Ventete's inflatable bike helmet flattens to become thinner than a laptop
London-based design brand Ventete has developed a blow-up cycling helmet that uses air instead of foam to absorb impact and easily fits into a bag when deflated.
The AH-1 helmet, which is shortlisted for a 2025 Dezeen Award in the product design category, was designed by Ventete in response to cultural shifts that have seen cycling become an everyday mode of transport in UK cities.
The company set out to create a product that combines safety, comfort and aesthetics in a format that customers find enjoyable to use.
"Designed by a team of architects, the helmet diverges from a conventional helmet form factor, offering a departure from associations of clumsiness and precaution – instead offering aesthetic refinement within the category," Ventete explained.
The AH-1's design replaces foam with air, resulting in a helmet that, at 3.5 centimetres, is thinner than many laptops when deflated and can be discreetly carried in a bag.
An integrated valve on one side of the helmet is used to inflate 11 connected air chambers, creating a robust three-dimensional shell that absorbs impact better than traditional helmets, Ventete claims.
"Pressurised air is the primary protective material – reducing mass without sacrificing function," the company said.
"The amount of material used is ruthlessly minimised, prioritising high-performance fabrics and polymers to maintain ambitious safety and durability criteria."
The helmet is constructed from three layers of a high-tenacity nylon fabric for puncture and abrasion resistance. The fabric is supported by fibreglass ribs for impact absorption.
Advanced manufacturing processes for fabric welding and overmoulding enabled the creation of a pneumatic structural system that flattens the peak force during a crash
Ventete worked with independent specialists to develop and refine the product based on the biomechanics of head injuries. It now holds 29 granted patents for its pneumatic technology and material innovations.
The AH-1 was tested at the HeadLab at Imperial College London, with the results showing that it reduced the risk of injury due to linear impact by 44 per cent.
According to Ventete, the technology could be applied in a variety of alternative use scenarios, such as skiing and mountain biking, where helmets made from EPS foam remain the standard.
In 2011, designers Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin launched an inflatable helmet called Hövding that folds away into a collar or scarf.
US bike brand Bontrager has developed a helmet that uses an advanced shock-absorbing material to prevent concussion, while Dutch design office Studio MOM used biomaterials to create a sustainable alternative to polystyrene helmets.
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