Frequently Asked Questions

Collar size: Hövding is available in three collar sizes: Small (S), Medium (M) and Large (L). Your Hövding should be placed closest to you neck. We recommend your Hövding to fit as tight as possible but still feel comfortable around your neck.

Small is recommended for neck size smaller than 36 cm (14¼ inches).
Medium is recommended for neck size 34–42 cm (13½–16½ inches).
Large is recommended for neck size 38–45 cm (15–17¾ inches).

Head size: All the collar sizes (S, M, L) are adapted to heads that are 52–59 cm (20½–23¼ inches) in circumference. Measure around your head horizontally from the center of your forehead, where your head is widest.

Please note! Hövding 2.0 is adapted to and tested for neck sizes up to 45 cm (17¾ inches) and head sizes 52–59 cm (20½–23¼ inches) in circumference. Your measurements must therefore be within these dimensions. Thicker winter coats and jackets should be placed outside your Hövding. Make sure to keep the area of the split seams free allowing the airbag to inflate around your head in the event of an accident.

All the collar sizes (S, M, L) are adapted to heads that are 52–59 cm (20½–23 inches) in circumference. Measure around your head horizontally from the centre of your forehead, where your head is widest.

Hövding 2.0 is adapted to and tested for head sizes 52–59 cm (20½–23 inches) in circumference. A bigger head is also a heavier head, something that Hövding is neither tested nor approved for. Your measurements must therefore be within these dimensions.

In exceptional cases, Hövding may inflate in incidents that are not considered accidents. A safety margin has been built into the product so that Hövding will more likely react than not (better for Hövding to register one accident too many than one too few). As soon as Hövding is activated, it will compares the cyclist’s movement pattern with the programmed movement pattern 200 times per second. Thousands of tests have been made in order to determine what is a normal cycling movement pattern. Hövding can interpret movements that differ from this pattern as an impending accident and will in such cases inflate in order to protect the cyclist.

Hövding should be placed around your neck with the zipper in front of the neck and with the triangular part resting between your shoulder blades.

No. Hövding is only intended to be worn when riding a standard two wheeled bicycle. (Riding a bicycle here refers to cycling in urban environments and on main roads and not extreme cycling such as BMX, off-road cycling, mountain biking and trick cycling.)

You can move in the same way as you usually do when riding your bicycle.

There is a button on the zip tag that activates Hövding when it’s attached to the right-hand side of the collar. Similarly, Hövding is deactivated when you unclip the activation button. When Hövding is deactivated, the airbag can’t inflate.

Your Hövding is designed to protect you while cycling and it must therefore be switched of when you are not cycling. We recommend that you activate your Hövding once you are on your bike ready to take off and deactivate it right before your get off your bike after completed bike ride. See also How Hövding works.

Hövding is designed to be used with two wheeled standard bikes, e-bikes and bikes with small wheels, including folding bikes. Hövding can be used with racer bikes but is ergonomically optimized for a more upright sitting position.

Hövding is not designed or approved to use with special bikes such as monocycles, tandems, BMX bikes, recumbents, cargo bikes, electric kick bikes, Segways etc.

You’ll hear a sound and LEDs will light up at the front of the collar to tell you that Hövding is activated. When you deactivate Hövding, you’ll hear a different sound and the LEDs will go out.

There is an activation button on the zip tag. Once you have pulled up the zip, attach the button on the zip tag to the right-hand side of the collar. Your Hövding is now activated. Similarly, Hövding is deactivated when you unclip the button. When Hövding is deactivated, the airbag can’t inflate.

Your Hövding is designed to protect you while cycling and it must therefore be switched of when you are not cycling. We recommend that you activate your Hövding once you are on your bike ready to take off and deactivate it right before your get off your bike after completed bike ride. See also How Hövding works.

No. Hövding has a lower age limit of 15.

We would have liked for Hövding to work for kids as well. Because Hövding has been developed with adult stunt persons, it is based on data from the movement pattern of adults. Hövding also uses an activation and deactivation function that might be difficult for children to handle, since they are more spontaneous in their movements.

Small earrings, such as studs or pearls, are fine. However, if you have big, dangly earrings, we recommend taking them off while you are riding your bike. Otherwise there is a risk they will come flying off if the airbag deploys. Big rings in your ears, where the ends are joined together, we also recommend taking of, as it may be painful if they are struck by the airbag.

Yes you can. However it is important that you always keep the area of the split seams free and don’t cover them with fabric. When the airbag is triggered, the pressure splits open the upper and front seams of the collar, allowing the airbag to inflate around your head.

Yes. You can either wear the hood down underneath Hövding, or up over your head inside Hövding if it is a thinner hood. You must not wear the hood lying on top of Hövding or up over your head outside your Hövding. When the airbag is triggered, the pressure splits open the upper and front seams of the collar, allowing the airbag to inflate around your head. Because of this it is important that you always keep the area of the split seams free.

Yes, but avoid wearing your headphones around your neck, lying on top of Hövding. When the airbag is triggered, the pressure from the airbag splits open the upper seam of the collar, allowing the hood to inflate around your head. Because of this it is important that you always keep the area above this seam free.

Please note that even if the function of Hövding isn’t affected by you using headphones while riding your bike, we do not recommend it for safety reasons.

No.

It depends on the size of the turban. A large turban might get in the way and impede the airbag inflating around the head.

If you are uncertain, send us a photo at info@hovding.com and we will be happy to advise!

Yes. The veil should always be placed inside Hövding. You must not place the veil lying on top of the collar or folded up on the outside of Hövding so that it covers both Hövding and your head, because it is important that you keep the area above and in front of the split seams free.

A lot of headgears works perfectly with Hövding. For example, knitted winter hats, caps, soft hats and sun hats are no problem to use with your Hövding.
What might impede the airbag’s inflation around your head are big tassels on your cap or big and heavy headgear.

If you are uncertain about a particular hat or kind of headgear, send us a photo at info@hovding.com and we will be happy to advise!

Most hairstyles, such as short-cut, long loose hair or in ponytail, page, braids and smaller updos such as swirls or a small hair knot, work well together with Hövding.
The hairstyles that may impede the airbag’s inflation around your head are very large, rigid or heavy hairstyles such as a stiff and high mohawk, a very large afro and dreadlocks that cannot fit inside the collar when they are loose.

For dreadlocks: Measure with measuring tape around the neck and dreads. If neck including dreads has a circumference of less than 45 cm, you may use Hövding.

If you are uncertain about a hairstyle, send us a photo at info@hovding.com, and we will be happy to advise!

Yes.

You can fold your Hövding up and put it in a bag. Just make sure it is not positioned in such a way that the battery button is kept pushed in for a longer period of time. That might result in Hövding being discharged. The on/off button contains a magnet that activates Hövding. Therefore, avoid that the activation button where the battery indicator is, comes in contact with other magnets (magnetic locks, speakers, etc.), since this could inadvertently activate Hövding.

No, that might damage the airbag inside. We conduct thorough tests on each of the products we produce to ensure the functionality. We can not guarantee the functionality of the Hövding if any changes to the collar or shell are made.

No. The functionality stated is only guaranteed with the original covers.

Yes. But we recommend using a cover, since the collar is not washable.

The collar can be cleaned carefully with a damp cloth. The cover can be washed according to the washing instructions shown on them.

Hövding can be worn in the rain, but it should not be washed or immersed in water. The removable covers are washable. The collar can be cleaned carefully with a damp cloth.

approx. 650 g without the cover.

No.

Hövding 1.0:
It takes about 6 hours to charge the battery completely.

Hövding 2.0:
It takes about 3 hours to charge the battery completely.

LEDs at the front of the collar indicate the battery level.  An acoustic signal will make you aware in good time that the battery needs to be charged. From the first warning, you have approximately 1 hour of battery time left.

Hövding 1.0:
When activated, the battery life is approximately 18 hours.

Hövding 2.0:
When activated, the battery life is approximately 9 hours.

You charge your Hövding by connecting the USB cable supplied in an external charger with a USB port (such as the ones supplied with all smartphones/tablets).

In accordance with the applicable transport regulations and transport classification of Hövding, it is not allowed to bring Hövding as hand luggage or checked baggage when flying. What you can do is to contact a suitable transport company that can help you transport goods by transport classification UN 2990. Click here to show our own declaration that certifies Hövding’s classification.

You can fold your Hövding up and put it in a bag. Just make sure it is not positioned in such a way that the battery button is kept pushed in for a longer period of time. That might result in Hövding being discharged. The on/off button contains a magnet that activates Hövding. Therefore, avoid that the activation button where the battery indicator is, comes in contact with other magnets (magnetic locks, speakers, etc.), since this could inadvertently activate Hövding.

No. If your Hövding is broken, please fill out our cpmplaint form here.

The durability of Hövding depends on how much it is being used.

Usually the fabric on the collar has the shortest lifespan. You will notice this through visible outer wear, such as cracked seams, broken zippers or holes in the fabric. Such wear means we can no longer guarantee your Hövding is working properly.

The component with the second shortest lifespan, is the battery. It can be charged 300 times, before its capacity gradually decreases. You will notice this by the battery life gradually shortening.

All other components in Hövding have a significantly longer lifespan than the battery. This is a conscious choice we made, to ensure that you would always be safe with your Hövding.

If you need help determining whether your Hövding is worn out or not, please contact our Customer Service at info@hovding.com.

Some insurance companies will after an accident cover the cost of a new Hövding (minus the excess) through your home contents insurance. Contact your insurance company to check how they would handle your case.

In most countries, there is a Crash Replacement Program that offers a discount, ask your retailer for more information.

If your Hövding has been in an accident, it cannot be used again.

If your Hövding has been deployed, please contact us. In some cases, the accident data recorded in the black box inside the collar can be interesting and valuable to us in our on-going development work.

The product complies with the EU directive RoHS (Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment) 2002/95/EC, the collection and recycling of such equipment in European Directive 2002/96/EC, the Packaging and Waste Directive 94/62/EC, and the EU regulation REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) EG 1907/2006.

An inflated Hövding should be recycled as electronic waste at your nearest recycling center. Hövding contains a battery and electrical and electronic components that must be separated as part of the recycling process. Please note that you should never try to dismantle a by Hövding yourself! Even if it is deactivated (turned off), Hövding still contains active airbag components. A worn out Hövding that hasn’t inflated needs to be recycled by us. For us to send you a return label we kindly ask you to complete our complaint form.

We have chosen to focus on the European market for now. Hövding is CE marked after undergoing an extensive process for approval by SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden. CE marking is required for a cycle helmet to be able to be sold in Europe and certifies that the helmet complies with the requirements laid down in the EU Directive for personal protective equipment. We haven’t, by our own choice, looked into other certifications yet but hopefully in the future Hövding will protect cyclists outside Europe as well, but we can’t say if or when this will be.

Since Hövding is CE marked only we are not able to sell or ship outside of Europe nor are we able to support you or your Hövding if you reside outside of Europe. We don’t recommend anyone using it outside of Europe since it is CE marked only and not approved for other markets.

During the years that Hövding has been used, we have only had a few incidents where we received information regarding charged, activated and properly used Hövdings that did not inflate upon accident.

Hövding 2.0 is adapted to more types of bikes, such as mini bicycles and folding bikes. It is also more comfortable and the design has been updated:

• The sizes have been adjusted and are now slightly bigger than before.
• The zip has been lengthened, which makes it easier to close it when you put on your Hövding.
• The mechanics and electronics have been optimised, resulting in a lower total weight for the product. Hövding 2.0 weighs 100 g less than Hövding 1.0.
• By pressing the rear of the activation button, you can see the battery level without first needing to switch Hövding on.
• The USB port has been moved from the front of the product to the back and is concealed under the basic cover, eliminating the risk of chafing.
• A built-in eye on the inside of the product allows you to hang up your Hövding when it’s not being used.