New Bontrager WaveCel Bike Helmets

WaveCel helmets for every kind of riding

What is WaveCel?

What makes WaveCel safer?

We are finally starting to better understand head injuries that can lead to serious brain trauma and conditions like CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.) Most helmet constructions are based on testing that involves direct impacts on flat surfaces. These kind of tests makes sense in the lab, but fail to address the forces of real-life crashes where the impacts are anything but direct and linear like the testing standards.

Indirect and rotational impact protection: WaveCel is different and more effective than standard EPS foam and one dimensional slip liners because its three dimensional material can act in different ways depending on the types of impact it experiences. This way, WaveCel helmets can better protect you from the rotational forces from real life crash scenarios and reduce your chances of concussion.

How much safer is it?

The WaveCel Line

Frequently Asked Questions

Who developed WaveCel?

A team of doctors, researchers, and engineers who have been studying head injury prevention for the past 15 years. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has given this team multiple grants to support their work.

What kinds of tests have been performed?

Besides passing all current required safety standards, WaveCel went above and beyond to test more realistic crash scenarios involving angular and rotational impacts. A third party helmet review institution at Virginia Tech awarded WaveCel its highest ratings after its own testing, which you can read more about at https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicyclehelmet-ratings.html. 

Is my standard foam (EPS) helmet unsafe?

While standard EPS foam helmets still pass the current safety tests, they are designed to protect against linear impacts and skull fractures. WaveCel goes a step further and protects you from injuries that are common in real life situations, where the impacts are angular and rotational. Standard EPS helmets aren't unsafe; they won't protect you as well as WaveCel will, but they are better than no helmet at all.  

What's the difference between WaveCel and other honeycomb systems?

While other honeycomb systems address linear impacts and use a slip liner to address rotational force, WaveCel material moves in 3 different ways to absorb impact from both linear and angular impacts and is more effective at transferring rotational energy away from your head.

Can it sustain multiple impacts?

Nope. WaveCel is designed to be your best protection against a crash, but after it's done its job, you'll need to replace it like any other helmet.

How do I know when to replace it?

Replace your WaveCel helmet if it's involved in a crash. They should also be replaced every 3 years like all Bontrager helmets, as parts and materials can lose strength over time. Bontrager will replace your WaveCel helmet if it's involved in a crash within your first year of owning it.

Does WaveCel change the fit of the helmet?

WaveCel's flexible dome is comfortable and doesn't change how the helmet fits. You'll be fine ordering your usual size.

How does it affect breathability?

The WaveCel material channels air flow differently, allowing for better ventilation than traditional EPS foam. WaveCel helmets let out a lot of heat and due to less insulating foam material.

Is it heavier than a helmet without WaveCel?

WaveCel technology adds 53g to the helmet, which will most likely be completely unnoticeable for riders.

Can I buy just the WaveCel (and put it in my regular helmet)?

Nope. You can't buy WaveCel separately and you can’t remove it from a Bontrager helmet.

I sweat, like, a lot—will that hurt this technology?

If you sweat a lot you should clean your helmet once in a while but it will not have an impact on the functionality of the material.

What can render the helmet un-usable?

Besides being replaced after a crash, compounds such as bug spray, solvents, oils, paint, and aerosols can degrade helmet materials. See the owner’s manual for a complete list.