Of all the helmets on this list, the Closca Loop looks the most futuristic, like something out of Spike Jonze’s set-in-the-not-too-distant-future dystopian romantasy Her. It features a design that is elegant yet understated and one that certainly doesn’t give the appearance of something that can do so much more than protect your head. That is, of course, when it’s unfolded and therefore wearable. With a bit of pressure on the top of the Loop, the helmet collapses down into itself (think one of those old-school camping mugs that collapsed down to the size of a hockey puck), becoming barely larger than a laptop.
Lately, I’ve been wearing the Loop on my short commute up to a university where I teach. It sits comfortable on my head, is lightweight enough to avoid neck fatigue, and slims down enough that I can slide it in my laptop bag while class is in session. It also has a cool-looking reflective strip across the length of the back of the helmet. My only knock on the Closca Loop is that there is no fit system (that is, no dial on the back to loosen or tighten the helmet around your skull), making its fit a bit less precise than dial-fit helmets. It’s an omission that surely has to do with the fact that you’re wearing a helmet that can fold into a backpack. Still, anytime I’m wearing my Loop, I find myself reaching for a dial that doesn’t exist.