Carrera, one of the five major brands under the Safilo umbrella, has been best known for its eyewear since 1956, but recently they’ve been expanding into the sporting market with their unique “foldable” helmet design. While I wouldn’t classify the design as fully foldable, it does allow for a 25% reduction in overall volume, which is especially convenient for airline travel and daily commuting.
Beyond the transporting convenience, the design is extremely comfortable when on your head and feels far more agile compared to a traditional helmet design. The lateral flexibility of the design allows the helmet to naturally adjust to your head and also provides excellent ventilation.
Carrera originated their foldable design two years ago, and has continued to evolve the platform, now offering several foldable models. The basic model sports a solid color scheme and starts at just 89 euros. Other options now include a matte, suede, waterproof, reflective and all-black leather version. The premium version is lighter and equipped with a higher-end padding and adjustment system (integrated rear light). The Crit version includes a removable brim and larger ear cut outs for better integration with sunglasses and is lighter weight.
All models come complete with a small belt to keep the helmet compact when not in use, and while on the bike is intended to function as a pant leg strap keeping your pants free from the chain.
