Manufacturing

AIRBAG DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

HELITE’s R&D Team develops innovative solutions to integrate in HELITE branded airbags and B2B projects for very diverse industries. We invent and design every single airbag component, which makes our know-how and products unique and authentic. The high-level engineering makes it easy to adapt to specific needs and react quickly to improve products.

AIRBAG PROTOTYPING

Ideas come to life in our prototype workshop. Hundreds of prototypes are made and tested before we decide to organize production. Our very experienced technical team works hand in hand with the engineers.

TESTS & RESEARCH

Many parameters are tested during the development phase of an airbag. The criteria are different depending on the airbag application. Typical tests include: making sure the airbag inflates correctly, inflates fast enough, inflates at the correct pressure, inflates on the body parts that we want to protect etc.

CRASH TESTS

Our know-how and research is so unique that most of our testing equipment we must invent ourselves! The “guillotine” test is very useful for checking the absorption of the tested airbag. Every critical parameter is carefully tested.

TEXTILE DESIGN & PROTOTYPING

After the final prototype has been approved it’s time for textile design and patternmaking. The new airbag needs a nice packaging! Choosing specific textiles, aesthetical details and computerization of the patterns are daily assignments at HELITE.

AIRBAGS PRODUCTION

100% of our airbags are manufactured and assembled in Dijon, France. (now you know Dijon for its mustard and its airbags!). Engineers, technicians and production all work in the same building… a very big advantage when it comes to producing high-quality safety devices.

QUALITY CONTROL

Quality control is conducted on every single airbag that comes out of our production. In other words, 100% of our production is tested before it is sold! The quality control consists of several tests such as: controlling the triggering force, inflating the airbag twice the pressure that it is supposed to sustain. Our rigorous method enables us to guarantee a very high level of reliability. Let’s not forget, we try to save lives!

Google Rating

5.0

Helite UK

5.0

Martin Slowey

1713338304

It's difficult to leave a review for a product you hope you'll never need to use, but I purchased the Helite Turtle 2 vest on the strong recommendation of a friend who was wearing one during a serious crash. He's convinced the vest saved his life.The quality of the vest is exceptionally good and you'd barely know you're wearing it. Sure, it adds a bit of bulk, but you'd expect that from a product that's designed to protect you.I've been using the vest on my ADV bike.

Kerry Wilson

1712607420

Absolutely brilliant service and an amazing product worn by our teenage daughter. I take great comfort from the fact she wears this very discreet airbag jacket every time she rides. We bought the jacket along with her youngster a bright 16.2 dark bay TB x warm blood.

Steve Jackson

1711723264

An advanced motorcyclist introduced me to the Helite jacket and although expensive it's nothing to the alternative. The sizing info was a bit confusing so a call to Helite was made. What a great call with someone really motivated to protect people from harm. Wanting to keep things simple my wife and I got the Turtle 2 with the lanyards. Don't panic they're not that sensitive and you definitely know when you get off and forget to undo! The jacket makes us feel both warmer and more protected. It does bulk us up a bit but after removing back protectors from our jackets (no need for duplication) it's all fine. So far we're really happy with our purchase. For info here's our sizing. 6'5", 14st = XL, 5'5", size 12, loves layers! = M. Let's hope we don't need to test them but much prefer the odds these give us!

liam

1708976045

Peter and staff have been brilliant, from answering all my questions. My h-moov dispatched and arrived quickly (bonus points for using dpd).And the airbag itself is a brilliant product and worth every penny just for the piece of mind.

Katie Burling

1708603071

Fab jacket. My daughter was fighting hard against wearing more conventional body protectors as she felt restricted. She was pretty positive about wearing one of these however and hasn't fought us since. Just as well, as it's been tried and tested. She pretty much bounced! Replacing the gas canister was easy. Pleased to have bought it.

Ian Wilson

1708083021

I placed an order based on the website measurement instructions, subsequently received a call from Peter to review the sizing. On his advice I went a size smaller - excellent advice. The vest was received when promised and is a great fit. I've done a few hundred miles in the past couple of weeks and it is more comfortable than previously with the back protector in the jacket, now removed as the vest has an integral back protector. It's easy to clip on/off to the tether. Thank you Peter and Helite.

Geoff C

1707660058

After several years of deliberating I finally purchased a Turtle 2 at the NEC Motorcycle Live event in 2018. My main concern that held me back from buying one earlier was that it would be uncomfortable and that in the height of a continental summer it would be unbearable. I was quickly proved wrong, on both counts. Within days I’d stopped noticing it and during a long hot summer, when worn over my Joe Rocket ‘Phoenix’ air mesh jacket, it remained barely noticeable.After six years use (I ride all year round) it still looks much the same as when it came out of the box and it remains part of my pre-ride ‘checklist’.Two weeks ago I set off at 07:20 with the air temp gauge on my bike showing ‘4c’, my ‘borderline’ temperature and a 50/50 decision moment. Forecast was for temps to rise and the roads were reasonably dry so I rolled the dice. 15 miles later, I hit a patch of black ice on a very slight RH curve in a village. I was doing around 25-30 when the front let go and the bike went down in an instant. We didn’t slide far, barely six paces. Minimal damage to the bike; a small scuff on the right cylinder head protector and pannier. As for me, I never felt a thing and it was only as the driver of the car that followed me (a biker as it happened) was helping me lift the bike to its feet that I realised the air vest had deployed. I never even heard it bang like you do on the demonstrations, but the brain does tend to shut down non-essentials at times of stress. I actually patted my chest to check and yes, it had inflated and was actually starting its deflate. Any suggestion that it might not deploy in time, at such slow speed offs, was proven otherwise.I reordered a gas cartridge from Helite which was prompt;y dispatched. This is excellent kit.(PS: Ive been a motorcyclist since 1969)

Steve

1707648006

Excellent piece of kit. Hope I don’t have to use it, but feel safer in knowing the protection it offers in a crash.

Elena Semina

1706454822

This is an absolute must have for any rider, any age, any discipline. Misconceptions and myths about air vests are ungrounded. The air vests have protected my daughters and everyone we know in very dangerous falls. We are so grateful we have come to realise how important it is to wear air vests, whenever you are on horse back. The Helite team is amazing , super professional and really passionate about the extremely important mission they are on.

Simon Rixon

1706272983

If you're thinking about an airbag vest, great service and a terrific product from Helite UK. I spoke to them prior to buying and this helped determine the exact vest type, sizing and as a result confirmed for me that I'd buy from Helite. Worn several times now, my Turtle 2 vest is a comfortable fit over my bike jacket, you'd not know it was there. The protection offered is much more comprehensive than other makes. The tethered motorcycle vest is exactly the same as the electronic one in terms of safety, but is way cheaper and doesn't need a battery charge or software update. The tether has a sufficient breaking strain that it will not trigger the vest when getting off the bike and forgetting it, my only concern prior to buying. It'll trigger only if actually falling off or getting knocked off. In the event the bag goes off it's a massively less expensive and diy process to reset the bag compared to others. No question, it's the best product and service.

Steve Hussey

1705682347

Amazing product, excellent quality, customer service is brilliant, I know as bikers we like to have fashion over substance, but it's a jungle out there, and anything to help you survive has to be a good thing.

Mark Povey

1702467330

I had a vest that stopped charging that was less than a year old, Helite and Peter who works there, sent me a new charging lead and then a new CDU sensor unit, free of charge, all good now my vest is working again. Cheers.

Vanessa Briggs

1699883836

Following a fall, which I believe could have been serious if I had mot been wearing an air jacket ,I sent it for service. I was kept informed throughout and my jacket was returned quickly, with any faults corrected.

Jess Stallard

1697224261

Absolutely love my Helite air vest. As a professional young horse producer I would never ride a horse without it on. It has saved me from a good few falls and every time I'm fine without as much as a bruise. My vest saved me from a particularly heavy fall where if not for the vest I might not have walked away unscathed as I did. Serious injuries can be so simply avioded and staying safe is so important, the helite jacket just simply a must have. I've even bought a second one to have as spare to keep on the lorry so I'm never without. It's also very comfortable to wear and the outer jackets that you can get with it are great and stylish too.

Bryan Bowles

1697101721

Had an “off” at about 35mph and was thrown from my bike. I landed mostly on my head, hard enough to split my Schuberth C3 Pro helmet. I’m convinced that my Turtle 2 Airvest saved me from serious neck injuries, as the collar inflated around the base of the helmet before I hit the ground. I sent the Airvest back to Helite UK for a check and a service and, other than a hiccup with the courier which Helite UK sorted out, it came back clean and tested. All round great product and service

1696872319

I have the Helite e-turtle 2 for biking. It's a great product that's comfortable to wear and easy to use. Not, to be fair, that I have ever "used" it - i.e. thankfully no crashes have taken place! It does make me feel a great degree safer on my bike.

Alan Thompson

1695728219

Helite vest really works. Fell off on holiday, at slow speed. Vest inflated immediately and I was uninjured as I fell into another bike and onto the road. Convincing demonstration to me.

Tony Bennett

1693222620

Had an Helite Air vest four years now and it’s saved me from injury quite a few times whilst schooling and jumping, I wouldn’t ride without it now. Also purchased the Air jump jacket which fits great thanks to some good advice from Helite on sizing

Adam Davis

1692641023

I found the company to be super helpful and friendly, they know everything about their products , I have found the air vests to be high quality fortunately I haven’t crashed my bike , so I have never experienced the benefits.

Imogen Kimberley

1692623735

Luckily I haven’t had to have the airbag deployed on my motorbike yet but the product has given me great peace of mind.It’s comfortable and lightweight, and the back protector portion of it feels much more extensive than the usual back padding you find in most motorbike jackets. The hi-viz yellow colour is also fantastic, and it held up well in torrential rain too.The customer service is exceptional - I needed to have the vest arrive very quickly due to a last minute trip. I rang up and they confirmed it was in stock and would be sent that afternoon, and it arrived the following morning for me.Charging and use of the vest is incredibly simple, as was adjusting the clips so it sat snugly over my bike jacket.I would recommend this product to anyone and everyone who rides horses or motorbikes - for something so easy to put on and the extra peace of mind it can give you it is worth its weight in gold.

Robert Walker

1691568679

Air Jacket worked as it was designed to when I was hit be a car inflating before I knew what was going on.Definitely a worthwhile purchase.If I had a couple of design criticisms the sizing you need is 2 sizes bigger than normal (they are French sizes).D30 armour, if you're purchasing this Jacket you have safety in mind.Better quality zips.The criticisms aside the air Jacket probably saved me from being injured.RW

Stuart Turner

1691072850

Peter is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the Helite products. I went to to them directly as I wasn't sure which size of the Helite Turtle 2 to order. Peter even gave me a demonstration of the airbag whilst I was wearing it! Note this isn't a shop you can just turn up at, please ring ahead of time. Highly recommended 👍

Mark Herbert

1690381405

Recently had a low speed, emergency topple over due to actions of other road user. Helite inflated before hitting concrete with my shoulder and probably prevented a broken collar bone. Replacement cannister ordered and delivered promptly and easy to install. Great product.

Paul Abraham

1690208448

I managed to break the plastic part of the keyball in fastener by standing on it. Contacted Helite UK who were exceptionally helpful and obtained a new one very quickly. Very happy with their service.

Bash on a Bike

1689527426

I own two air vests and I'm absolutely sure they have saved me from more substantial injuries when called upon.

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Facebook Rating

5.0