After two years of development with Design Studio APE in Amsterdam, headfirst founder Daan Zoetmulder took the Echo Pro to Kickstarter, inviting backers to be among the first to own a helmet built around the brand's patented SafeFit system.
"Most of the flexibility in our helmet and SafeFit system is concentrated in the sides and back of the helmet," explained the founder. "The front maintains more structure for optimal protection, but we include extra padding options to ensure a comfortable fit for all head shapes."
Backers could choose between black, beige, and green, in two sizes covering most adult head shapes. Manufacturing was set up in partnership with Strategic Sports, with the first batch planned to reach backers before the end of the year.
Under the hood, the fit system relies on an internal ratchet mechanism: pushing the sides of the helmet in cinches the shell down to the rider's head, and a simple lever releases it again when it's time to readjust. It's a different approach from most helmets on the market, where the outer shell stays fixed and only an internal harness moves.
The campaign quickly caught the attention of outlets covering cycling and design, including feature coverage from New Atlas, which highlighted the helmet's flexible-fit shell and multi-impact protection.
For Daan and the team, Kickstarter wasn't just a way to fund production, it was the first real test of whether people would actually want to wear the helmet they'd spent two years designing. The response made it clear: they were on to something. The campaign became the foundation for everything that followed, from press coverage in Designboom and Bikerumor to the iF Design Gold Award.
headfirst Launches on Kickstarter
After two years of development with Design Studio APE in Amsterdam, headfirst founder Daan Zoetmulder took the Echo Pro to Kickstarter, inviting backers to be among the first to own a helmet built around the brand's patented SafeFit system.
"Most of the flexibility in our helmet and SafeFit system is concentrated in the sides and back of the helmet," explained the founder. "The front maintains more structure for optimal protection, but we include extra padding options to ensure a comfortable fit for all head shapes."
Backers could choose between black, beige, and green, in two sizes covering most adult head shapes. Manufacturing was set up in partnership with Strategic Sports, with the first batch planned to reach backers before the end of the year.
Under the hood, the fit system relies on an internal ratchet mechanism: pushing the sides of the helmet in cinches the shell down to the rider's head, and a simple lever releases it again when it's time to readjust. It's a different approach from most helmets on the market, where the outer shell stays fixed and only an internal harness moves.
The campaign quickly caught the attention of outlets covering cycling and design, including feature coverage from New Atlas, which highlighted the helmet's flexible-fit shell and multi-impact protection.
For Daan and the team, Kickstarter wasn't just a way to fund production, it was the first real test of whether people would actually want to wear the helmet they'd spent two years designing. The response made it clear: they were on to something. The campaign became the foundation for everything that followed, from press coverage in Designboom and Bikerumor to the iF Design Gold Award.