Lumos Street

The Lumos Street was the first truly smart cycling helmet to gain real traction in the Netherlands, and although the newer Lumos Ultra has surpassed it on battery and weight, the Street remains relevant thanks to its sharper price. For Dutch commuters who are already pedalling home in the dark at quarter past four in deep winter, the value is primarily visual: white LEDs at the front and red at the rear keep you visible on unlit bike paths along the Vecht or the Amstel, and the wireless turn signals — operated via a bar remote or automatically via Apple Watch gestures — add a communication layer no clip-on light can match. At roundabouts near Utrecht Centraal you can feel drivers reacting sooner when you clearly indicate.

Protection is covered by CE EN 1078 and CPSC, but there is no MIPS — that's reserved for the Ultra. NTA 8776 is also absent, which means the helmet is off-limits for speed pedelec use; the Casco Roadster is the correct answer there. Three hours of runtime on the brightest setting is tight for anyone with an hour-long daily commute: expect to charge every other day.

Folding into an NS station locker isn't an option either — for that there's the Closca Loop. In Dutch summer the ventilation is mediocre because the closed shell has had to accommodate electronics and wiring; you can feel the vents sacrificed for LEDs. For riders who don't want to spend two hundred euros on the Ultra but still want the smart-light experience, the Street remains a defensible middle option around 90 euros.