This bike helmet made of paper will supposedly protect your head

I'm not sure about you, but I vividly remember my first bike crash. I was nine-years-old and, for some reason, my dad thought it was a brilliant idea to send me careening down a hill. As I flew towards one of those handicap ramps, I braced myself for the inevitable collision. I hadn't gotten the hang of steering yet, so I knew I was in deep trouble. In a flash, I flipped over the handlebars and landed on my back. Aside from a few bumps and bruises, I was okay. Fortunately, I had a helmet on.

If you're a bicyclist, you probably know how important it is to wear a helmet. At the end of the day, you need to protect your noggin because brain damage is oftentimes irreversible. But protective gear can be expensive. EcoHelmet wants to provide an inexpensive, eco-friendly alternative. Most helmets are made out of hard plastic material, but not this one. The EcoHelmet is made out of recycled paper. Did I mention the helmet folds up like a paper fan too?

Okay, so. You might be feeling a little skeptical. How can a paper helmet protect you in the event of a crash? Well, paper is more durable than people realize. Thanks to EcoHelmet's honeycomb structure, it can absorb blows from any direction. Still not convinced? Before it even goes on the market, it needs to be CPSC certified. In other words, this helmet will go through the same tests other bike helmets go through. I imagine it's lighter than a traditional bike helmet, but (hopefully) just as safe.

EcoHelmet will ship sometime in 2017. If you want development updates, you can sign up for the company newsletter.

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