Sweet Protection, an industry leader in high-performance helmets, goggles and technical clothing, announced that the Wanderer II and Rocker Whitewater helmets have received the highest rating to date among all the paddlesports helmets tested by the renowned Virginia Tech Biomechanics Helmet Lab.
The Virginia Tech Biomechanics Helmet Lab impact tests helmets to evaluate their ability to reduce linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the head resulting from a range of impacts a whitewater kayaker might experience. Virginia Tech has conducted these tests since 2011 and the ratings are the culmination of more than 10 years of research on head impacts in sports to identify which helmets best reduce concussion risk.
“Paddlesports have been in Sweet Protection’s DNA since Day 1, and we’ve never stopped innovating and improving our helmets to become the industry standard for safety,” said Ståle Møller, founder and head designer at Sweet Protection.
Paddlesports have been an important part of Sweet Protection’s brand history since the 1980s, when the company’s founders fell in love with the local rivers in Trysil, Norway. While all the company’s paddle helmets have existed for several years, the company is devoted to a constant pursuit of perfection and developing the safest paddle helmets on the market.
The Rocker features advanced helmet construction that combines the elasticity of injection-molded thermoplastic with the rigidity and strength of carbon fiber allowing Sweet Protection to essentially tune the shell and liner for optimized performance.
The Wanderer II Helmet features everything needed for all-around river use at a significantly lower price. Boasting a strong reputation since its conception in 2008, this whitewater helmet includes customizable fit pads, direct ventilation, and Sweet Protection’s trusted construction to earn its place atop the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings.
“The VT Helmet Lab has been researching concussions and helmet performance for 15 years. Ten years ago, we came out with our patented STAR Rating system. These STAR ratings are really important because they supplement the pass/fair certifications with real-world helmet evaluations that inform consumers on the relative differences between helmet models,” said Dr. Barry Miller, director of the Outreach Helmet Lab. “Additionally, by creating a STAR rating system for a given sport it provides the helmet manufacturers with a blueprint for further improving helmets.”
Learn more about the Wanderer and Rocker Helmets at https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/whitewater-helmet-ratings.html
