Hövding is developed to protect cyclists and is the best head protection the market has to offer today. Hövding is CE marked and can be used on the vast majority of two-wheeled bicycles.
Hövding is tested and approved for people over the age of 15 with a head circumference of 52-59 cm (20.5-23.2″) and a neck circumference of 32-45 cm (12.6-17.7″). For optimum comfort, we recommend that the neck circumference should be at least 34 cm.
No, Hövding is approved for cyclists aged 15 and over.
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.
Hövding is designed exclusively for cycling. More specifically, with standard two-wheeled bicycles, including electric bicycles (max 25 km/h). The Hövding can be used with racing bikes, but is ergonomically optimised for a more upright seating position.
The Hövding is not designed or approved for use with special bikes such as unicycles, tandem bikes, BMX bikes, recumbent bikes, cargo bikes, electric scooters, Segways, etc.
Fit the included basic cover or seasonal cover (sold separately) before first use. Hövding must always be used with either a basic cover or a seasonal cover for Hövding 3.
1. Start by laying Hövding in its fully extended position.
2. Attach the longest zipper on the basic cover, with the zipper on the inside of Hövding.
3. Then adjust Hövding to the right size using the adjustment wheel (BOA® Fit System).
4. Next, thread the basic cover over the rear casing and connect the other zipper on the outside of Hövding.
NOTE: For safety reasons it is not allowed to use modified or self-designed covers. The Hövding covers are tested to work correctly in the event of an bicycle accident.
Adjust the fit using the adjustment wheel (BOA® Fit System) by turning it clockwise until you get a tight fit directly against the neck during use. For a larger size, pull out the adjustment wheel and stretch Hövding to the desired size. Then lock the adjustment wheel by pressing it down again. Place Hövding around your neck with the rear casing down towards your back (between your shoulder blades) and the zipper centred at the front.
To ensure that the airbag is correctly positioned in the event of an inflation, it is important for Hövding to fit snuggly against your neck and the rear casing to be placed between your shoulder blades throughout your bicycle ride.
You may transport your child (according to what’s approved by law in the country where you live) on the package holder of your bicycle when using Hövding.
The bicycle must be built and approved for the purpose and weight.
Our recommendation is that the minimum distance between the Hövding and the child’s head is at least 30 cm.
You may use Hövding when your child is seated in a child seat on your bicycle.
The child seat must be approved for the child’s weight and the bicycle built and approved for the purpose and weight.
Our recommendation is that the minimum distance between the Hövding and the child’s head is at least 30 cm.
No. Hövding is not dependent on the app to protect you during your cycling. Hövding App is a separate product that offers extra features for Hövding 3.
In exceptional cases, Hövding may inflate in incidents that are not considered accidents. A safety margin has been built into the product for Hövding to rather record one accident too many than one too few. As soon as Hövding is activated, it will compare 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.
Place Hövding around your neck with the rear casing down towards your back (between your shoulder blades) and the zipper centred at the front. Close the zipper in the front under your chin. Make sure that the entire zipper is properly connected all the way. To ensure that the airbag is correctly positioned in the event of an inflation, it is important for Hövding to fit snuggly against your neck and the rear casing to be placed between your shoulder blades throughout your bicycle ride.
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 you usually do when riding your bicycle.
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. When Hövding is deactivated, the airbag can’t inflate.
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.
Read more here.
Hövding 3 and Hövding App depend on a number of settings to be able to register your rides.
Please follow our guide to check the settings of the app and your phone.
Yes. Hövding’s battery level is available on the app’s front page and as a widget/notification. If the battery level differs significantly from what Hövding’s Back-LED shows, you need to restore Hövding’s connection to the app. Please follow our guide to remove and reconnect Hövding, if needed.
If your Hövding inflates, a two-minute countdown starts in the app. When the countdown reaches zero, a SMS is sent to your ICE contacts. The ICE message informs them that you have been in an accident and where you are. If you choose to stop the countdown, no ICE messages will be sent.
While Hövding is connected to the app, your trips are automatically registered when you activate your Hövding. It is not possible to start/end trips manually in the app. In case your bike ride is too short (less than 40 meters) or the location data from your phone is clearly incorrect, the ride will not be registered.
No. Hövding 3 and Hövding App rely on your phone’s mobile data to be able to send ICE messages.
No. Hövding 3 and Hövding App rely on your phone’s location and mobile data to be able to register your trips.
Open the Hövding app, then tap⋮ › Customer support › Create warranty claim and follow the instructions on your phone.
When you register your Hövding in the app, you save your receipt, product- and contact information – in case you ever need support.
No. You can withdraw your consent to data sharing in the app’s settings at any time. We respect your privacy and handle your data with care and in accordance with the GDPR.
To install and use the app, you need:
No. Only Hövding 3 is equipped with Bluetooth, which is needed to communicate with your phone.
The app is available in English, French, German, Danish and Swedish. If you’re using another language on your phone, the app will be displayed in English by default.
No. Hövding is not dependent on the app to protect you during your cycling. Hövding App is a separate product that offers extra features for Hövding 3.
No. At the moment, it’s not possible to synchronize cycling data with other apps.
No. Only one Hövding can be connected to the app at a time.
No. Hövding 3 can only be connected to one phone at a time.
Hövding’s battery lasts up to 8 hours of use depending on how much and how often the Hövding is used, user behaviour, temperature, weather, Bluetooth connection, etc. To read more about Hövding’s battery life, click here.
If you experience that your Hövding is discharging quickly, we ask you to update your Hövding through the Hövding App. Make sure you have the latest version of the app and then follow the guide here.
Always fully charge the battery when charging the Hövding (it takes at least 2 hours). Charge Hövding by opening the lid to the USB port on the underside of the rear casing, insert the accompanying USB cable into the USB port. Then plug the USB cable into an external charger with a USB port and charge through a wall socket. Close the lid over the USB port after charging is complete. While Hövding is charging, the Back LED (16) on the underside of rear casing lights up with a flashing green light. When the Hövding is fully charged, the Back LED lights up with a solid green light. Flashing red light of Back LED indicates not optimal charging. Hövding is charging but will not show a solid green light on the Back LED when fully charged. See below how to check the battery level. Hövding’s battery lasts up to 8 hours of use depending on how much and how often the Hövding is used, user behaviour, temperature, weather, Bluetooth connection, etc.
If you have damaged or lost your Hövding charging cable, it can be replaced with a standard USB-C to USB-A 2.0 cable – available for purchase in well assorted electronics stores.
To ensure that your Hövding is charging correctly with all types of USB chargers, only use USB 2.0 cables when charging – do not use USB 3.x or USB 4.
For safety reasons, Hövding is manufactured as a closed system, it is therefore not possible to replace the battery.
No. If your Hövding is broken, we kindly ask you to file a complaint at your place of purchase.
To file a complaint on a Hövding purchased in our webshop, please fill out our complaint form here.
Always charge the Hövding 3 battery fully (this takes minimum 2 hours).
Check the battery level by pressing the function button on the underside of the rear casing. The USB-cable should always be disconnected when checking the battery level. The rear LED on the underside of the cover then indicates the battery level as follows:
If the battery level is low when you are cycling, your Hövding 3 will emit a pulsating brief audible signal that is repeated every five minutes and an LED signal (soft green light interspersed repeatedly with a red flash).
If the battery level falls critically low when you are cycling, your Hövding 3 will emit 10 low-battery signals in quick succession. After 10 signals, your Hövding will signal that it is being deactivated and will be switched off.
Yes, you can. However, it is important that you always keep the area of the tear seams free and don’t cover them with fabric. When the airbag is triggered, the pressure tears open the upper and front seams of the collar, allowing the airbag to inflate around your head.
A lot of headgears work 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.
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 tear seams free.
It depends on the size of the turban. A large turban might get in the way and impede the airbag inflating around the head.
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 hair inside Hövding: Measure with a measuring tape around the neck, including hair. If the measurement is less than 45 cm in circumference in the largest place, it is possible to use Hövding.
Yes.
No.
Small in-ear headphones can be used with Hövding. For safety reasons, cycling with headphones is however not recommended, as there is a risk that you will not hear signals from the traffic or signals emitted by Hövding.
Yes, a hooded sweatshirt or jacket can be used with Hövding provided that the hood is folded down and lies under the Hövding, or if it is thinner, folded up inside the Hövding. The hood must not cover any of the three tear seams on the Hövding. When the airbag is triggered, the pressure tears open the upper and front seams of the collar, allowing the airbag to inflate around your head. Therefore it is important that you always keep the area of the tear seams free.
Hövding shall have a snug fit directly against your neck, except if soft garments are used (by soft garments we mean soft, thin fabric garments without zips or other fastenings, e.g., collars, hoods, scarves) inside Hövding. Measure with a tape measure around the neck including the garment, if the measurement is less than 45 cm in circumference at the largest point, it is possible to use the soft garment together with Hövding.
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 off, as it may be painful if they are struck by the airbag.
Fit the included basic cover or seasonal cover (sold separately) before first use. Hövding must always be used with either a basic cover or a seasonal cover for Hövding 3.
1. Start by laying Hövding in its fully extended position.
2. Attach the longest zipper on the basic cover, with the zipper on the inside of Hövding.
3. Then adjust Hövding to the right size using the adjustment wheel (BOA® Fit System).
4. Next, thread the basic cover over the rear casing and connect the other zipper on the outside of Hövding.
NOTE: For safety reasons it is not allowed to use modified or self-designed covers. The Hövding covers are tested to work correctly in the event of an bicycle accident.
Adjust the fit using the adjustment wheel (BOA® Fit System) by turning it clockwise until you get a tight fit directly against the neck during use. For a larger size, pull out the adjustment wheel and stretch Hövding to the desired size. Then lock the adjustment wheel by pressing it down again. Place Hövding around your neck with the rear casing down towards your back (between your shoulder blades) and the zipper centred at the front.
To ensure that the airbag is correctly positioned in the event of an inflation, it is important for Hövding to fit snuggly against your neck and the rear casing to be placed between your shoulder blades throughout your bicycle ride.
800 grams
No, that might damage the airbag inside. We conduct thorough tests on each of the products we produce to ensure the functionality. We cannot 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.
Hövding can be cleaned carefully with a damp cloth. Your cover can be washed according to the washing instructions shown on the cover.
Hövding can be worn in the rain, but it should not be washed or immersed in water. To dry your Hövding after riding in the rain, place it flat with the cover facing upwards and the tear seams on the top facing downwards and the zipper open.
Our chassis fabric is 100% polyamide with a PU lamination that makes the material waterproof. Our lamination meets the OEKO-TEX® standard (Class 1), which is the class that has the strictest criteria and which, for example, textile products used for children 0-3 years must meet. OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 is an independent test and certification system for textile raw, intermediate and end products at all stages of production. Oeko-Tex covers the actual production process and includes finishing. It certifies all kinds of fabrics but also thread, snaps, rubber bands, labels etc.
The chassis fabric also has a water-repellent finish that also strengthens the polyamide’s properties of resisting dirt and grease called Bionic ECO finish which is fluorocarbon free and free from paraffin and formaldehyde.
Hövding 3 can be folded up and placed in your bag.
Hövding 3 must always be used with either the base cover supplied or a seasonal cover.
For safety reasons, it is not possible to reuse an inflated Hövding. Hövding shall, just as a traditional bicycle helmet, be replaced with a new one after a bicycle accident.
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 some countries, there is a Crash Replacement Program that offers a discount, ask your retailer for more information.
The purchase of Hövding includes our voluntary 2-year extended warranty. The warranty applies if your Hövding inflated without having been involved in a bicycle accident, as long as you have used the product correctly.
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.
Hövding 3 can be folded up and placed in your bag.
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. Batteries have a limited number of charge cycles before the capacity is expected to deteriorate. After 300 charge cycles, the capacity gradually decreases. You will notice this by the battery time, between charges, 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.
Each time Hövding is activated, it automatically performs a self-test (which is then performed several times per second as long as Hövding is activated) to make sure it works properly. Hövding will shut itself down, should it find any errors. As long as your Hövding activates and deactivates with the sound- and light signal, and it charges as it should, that shows that everything is working properly.
No. If your Hövding is broken, we kindly ask you to file a complaint at your place of purchase.
To file a complaint on a Hövding purchased in our webshop, please fill out our complaint form here.
As a consumer, you have the right to return Hövding to your place of purchase for recycling. However, you can also recycle a used Hövding at your local recycling center, where it must be handled by local regulations. Before returning an uninflated Hövding for recycling, please cut off its activation tab as an extra safety measure.
An uninflated Hövding contains a helium canister, as well as a small pyrotechnic charge, and must be handled accordingly. Please contact your recycling partner or local recycling center for questions regarding handling. An inflated Hövding is sorted as electronic waste.
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.
The serial number is located on the inside of Hövding 3, folded into a pocket by the arrow with the text ‘Serial Number’ (M + 9 digits). The serial number will be visible after removing the basic or seasonal cover.
Hövding will not be affected by a pacemaker. Kindly contact the supplier of your medical device for guidance about using your pacemaker with your Hövding.
There is a hanger on the inside (left side) of Hövding which you can use to hang your Hövding when not in use.
For longer periods of storage (a few weeks), fully charge the Hövding before putting it into sleep mode by holding down the Function button for 5 seconds, until the Back LED goes out. When Hövding is set to sleep mode, it cannot be activated. Press the Function button once (1 second) or start charging to take Hövding out of sleep mode.
We have chosen to focus on the EU market for now. Hövding is CE marked after undergoing an extensive process for approval by RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden AB, Notified Body No. 0402). CE marking is required for a cycle helmet to be able to be sold in EU 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 EU 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 EU nor are we able to support you or your Hövding if you reside outside of EU. We don’t recommend anyone using it outside of EU since it is CE marked only and not approved for other markets.
During the years that Hövding has been used, we have had a few incidents where we received information regarding charged, activated and correctly used Hövdings that did not inflate upon accident. If such an event occurs, the incident is always thoroughly investigated.
The new features of Hövding 3 are:
