The world’s first airbag jeans, made by the Swedish business Mo’cycle, offer lower body impact protection for motorcyclists in the event of collisions.
There is nothing new about inflatable attachments that shield motorcycle riders from harm. Although we’ve seen helmets with inflatable cushions and strap-ons that resemble backpacks to cushion the wearer’s back from impacts, Swedish firm Mo’cycle claims to have developed the first pair of airbag jeans for Motorcyclists.
The inflatable jeans have built-in airbags that inflate during motorbike accidents to protect the rider’s lower body. They are made of Armalith, a unique material that feels and looks like real denim but is really water-repellent and abrasion-resistant.
As spinal column injuries are what paralyze motorcycle riders, using airbag technology to protect the first vertebra of the spinal column is groundbreaking.
According to Mo’cycle, in addition to protecting the tailbone, its unique jeans also provide support for the thighs, hips, and back of the torso. They include safety knee protectors, just like standard motorcycle pants.
The fact that the Mo’cycle airbag jeans are totally reusable is a significant feature. The airbags can be deflated and then connected to another compressed air canister even if they do deploy. To ensure that the airbags are immediately deployed when the rider falls off the motorcycle, the airbag trigger must be connected to the motorcycle.
In case you’re worried that you might forget to detach the trigger from the motorcycle and accidentally activate the airbags, don’t be. Mo’cycle claims that the trigger requires a force of at least 88 pounds (40kg) to release, which means that only a fall off the vehicle is virtually the only way to activate the airbags. No need to worry about motorist friends pulling the trigger as a prank.
“The only impact protection you have in regular motorcycle jeans is basically the knee protectors and sometimes you get hip protectors,” Mo’cycle founder and designer Moses Shahrivar told Mail Online. “Most injuries occur on the lower body in a serious motorcycle accident, so for 17 years I’ve been trying to solve this problem. What the airbag did for cars is about to happen to us motorcycle riders.”
