sverige AB. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ "After an Accident". Hövding Sverige AB. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ Business Week. Archived from the originalon April 28, 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ Sarah Nylund (April 23, 2012). "Hövding återkallar cykelhjälmar". Sydsvenskan. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ "BOA® Fit System | Dialed In". www.boafit.com. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
- ^ "Hövding | Press release - Hövding 3 launched". Hövding. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
- SVT Nyheter(in Swedish). 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
- ^ "Hövding 3 återkallas. Vad innebär det för mig? - Frågor och svar | Konsumentverket". Hallå konsument (in Swedish). 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
- ^ "Konsumentexperten om Hövding-hjälmarna: "Återförsäljaren ansvarig gentemot dig"". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ "Why Did Hövding Implode? The Tragic End of the Invisible Helmet". Discerning Cyclist. 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-01-18.
- ^ a b Agger, Kalinka Aaman (2023-12-21). "Hövding indgiver konkursbegæring". Berlingske.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ a b Nyheter, SVT (2023-12-21). "Malmöföretaget Hövding ansöker om konkurs". SVT (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ a b "Test av cykelhjälmar – Bäst i test 2017 - Folksam". Folksam (in Swedish). Retrieved 2018-02-06.
- ^ a b c "Råd&Rön - Uppblåsbara cykelhjälmen klarar inte säkerhetsstandarden". www.radron.se. Retrieved 2016-09-20.
- S2CID 254196067.
- ^ "The tests | Certimoov". www.certimoov.com. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
- New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ "WWinners - Hšvding". D&AD. Retrieved 19 November 2012.
- ^ Laker, Laura (22 May 2012). "Will the airbag bike helmet be the way forward?". London: Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ Radio, Sveriges (2023-12-15). "Konsumentverket stoppar cykelhjälmen Hövding 3 permanent". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ "Konsumentverket stoppar cykelhjälmen Hövding 3". DN.se (in Swedish). 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
- ^ Lönnroth, Valdemar; Arvidsson, Joel (2023-12-15). "Hövdings nya hjälm stoppas helt – bolaget rasar". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-12-21.