Coros Link bone conduction helmet exceeds Kickstarter goal and goes into production

The Coros Linx is a helmet with integrated bone-conducting speakers and a microphone that lets you listen to music, navigation directions and make and take calls without having to stop your ride. Last year it ran a Kickstarter funding campaign and it was massively successful, raising a staggering  $319,765 from 2,135 backers.

- Cycling helmets — everything you need to know

"No more earbuds!" That's the very simple premise behind the Coros helmet. It has integrated bone conduction technology into an aero road helmet, with speakers attached to the straps close to your ears. The battery and microphone are seamlessly integrated into the helmet. It means you can listen to musing and take phone calls without using headphones and potentially block out all surrounding noises. 

Bone-conduction audio works by converting sound waves into vibrations and sending them through the upper cheekbones, leaving your ears open to be able to hear your surroundings such as approaching cars. road.cc has tested bone-conduction speaks before with the Aftershokz wireless headphones.

A small handlebar remote control provides easy access to adjust the volume of the music, answer incoming calls or skip the music track. With a microphone integrated into the front of the helmet, not only can you answer phone calls, but you can also set up a pair of helmets together so you can easily speak to a riding buddy.

The company has developed its own app for iOS and Android smartphones to provide voice navigation, GPS mapping and routing, ride details and stats, which you be delivered as voice prompts, so you don’t need to take your eyes off the road to see how fast or far you’ve cycled. In the event of a crash, a G-sensor triggers an emergency alert system and can send a GPS notification to a designated person. A battery powers the smart helmet and is good for a claimed 10-hours and can be easily charged via USB.

With the Kickstarter campaign a success the company has now gone into production with products shipping at the end of last year. We've got a test sample coming our way soon and we're really looking forward to seeing how it works and if it's genuinely a useful product for those people that do like to listen to music when they're cycling, and want to be able to take calls without having to stop the phone out of jersey pocket. It costs $199.99 and is available now in a range of colours from www.coros.com/products/linx-helmet-cpsc-shine