Dutch industrial design studio APE was tasked with designing a new type of bike helmet: One that could adapt to the shape of the user's head. The client, Dutch startup Headfirst, reckons that roughly half of cyclists wear ill-fitting helmets, which compromises the protection they're meant to offer.

After two years of prototyping, APE came up with this SafeFit system.

It's a ratcheting strap mechanism that allows the user to simply squeeze the helmet against the sides of their head. Doing so slides the toothed straps into a housing, where an internal catch locks the strap into the desired position, holding the sides of the helmet firmly against the user's head. When it's time to doff it, the catches can be released at the press of a button.

In addition to the novel fit mechanism, it also features an integrated brake light that you don't need to connect to anything. Instead it contains a sensor that detects when you slow down and illuminates the brake light.

Called the Echo Pro, the helmet has been successfully Kickstarted, with two days left to pledge at press time. The helmets are going for $112 and should ship in November.

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