This Foldable Helmet Made of Paper Costs Just $5

A startup has unveiled a new unbelievably-cheap helmet that is made of paper and can be folded to easily carry around anywhere.

Helmets are necessary tools for safety, especially for cyclists and bikers. On the other hand, Pakistanis aren’t really known to be fans of their own security, be it wearing a seat-belt or a helmet. Considering the rough situation of traffic over here (especially in Karachi), that is one big red flag.

Moreover, the added necessity of carrying a helmet around even after you are done with your cycling/biking doesn’t help either. The only other option you have is to leave or lock it with the two-wheeler, which is neither safe nor ideal. As a result, they are occasionally stolen or lost, increasing the cost of safety.

A startup called “Eco-helmet” has a solution for your problems. They have created a brilliantly unique honeycomb design out of paper that can be expanded to form a proper bicycle helmet. As it is made out of paper, it is also incredibly lightweight and cheap to produce.

One might think that, being paper-made, the Eco-helmet may not be that good at protecting your head. Wrong! This helmet unfolds to stretch out in a “honeycomb” lattice structure that is astonishingly good as a shock-absorbent. It has been put through a number of tests, and it has held on pretty great through almost every one of them.

There are, however, a number of drawbacks of using the Eco-helmet. For one, it will be pretty much useless in rain. It will also weaken over time.

Now we are done with the drawbacks, here is the best thing about it; it costs just around $5 (500 Pakistani rupees). The startup is currently working on perfecting the design and plans to start selling it through vending machines beside bike stands.

If it makes it here, hopefully, a $5 foldable helmet will be better at convincing people in Pakistan to start wearing it.