Lazer KinetiCore doesn’t use a slip liner or stuck-on elastomery things. It uses an internal crumple zone array that’s part of the helmet body construction itself.
Look, just watch this video and look at the first couple of pictures below. It’s hard to explain in words!
A video saves a thousand words
The fact that the internal ‘crumple zone’ is part of the helmet body affords Lazer the claim that: “It’s the world’s first fully integrated rotational impact protection”. In other words, the rotational protection doesn’t come from a separate, stuck on/in element.
Unsurprisingly for Lazer, two big drivers for KinetiCore are the desire for lower weight and increased ventilation. Two things that sometimes other rotational impact protection systems can impair.
Lazer also crowbar in the benefits of saving on use of plastics but a helmet isn’t exactly the most eco thing in the world, but hey. Every little helps, as Mr and Mrs Tesco once said.
For those who have been asleep for the past few years (good idea on reflection), the best bike helmets these days offer protection from rotational impact forces as well as square-on whacks. The idea being to prevent whiplash-style neck tweak injuries decrease the likelihood of concussions by dissipating the rotation forces around the skull rather than transmitting them through the brain. [thanks to Mr Barney Marsh for the correction – Ben]
KinetiCore will be featured in six helmets: two road, one MTB, one urban and two kid lids.
Vento (aero road) – £259.99
Jackal (MTB) – £179.99
Strada (mid-range road) – £99.99
CityZen (urban) – £59.99
P’Nut (kids) – £39.99
Nutz (kids) – £39.99
The Belgium-based helmet company state: “The development of KinetiCore began just over ten years ago when awareness of the dangers of rotational impact began to improve, and technologies starting appearing in the market to combat those effects. Lazer decided to create its own proprietary technology which meant throwing out everything the design team knew about helmets and starting again from scratch.
“The first step was assessment of how different types of impact affect cyclists, and using advanced simulations Lazer created thousands of templates to model and understand how to combat those impacts. The breakthrough happened when the design team studied how crumple zones work in cars, and this inspired them to build cone-like crumple zones into the inside of the helmet, designed to break on impact and dissipate energy that would otherwise be transferred to a rider’s skull.
“KinetiCore is the result of that tireless process, a unique set of EPS foam blocks built directly into the helmet designed to buckle in the event of direct and rotational impact, redirecting energy away from the brain.
“But better than that, Kineticore has other positive effects on helmet design as well. Because the technology is integrated into the helmet it reduces the overall weight, meaning the helmet is more comfortable and faster. It also means that Lazer is able to design each helmet to the company’s own specifications and build KinetiCore in rather than having to add it afterwards. That, in turn, means Lazer has been able to increase ventilation and improve airflow through each helmet, something that all riders are looking for.”
Lazer helmets are distributed in the UK via freewheel.co.uk
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