Feher Helmets launches ACH-1 fully air conditioned helmet

Helmets are of top priority when it comes to safety gear for motorcyclists. However, unlike the motorcycle industry, the helmet industry has not seen much progress. Sure, they have gone from half helmets to full face helmets, but the workings largely remain the same.

But, with technology advancing, developers and inventors are trying to up the game in safety gears to make them more comfortable. Take the Skully AR helmet project for example, which was shelved back in 2016, and has now been brought back to life.

For comfort-conscious riders, there are cool and moisture wicking fabric for hot weather riding and warm and cosy fabric for cold weather wandering. In a colder climate, it is easy to stay warm. All you have to do is add more layers under your helmet. But for those living in places with primarily warm weather like India, there was no option to beat the heat, while riding.

Although BluArmor launched a helmet cooler for the Indian market, it required water and constant charging. Now, the Feher ACH-1 helmet promises to change that. It is the first helmet to feature a self-contained air conditioning system.

Invented and designed by America's Steve Feher, the helmet incorporates thermoelectric technology to actively cool and evenly distribute cool air throughout the interior of the helmet. It uses Feher's patented Tubular Spacer Fabric along with thermoelectric technology which was developed for use in seats of cars built by Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lexus, Ferrari, Infiniti and Lexus among others.

The helmet, though not a wireless unit, needs to be hooked to the bike's battery. It comes with a harness and a quick disconnect chord. You can also opt for a battery pack sold separately to power the battery. According to Feher, a 3,000 mAh battery could power the helmet for about two hours and a 12,000 mAh battery pack could provide power for about six hours.

The ACH-1 is constructed entirely out of fibreglass and weighs merely 1,450 grams which is in line with most high-end helmets like Shoei, Arai, Schuberth, etc. The helmet is also DOT and ECE 22.05 certified. In terms of pricing, at $599 (Rs 42,000) the helmet is not cheap, but it is still in line with top helmet brands.