HELMET TECHNOLOGY

Great helmets don’t rely on hype. They’re built through thoughtful invention, disciplined design, and technology that quietly does its job. Bern’s approach to style, protection, and comfort is driven by purpose-built solutions, from shell shaping to padding systems, each developed to address real challenges riders face and refined through decades of testing and iteration.

Shell Tech

Pad Tech

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Engineered From the Outside In

Every Bern helmet starts with the shell. Long before materials are finalized or features are added, we obsess over shape, profile, and line work, because how a helmet fits, feels, and moves through space begins there. Vent placement is tuned through repeated prototyping to balance airflow, strength, and weight, not guessed or copied. Foam densities, shell materials, and structural transitions are engineered as a single system, each choice influencing the next. Nothing is accidental. From the first sketch to the final mold, the shell and foam reflects meticulous design work focused on low profile comfort, clean aesthetics, and protection that performs without excess.

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Crush Zones For Your Dome

RibTech is our engineered internal structure designed to improve airflow and impact performance without increasing bulk. By reinforcing key areas inside the helmet, RibTech allows Bern to reduce material where it is not needed and strengthen it where it matters most. The result is better ventilation, consistent energy management, and a lighter feel on your head.

Airflow Where You Need It

Airflow Where You Need It

The channel geometry is designed to direct a portion of incoming air downward toward the goggle and eyewear area. By moving air toward the face, RibTech supports ventilation around goggles, helping manage heat and moisture where it matters most, without increasing helmet bulk or relying on oversized external vents.

The Lightest Out There

This is Bern's liquid foam that is injected directly into the helmet shell, where it cures and bonds in place. Because the foam adheres directly to the shell, no glue layers are needed, unlike traditional EPS helmet construction. This allows the helmet to be built closer to the head with less bulk, creating a lower-profile fit and a strong strength-to-weight balance. The result is a lightweight helmet that maintains structural integrity while feeling noticeably lighter and more streamlined in everyday use.

Like Nothing Is There

Like Nothing Is There

Zipmold+ Lite is designed for riders who want dependable protection without unnecessary weight or complexity. It delivers the benefits of Bern’s proprietary construction in a lighter package that supports everyday riding while maintaining the clean aesthetic Bern is known for.

Flagship Craftsmanship

Bern’s Carbon line represents the highest level of craftsmanship and material refinement we offer. Each helmet is produced through a meticulous, hand-finished process that takes over ten hours to complete. Built in small batches, every shell is carefully layered, shaped, sanded, and finished before receiving a translucent UV gloss paint that is both scratch and sun-resistant. This finish preserves the integrity of the carbon while revealing its woven structure in full detail, making every helmet visually distinct.

Small-Batch Precision

Small-Batch Precision

From tracing vent openings to refining seams by hand, every step is executed with precision and intent. These helmets are not mass-produced; they are built with close attention to detail for riders who value design, process, and longevity.

 

The result is a helmet that feels considered, refined, and purpose-built, inside and out.

Shop Carbon Fiber Helmets

Bern Low Profile

Every model in our head protection line features Bern’s signature shape and low-profile fit. With multiple shell sizes and size-specific molds, each helmet is built for its exact size rather than scaled from one shell. The result is a more natural fit, balanced proportions across sizes, and a helmet that feels truly dialed once it’s on your head.

Chine Line

The Chine Line refines function into form. By separating the crown from the sides, it allows the helmet to wrap the head naturally instead of sitting high on top. This defined transition reduces bulk, adds structural rigidity, and creates a lower-profile fit that feels secure and intentional from every angle.

Compass Fit

Compass Fit is Bern’s micro-adjust dial system designed for precise, on-the-fly adjustment. A simple rear dial tightens or loosens the internal fit band evenly around the head, delivering a secure, personalized hold without pressure points. It fine-tunes comfort and stability so the helmet stays locked in place while you ride.

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For over 20 years, we have been designing, prototyping, and refining helmets with a singular focus on real-world protection and certified performance. Every concept is developed through hands on iteration, lab testing, and a deep understanding of global safety standards, ensuring each helmet exceeds the requirements riders depend on.  As an independent company, we are free to prioritize safety, innovation, and integrity over shortcuts or shareholders, allowing us to build products with intention, accountability, and long-term trust at the core.

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Adaptive Pad Systems

Padding is where protection meets comfort, and where a helmet truly adapts to the rider. Bern’s pad system is designed to change with seasons, sports, and conditions through swappable knit liners that manage warmth and fit across all-season use. Integrated features like the patented Flip Visor extend coverage when weather turns harsh, while DVRT padding works behind the scenes to manage rotational forces during angled impacts. The Stealth Slider adds another layer of control, allowing internal venting to open or close without altering the helmet’s exterior. Every pad, layer, and interface is designed as part of a unified system, focused on adaptability, protection, and all-day ride comfort.

Climate Ready Comfort

Bern helmets are designed to adapt as conditions change. Swappable pads and knit liners allow riders to tune warmth and comfort for different climates and seasons, from cold winter days to milder conditions. The result is a single helmet that stays comfortable across a wide range of environments without compromising fit or protection.

Designed To Cross Seasons

Designed to Cross Seasons

Helmets like the Hendrix, Watts 2.0 and Macon 2.0 are certified for both bike and snow sports, allowing riders to use the same helmet across disciplines without compromise. By pairing multi-sport certifications with swappable pads and knit liners, these helmets transition seamlessly from winter riding to warmer weather use, delivering consistent protection, fit, and comfort wherever the season leads.

Flip Visor

Modular Style

The patented Flip Visor provides instant coverage when you need it and flips up cleanly when you don’t. Designed to reduce glare and shield against sun and light precipitation, it offers simple, functional protection without adding bulk or interfering with fit. Built into our front pad it offers a seamless solution and functional style.

Make It Yours

Make It Yours

Available in multiple colors, the flip visor adds more than just style. A reflective rim helps catch light in low-visibility conditions, increasing rider visibility at night and in urban environments while still providing sun and weather protection. Flip it down for coverage, or up when you want it out of the way.

Control the Climate

Bern’s Stealth Slider is an internal climate control system that lets riders fine-tune airflow without changing the helmet’s exterior. Built into the top interior pad, it slides to either open or block the vents from the inside, allowing you to regulate ventilation on the fly as conditions change. Open it up for airflow on warm days or high-output runs; slide it closed to retain heat and block wind when temperatures drop. The system stays clean and low-profile, preserving the helmet’s look while giving riders simple, effective control over comfort.

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DVRT Protection

DVRT is engineered to reduce impact forces through a layered system that allows controlled sliding between materials in the padding during impacts. This movement helps redirect and dissipate dangerous energy before it reaches the head, reducing the forces most associated with concussions and brain strain. Rather than relying on stiffness alone, DVRT uses intelligent motion to manage impact more effectively.

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Inspired By Nature.
Proven By Science.

Woodpeckers hammer trees at extreme forces without brain injury thanks to a special tongue support called the hyoid, which wraps around the skull to absorb vibration. DVRT pads borrow that idea; using sliding layers that shift on impact to help manage forces, keeping Bern helmets protective and comfortable.

We continue to 
pioneer next-generation products.

From the beginning, we believed helmet technology should serve the rider, not the other way around. Too many helmets were built to win spec sheets instead of daily use, adding bulk, weight, and complexity without making people safer. At Bern, we focused on designing helmets that riders actually want to wear every time they head out. That meant developing our own construction methods, refining fit systems, and obsessing over low-profile design so protection feels natural, comfortable, and unobtrusive. Real safety comes from thoughtful engineering paired with real-world wear, and every technology we use is built around that simple idea.

Dennis Leedom / Founder & CEO