2013/14 Helmet & Goggle Preview & Market Trend Report

By Evan Buzbee
Mon, Mar 11 2013 12:01 am | Comments

2013/14 Helmet & Goggle Trends At A Glance

We caught up with the industry’s top helmet & goggle designers for a candid look at the trends, forecasts, and fanfare shaping next year’s lines:

Helmets

Rad Pads—Brands are refining the padding systems found in their helmets. Customizable pads offer four-season flexibility, as well as the option to wear goggles and a beanie beneath brain buckets.

The Certification Story—Consumers are closely examining helmet certifications, seeking out lids that offer stamps of approval for a range of sports.

Goggles

Premium Performance, Premium Price—Quick-release interchangeable lenses? Oversized frameless designs? Polarized and photochromic lenses that adjust their tint in response to changing light conditions? Yep—riders are shelling out cash for premium optics.

Nerding Out—Increasingly, brands are developing goggles that blur the boundaries between high-end optics and consumer electronics. These goggles rock GPS and Bluetooth technology, as well as heads-up displays that can provide information like speed, altitude, temperature, and resort trail maps. Some of these goggles even sport POV cameras.

Classic Comebacks—Perhaps as a backlash to these other trends, some brands are offering a healthy dose of classic designs that rely on cylindrical lenses. But don’t be deceived by their simple appearance—many of these goggles are packing high-end optical performance.