‘Break-Apart’ Bike Helmet Claims to Dramatically Reduce Concussion Risk: RLS Tech

September 29, 2025

For Tony White, the Chief Technology Officer of nascent helmet brand RLS, the snow globe on his desk isn’t for nostalgia. It’s a prop to explain the different forces that impact our brains in an accident.

A simple up-and-down motion certainly creates a flurry of snow, but a quick rotation causes a miniature blizzard. It’s a fitting analogy for the brand’s research into the two primary forces — linear and rotational — that can damage our brains. By reducing the impact of rotational motion, rather than just linear, the minds behind RLS say they’ve discovered a dramatic improvement in helmet technology.

Short for Release Layer System, RLS is a new patent that claims to reduce concussion risk. It involves exterior helmet panels that actually “break off” during a heavy impact. If your head crashes into something while wearing these helmets, tiny ball bearings roll and release the outer panels, dissipating the rotational force that can cause concussions.

Independent research has shown the technology to reduce concussion risk by four times compared to conventional helmets. Gear Junkie