Simply a student engineering project last summer, the Kranium cardboard helmet has now made it into full commercial production. Picked up by German company Abus, the Kranium Ecolution is a fully recyclable bike helmet for daily use when riding around town.
The Kranium Ecolution bike helmet consists of coated, weather-resistant cardboard in a special honeycomb structure that serves as the helmet core. This new production method gives the Kranium Ecolution remarkably good shock-absorbing qualities and lives up to even the highest safety standards.
The honeycomb cardboard core is wrapped in a thin, recycled EPS sheath for further weather protection. A venting tunnel through the center of the recyclable helmet keeps your head from getting too hot as you ride. At 550g, the Kranium Ecolution can weigh up to double your average foam padded bike helmet but makes up for the extra weight in environmental friendliness.
A natural fiber liner is soft and comfortable against your head and can easily be removed for washing. A simple buckle and strap system lets you quickly adjust the helmet to fit securely on your head. As all components of the bike helmet are recyclable, you can simply chuck it in the recycle bin when the helmet has passed its useful life.
Hitting store shelves February 2013, the Abus Kranium Ecolution recyclable bike helmet comes in a medium and large size, retailing for €90. For each Kranium Ecolution sold, Abus will donate €1 to protect the wild coffee forests in Ethiopia. I am anxious to see if any other bike helmet manufacturers will license the Kranium cardboard padding design.
