Inflabi, the inflatable pocket helmet, seeks funding

Inflabi is finalizing its proposal to enter the market next year. The inflatable helmet that fits in any pocket has already exceeded the 10,000 euros of funding it requested in its crowdfunding campaign. The German company expects to obtain the official safety certification and put the first units on sale in April 2024.

Inflabi is serious: the pocket inflatable helmet is getting closer to becoming a reality

A few months ago Inflabi took advantage of the Eurobike platform to make itself known. The project promised to shake up the sector with a disruptive idea, although it was still in the early stages and had a long way to go. Inflabi has continued working during this time and has now launched a funding campaign with the hope of being able to bring it to market.

Maximilian Klyk, Jonas Engelhard, and Julian Wiebke are the masterminds behind Inflabi. The founders realized how uncomfortable it was to carry a helmet when parking their bikes. Klyk and Englehard, who met at university while studying Industrial Design, had the idea in 2020.

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The solution was to design Inflabi. The helmet has two main advantages: when deflated, it reduces its size by 85% - allowing the cyclist to store it in their pocket - and could provide protection up to four times more than European test standards (EN1078).

The operation is simple: the helmet is inflated through a Schrader valve and absorbs impacts with its air chambers. Users must inflate it to 2 bars and check that it is airtight. Additionally, the goal is for it to also protect against rotational impacts without using additional systems like MIPS.

After two grants for prototype development and research, among other purposes, and after its participation in Eurobike, Inflabi - which now has 8 employees - has reached a new milestone: a crowdfunding campaign to raise 10,000 euros, enough to finalize the design and bring the helmet to market.

The campaign, published on Indiegogo, has been very well received and has exceeded the goal in a short time. The initiative has raised 13,480 euros in less than a month; which is equivalent to 134% of the money they needed.

The helmet is still a prototype, although improvements can be seen compared to the Eurobike model. They have now added an outer fabric shell that will be both water repellent and breathable and increases protection against impacts and abrasion, as well as aesthetic possibilities.

The Schrader valve has also been refined. Work is now continuing on optimizing certain parts to achieve greater safety and on the materials.

Inflabi hopes to pass safety tests and obtain the official certification to start selling in April 2024. The expected price is 159 euros, although the company offers deals for those who contribute money to the crowdfunding campaign.

Finally, the valve will include a pressure gauge so that the cyclist knows that the inflation is correct.

The announcement could turn urban cycling - which is increasingly popular - into an even more popular activity. Cities are gradually giving more space to bikes, something that many have been asking for a long time, and although the measures to achieve this have sparked some debate, more and more people are deciding to park their cars and pedal through the streets.