Re-imagining the humble bicycle helmet, Lumos is the world’s first smart bike helmet that beautifully integrates lights, hard brake, turn signals, and helmet into a single cohesive whole. An elegant solution for your safety and visibility.
Price $169 USD
Find it at lumoshelmet.co
Lumos comes in a one size fits most and will adjust to a head measurement of 54cm – 62cm. They may add additional sizes including a kids size in the future. Bright white LEDs in the front, red in the rear, and left and right turn signals proved illumination that stands out and is easily understood by other road users. The helmet includes a small wireless handlebar remote which activate the turn signals. The water resistant helmet and remote are powered by a rechargeable battery. They helmet is available in three colors: Pearl White, Charcoal Black, and Cobalt Blue.
TELL YOUR FRIENDS
This helmet is an award winner. The London Design Museum awarded Lumos the top prize in the transport category beating out Tesla Model 3. While the helmets big bold lights have a quirkiness to them the fit and function of Lumos make it deserving of such an award.
Out of the box it’s the first helmet I have opened that had multiple wires, remotes, and manuals come with it. There was a sense of confusion at first but in reality the helmet is incredibly user friendly and intuitive. The lights are bright and sit high on your head so you stand out on the road and are easily seen – confirmed by the drivers and cyclists who made road side comments on the helmets visibility and uniqueness. The turn signals on the front and back allowed for more predictability on the road and cars appeared to be more responsive, giving me ample room and a better sense of security.
The flexible retention system provides stability and a customized fit that is incredibly comfortable. My head size is the smallest size Lumos is made to fit but with it’s simple adjustment system it felt snug and secure. Weighing 440g the helmet still feels light on your head, hard to believe considering the built-in features of this helmet.
WISH LIST
While the helmet itself is very visible it does not project enough light to see what’s in front of you. You’ll need to have an additional bike light dedicated to the ground when riding at night. While the helmet is not intended to replace regular bike lights it would be great if the front light was more powerful. This would also make the helmet a bit more useful for those who ride during daylight hours but are wanting to improve their visibility. When in sunlight the lights have very little effect.
The settings do not vary between the front and back light. You can’t have a flashing rear light and solid front light which is a feature I hope they add in the future.
SUMMARY
The team at Lumos have put a lot of thought into their product and the helmet exceeded my expectations. While some may be deterred by the fact you have to learn how to use it they shouldn’t be. Each function is activated in logical manner but if you do get stuck Lumos has plenty of support and product knowledge available online. Just visit their YouTube channel or FAQ page for thorough and easy to follow instructions. The wireless remote comes paired with the helmet so out of the box you are nearly ready to roll. All that’s needed is a quick charge.
I was impressed with the battery life. With a full charge it lasted for a week of short 20-30min commutes, anything beyond that and you will need to charge it more than once a week. While the helmet is labeled as a ‘supplement’ to regular bike lights if you plan on relying on it for visibility make sure it’s got enough battery. You can download the Lumos Helmet App for accurate battery life stats and to set-up automatic battery notifications.
The app also allows you to configure the helmet to the way you like it so if you don’t like having the remote beep while the turn signal is active you can change that setting. The remote comes with different sized bands so it can be secured to any set of handlebars and when positioned correctly all it takes is your thumb to activate the right or left signal. I found the signals very useful when riding in the dark or on a wet evening. Unless the sleeve of your jacket has a lot of reflective details your arm can be difficult to see at night. The helmet provides a visible signal so even if your indicating arm isn’t visible or you need to lower it to regain balance drivers still know that you are going to be turning.
Another cool feature of this helmet is the automatic warning lights that sense when you’re slowing down and turn the rear lights bright solid red. The feature is still in beta stage but as it improves Lumos will be able to provide firmware updates through the phone companion app.
Overall the Lumos Helmet is an attention grabber which is exactly what you want when sharing the road with increasingly distracted drivers. The helmet improves your safety on the road by making you more visible and predictable to other road users. I do like the looks of the helmet and it’s very comfortable to wear. Well done Lumos!
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WISH LIST
Why are we tinkering with this type of helmet rather than getting Hovdig, air bag helmets into this country? They provide so much more protection.
I agree, the Hovding would be great. Until it’s available here, though, I’ll stick with the Torch helmet.
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