When I saw the Livall Smart Helmet advertised online I was immediately interested. With its array of lights at the back including indicators I was quite happy with that package at the price (£99.99). What I got was a whole lot more.
Helmet seen from the rear (with Moon 4360 light fitted on top)
The helmet is a fairly standard looking affair, and indeed the lights aren’t immediately visible. It’s not until the helmet is switched on that they become apparent; a large bank of strobing lights above two smaller banks of fixed lights. The two smaller banks also change colour to act as indicators, controlled by a handlebar mounted control unit.
Handlebar mounted control unit.
On the left and right are the speakers, under the brim are the (left to right) charging port, controls on/off and microphone.
Inside the helmet there are controls mounted just inside the brim, power on, volume up and down, co-located with a microphone and a charging port. This charging port is one of my few (possibly only) dislikes about the helmet, as while it’s waterproof and pretty much idiot proof, it’s also unlike any other charging cable on the market, so if you want a spare or replacement then it’s off to the manufacturer you go. To charge it simply plug it in and place the magnetic pad on the recessed slot on the helmet. Two lights on the rear will illuminate to show it is charging, and they’ll go out when it’s finished. The battery life is advertised as being up to 10 hours, but as I routinely charge the helmet after a ride I’ve never taken it to the limit.
Either side of the helmet are two neatly recessed speakers, allowing you to listen to music, hear notifications or take phone calls on the move. I’m not a great fan of listening to music on the bike, but it provides a perfectly listenable level of sound. Of more use personally is the fact that I can hear notifications from my cycling app, telling me time and distance covered. You can also take phone calls while cycling (or redial with a double tap on the red button) and the microphone works really well, even at speed.
As I said the helmet connects to your phone and this does mean that the bluetooth function should be enabled on the phone for this to work. This also allows another really important feature to operate, the emergency contact feature. By downloading the Livall app you can programme in up to three emergency numbers who will receive a text message if the helmet detects that you have had a fall. In the event of you taking a fall the sensor will detect the unusual motion and trigger a 90 second countdown feature, which allows you to cancel the alarm if you are able. If you are incapacitated or can’t respond within 90 seconds then your emergency contacts will receive a text telling them who has had an accident, when it happened, where it happened and a link to show this on a map. I’ve tested this and it is remarkably accurate, although I’d assume that the sending of the message would be reliant on your phone surviving any impact.
Overall this is a superb piece of equipment, and when you consider the price of a standard helmet with none of these features, then it’s not such an excessive expense. It’s lightweight and comfortable, and if you are looking for a new helmet and especially if you use timing apps, it’s worth giving this serious consideration.
The Airdrie Rambler 