Criticism
Criticism has focused on the price of the Hövding, and some have raised questions about its functionality during certain types of crashes.
Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute
Early on, the privately funded and in the cycling industry respected U.S.-based Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI) took notice of the development of the Hövding helmet. The institute, which had been awarded the Award of Merit by the leading standards organization ASTM in 2014 and is frequently cited in scientific and popular literature, closely followed both the technical development and marketing of the product.
The product received particular attention when, on December 17, 2017, the manufacturer submitted a petition to exempt the product from the U.S. CPSC bicycle helmet standard. The BHSI contributed to the discussion by submitting a scientific comment in which it rejected the exemption request. The rejection was substantiated by the institute's own testing based on conventional helmet test criteria, by referencing Hövding's submitted test results, and by general considerations regarding the protective principles of airbag-based helmets.
However, the BHSI also pointed to alternative foldable helmet models that could potentially play a meaningful role, especially in shared bicycle programs.
Sales ban and bankruptcy
In November 2023, the Swedish Consumer Agency temporarily banned the manufacturer from selling the Hövding 3.0 in Sweden, following an Uppdrag granskning investigation into the company's decision not to recall helmets with a known manufacturing defect which could cause them not to activate in an accident.
On 15 December, the Swedish Consumer Agency announced that the Hövding 3.0 was to be recalled and permanently banned from sale in Sweden due to the safety concerns. The recall and sales stop were overturned on 22 December. The day before, on 21 December, Hövding had applied for bankruptcy proceedings. The application proceeded, and the company entered bankruptcy from which they did not emerge.
