Hedkayse One helmet

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

It's a helmet for urban cycling (and skateboarding and rollerskating), particularly for those who need to carry a helmet between bike rides.

Hedkayse says, "The Hedkayse One is flexible, durable and smart. The first truly multi-impact cycle helmet of its kind. Designed and made in the UK from Hedkayse's own Enkayse material, you can be confident the Hedkayse One will take the bumps of everyday life and still protect when you need it most. Its patented folding design makes it ideal for the urban cyclist, commuter and bike-sharing user. Available in five colours.

"Whats in the box? Every Hedkayse One helmet comes in a helmet bag with spare comfort pads, and a "wrap strap" which can be used to hold it flat when folded."

Hedkayse lists these features:

Unique Enkayse multi-impact material

Conforms to the EN1078 Safety Standard

Patented folding design, reduces in width by 50%

Single size helmet fits head sizes 49cm - 58.5cm

Weight 495g

Patented Quick-release Adjustable Ratchet Chin-strap (QARC) system

Designed and manufactured in the UK

Supplied with a branded "Wrap strap" for simple storage

Hand washable

Made in the UK

If you intend wearing glasses with this helmet, the arms need to go underneath the straps rather than over the top.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Hedkayse says this about its Enkayse material: "Of course Hedkayse One conforms to safety standards in Europe. But Hedkayse One is no fragile one-hit wonder. Because of Enkayse, Hedkayse One is able to pass safety tests after multiple impacts. That's pretty impressive considering the size of a single test impact alone is fairly fierce.

"Conventional helmets are made from polystyrene. In a large impact, polystyrene deforms to provide what's known as sacrificial protection. This is why you have to be careful not to drop your polystyrene helmet in everyday use, and it's why manufacturers recommend that you replace your helmet after a knock. Enkayse is designed to work differently.

"It manages the energy of impacts, so it can retain its integrity after more than one impact, large or small. Because Enkayse dissipates energy rather than deforming on impact, it also cushions small bumps.

"Polystyrene can't do this since forces which are too weak to deform it are transmitted through. Enkayse provides comfort in protecting from small bumps. This may also have long-term benefits as researchers believe the cumulative effect of small knocks contributes to brain disease over time.

"Because Enkayse shrugs off little bumps, it means that Hedkayse One is durable against the knocks and scrapes that come with everyday use. You can be sure that Headkayse One will stand up to the daily grind and get comfier to wear the more you wear it."

Hedkayse says this about its Tough and Flexible outer shell: "The vision of a one-size-fits-all, folding helmet wouldn't be possible without our flexible exoskeleton, exhaustively developed and refined.

"TAF (Tough and Flexible) is a specifically engineered rip-proof military grade Ballistic Nylon that forms the outer shell of the Hedkayse One. Lightweight. Strong. Easily washable.

"Its strength holds the helmet together, whilst providing the flexibility that allows the helmet to fold, and to adapt to all head types and sizes ranging from 49-58.5cm. Its low friction surface is designed to help minimise additional tugging forces from the road surface in the event of a crash."

Hedkayse says this about its X-Strap retention system: "Because Hedkayse One is so different from any other helmet, we knew that we'd need to create a fit system unlike any other.

"We designed the X-Strap retention system to be fully customisable, giving Hedkayse One the ability to fit multiple head sizes comfortably and securely.

"The X-Strap webbing and rear 'hook-and-loop' strap allow the helmet to fit heads from 49 - 58.5cm; the side buckles adjust to keep your ears from being squashed and our patented Quick-release Adjustable Ratchet Chin-strap (QARC) allows quick and easy removal no matter what you've got on your hands."

It's a smart design and robust with it.

It meets the EN1078 European safety standard, of course, and it compresses down in size when not in use. It is heavier and warmer than most rigid EPS helmets, though.

This is one of Hedkayse One's biggest draws. It can take a battering at the bottom of a bag and doesn't necessarily need replacing in the event of an impact. Hedkayse recommends replacement after five years.

You can get helmets that are half the weight although, to be fair, those are sports-type helmets. The Bontrager Charge WaveCel Commuter Helmet that we reviewed recently was 445g while the Smith Network Helmet was 303g.

The Enkayse material does conform to your head shape but the Hedkayse One is heavier than most, the fit system is basic and I didn't find the ventilation particularly effective. I didn't find it uncomfortable, but I didn't find it particularly comfortable either. That said, this is a helmet that's likely to be on your head for minutes rather than hours.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

The main purpose of a helmet is to protect your head, of course, and this one meets the same EN1078 standard as all others. Its other strength is that it can be compressed and stored in a bag without you needing to worry too much about damage.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Durability and ability to be compressed and stowed in the bottom of a bag.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The fit didn't work especially well for me and I'd prefer more ventilation.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

The Smith Network Helmet we reviewed was £136, and that is a helmet with MIPS (the inclusion of which usually adds around £20). Bontrager's Charge WaveCel Commuter Helmet is £129.99. The Hedkayse One is more expensive than either, although its impressive durability means it offers similar value for money.

Use this box to explain your overall score

This is a really tricky one to mark. The Hedkayse One offers very interesting tech but I feel that the fit needs to be improved in order for it to score higher than a 6.