Many of those who ride two-wheelers on the daily commute in the city will argue against wearing helmets on the regular, for a variety of reasons. For those concerned that such a safety consideration will mean a compromise on their personal style, the N1 promises to have the solution.
The N1 is a semi-soft helmet from Copenhagen, Denmark-based startup Newton-Rider. If the company’s name rings a bell, it’s because it’s been around for over two years, trying to launch this seemingly revolutionary helmet into full production, and apparently having very little luck at it.
Newton-Rider first made headlines in 2020, when the eponymous helmet launched with the crowdfunding campaign. As early as back then, it promised a product that was equally Instagrammable and reliable in case of a crash, thus offering the best of both worlds. As much as we might snicker and laugh at the idea of not wearing a helmet because it makes you look dorky or messes up your hair, you probably know it can – and most certainly does – happen.
The idea with the Newton-Rider was that it was smaller and thinner than a regular, hardshell bike helmet, foldable for ease of transport even inside a lady’s handbag, and pretty enough to make even the most fashion-aware rider excited at the idea of putting it on. Equally important was the fact that it wasn’t made from the usual expanded polystyrene, but from a patent-pending non-Newtonian thermoplastic elastomer that would reshape the structure after impact, thus making it multi-use.
Photo: Newton-Rider
In short, the Newton-Rider claimed to be the unicorn of bike helmets: good-looking and reliable, multi-use, versatile, and tough as nails. According to the maker, that last attribute would come into play both in case of minor collisions or more severe and even life-threatening accidents, effectively protecting the head of the wearer before bouncing back into shape.
The Newton-Rider is back in the headlines. It goes by the N1 name now and it’s nearing delivery to the first backers who supported it in the several crowdfunding campaigns of 2020. It boasts the same features, but with some amendments. For instance, the maker is no longer saying that you can count on it to protect your head in case of a severe collision, limiting its applicability to minor accidents. Still, it’s better than not wearing a helmet at all, especially since your head can’t bounce back into shape like this helmet says it can.
Pricing has also gone up, with MRSP going from €99 to €119 ($107 to $129 at the current exchange rate) for the production version. Which is yet to make an appearance.
There are three layers of protection to the N1, but only two are detailed: the pads of non-Newtonian polymer and a flexible liner layer to which they’re glued. In case of an impact, the pads harden and absorb the energy of the impact. By comparison, in the case of polyester foam, it breaks upon absorbing the energy, which makes every helmet single-use as regards to accidents. The N1 becomes semi-soft again once that energy is dissipated, with the pads reverting to their original shape.
In theory, the N1 is the perfect bike helmet. Because of its build, it adapts to the wearer’s head, so you will no longer have to worry about sizing and fit, it’s comfortable to wear, it looks good, and can be immediately stowed away when it’s not needed, since it folds either by length or by width. In practice… well, there’s really no telling how the N1 is like in real life, because it doesn’t look like anyone has ever gotten a chance to test it extensively. It’s almost as if the N1 exists solely in press materials and heavily-edited artsy photos.
Photo: Newton-Rider
It’s true, some N1s have been made available for test rides mostly in Europe, and it does look like at least one major media outlet got one such helmet for a review – though they strangely had no photos of it in use, and relied instead on the official, heavily-edited photos provided by the company.
But the regular cyclist or two-wheel rider still has a long wait ahead: backers of the original campaigns are complaining about the repeated delays, an apparent lack of communication between Newton-Rider and themselves, and a clear emphasis on marketing to the detriment of actual product development. The most recent announcement from the company that the N1 had earned them a nomination at Micromobility World Event’s Rider’s Choice Awards for Best Rider Accessory Maker 2023 did not have the anticipated outcome. Because, backers said, how can you be nominated for awards when you don’t have a product?
For their part, Newton-Rider insist that the N1 is real and that, this time, the delivery timeline will stick: backers should get it by the end of January 2023. They cite issues with the international health crisis as reasons for the repeated delays, as well as their desire to deliver the high-quality product they promised.
It’s a matter of time before we get to see if any of this checks out, since the clock is ticking in January, but even at this stage, it doesn’t look like many of the original backers are buying it. The N1 might be billed as the world’s thinnest and most fashionable helmet, as well as the first ever of its kind, but to them, it’s a unicorn that cost them money.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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