A good five years of development work lie behind Patrick Pedevilla, founder and CEO of Seventwenty, and his team: after a difficult sales launch of the first bike helmets in summer 2020 due to coronavirus, the time is now ripe for the South Tyrolean company to strengthen its presence on the market and shake up the sector with its pioneering new HexaGo® technology. The helmets from Seventwenty (720) are characterized above all by their significantly improved shock absorption and the efficient rotation protection that the special helmet core offers without any additional built-in technology.

The helmets from Seventwenty

The 720 Awake 1.0 all-mountain and enduro helmet went on sale in summer 2020. In spring 2021, the product range will be expanded to include the 720 Circle 1.0 city helmet and the launch of a ski helmet is planned for the 2021/2022 winter season. All Seventwenty helmets are equipped with a HexaGo® core and can be purchased at www.720protections.com and from the growing network of specialist retailers.

The HexaGo® technology

HexaGo® technology is the honeycomb structure that forms the core of all Seventwenty helmets. It consists of H.E.A.P. (High Energy Absorption Polymer), an elastomer specially developed with Seventwenty. This deforms in the event of an impact, distributing the impact forces evenly over a larger area via the bars of the structure and thus achieving significantly better damping than a traditional polystyrene core.

Acceleration forces and safety

According to the applicable EU standard EN-1078, bicycle helmets may only transmit a maximum acceleration force of 250 grams to the head in order to be market-compliant - whereby a value of 300 grams can already result in a fatal head injury. From a medical point of view, however, the limit of 250 grams set in this standard clearly exceeds what a human head can actually withstand in terms of acceleration forces without sustaining serious injuries: "The safety standards for bicycle helmets need to be revised, as the medical limits for effective protection against brain injuries are well below the legal limits, which can lead to serious or even fatal injuries," says Dr. Florian Schüler from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Heidelberg University.

In addition, the trend towards weight reduction in recent years has not helped to improve the shock absorption of helmets, which would actually be increased in classic bike helmets by using more polystyrene. Commercially available helmets have an average value of 171 grams in the EN 1078 test procedure (see Folksam's Bicycle Helmet Test 2020, Helena Stigson), but moderate injuries (such as a mild concussion) can only be assumed from a value of 100 grams or less.

Seventwenty takes a different approach because safety comes first. Although the company's helmets only have an average weight, they perform significantly better than conventional bike helmets in terms of safety with a weighted average value of just 115 grams and a peak value of 105 grams - and therefore offer significantly better protection.

Innovative rotation protection included

In the event of a fall, the impact is usually not a straight line, but a rotational movement. The resulting impact forces therefore do not act on the head at specific points, but rotationally, which significantly increases the risk of injury to the brain. Thanks to the extremely stable yet flexible honeycomb structure and the special elastomer from which it is made, HexaGo® technology can absorb not only linear impact forces but also rotational forces particularly well. In addition, the effectiveness of the reduction in rotational forces is significantly enhanced by the freedom of movement of the flexible core within the shell, as the honeycomb structure is only firmly attached to the shell at the anchor points. As a result, Seventwenty helmets offer efficient protection against rotational forces without having to install additional technologies.

Comfort through air circulation

The innovative honeycomb structure on the inside of Seventwenty helmets ensures excellent air circulation thanks to its design. The head is properly ventilated even at high temperatures and perspiration is reduced - this supports the ability to concentrate, especially on challenging tours.

Made in Italy and sustainability

Seventwenty produces regionally, as all but one component is manufactured in Italy, and takes care to minimize negative impacts on people and nature in production, logistics and distribution. Only FSC-certified cardboard without difficult-to-separate plasticizers and without particularly harmful inks is used for the packaging - true to the motto: "We want to save our playground, too." Despite the outstanding durability of its helmets, the company is also working on a recycling concept so that the valuable raw materials used to manufacture the helmets can be used sensibly for as long as possible.

Design

The radical character of the 720 Awake 1.0 mountain bike helmet - which has already earned it the Red Dot Design Award - is emphasized by the clear, iconic lines of the outer shell, which takes up the hexagon as a design element, and is completed by the unmistakable graphic elements of Seventwenty. The helmet is currently available in four color combinations with a black or white shell, in a matt or glossy finish. In spring 2021, the range will be given a lively, fresh coat of paint with three new color variants (blue, red, yellow).

About the company

Seventwenty is a brand of the start-up company Airhelmet GmbH, based in Bolzano, Italy, and produces helmets with the self-developed and patented HexaGo® technology for the bicycle and ski/snowboard segments. Seventwenty's mission: "We give you the freedom to feel truly safe during your favorite sports and outdoor activities by developing the best possible protection."

720protections.com