ALPINA SPORTS Brighton MIPS
51 - 55 cm
Alpina Brighton helmet – visibility, safety and neck training in one
17.10.2023
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Alpina’s Brighton is a bike helmet that serves my need for safety. There are small headlights on the front. On the back, brake lights signal that I’m slowing down.
I commute to the office on my e-bike. The easy, roughly 15-kilometre route leads through villages as well as forest and meadow. And – of course – through the city. Perfect test conditions for the new Brighton helmet with MIPS technology from Alpina. I received one a bit earlier for testing purposes.
Yes, the Brighton’s got a hefty price tag. But there’s also a lot of intelligence packed into the Brighton. On the front of the helmet are two light strips with LEDs – with a «chip on board», or COB for short. Several LED chips are mounted onto the circuit board, which enables higher luminous flux and brighter light than «normal» LED technology. From a certain distance, the individual lights are no longer recognisable as such; the white light appears to come from a single, very strong source.
Source: Martin Jungfer
On the back of the helmet are three more LED light strips. They’re special feature? When you ride your bike normally, two of the lights simply glow red. As soon as you brake, the third one also lights up, and all three start flashing. Some car models also already include these so-called adaptive or dynamic brake lights. The goal? Increased safety. It acts as a signal to following traffic that special attention is required.
The intelligent rear lighting on the Brighton is made possible by a gyroscopic sensor that registers significant reductions in speed. The back of my head flashing when I brake before a turn should be enough to grab the attention of any motorists behind me.
The lighting feature can also be expanded. The following four modes are available:
- Continuous light at front and back
- Continuous light at front and slow blinking at back
- Front light off and continuous light at back
- Short-long blinking at front and back (NY police mode)
The default when you switch on the helmet is continuous light at the front and back. In this mode, the battery lasts ten hours. With the front light off and the back light flashing, the battery lasts one to two hours longer. However, you can expect a shorter battery life in cold conditions. Winter will reveal just how much shorter.
The lighting can be switched on with a button at the back, near the width adjustment wheel. Hold it down for about two seconds, and the helmet switches on with a short beep. If there’s no beep, you’ve probably pressed down the cover of the USB-C charging port. It’s right next to the power button, and the cover feels very similar.
Source: Martin Jungfer
The helmet charges via USB-C cable – not included in the package. Given the Brighton’s price tag, I would have expected a cable to be included. Using a cable I had at home, fully charging an empty helmet takes about 45 minutes.
If you have the occasional forgetfulness streak, no need to worry: the lights on the Brighton switch off automatically after around five minutes of inactivity.
Safety: MIPS and more
The helmet’s full name is actually «Brighton MIPS» – which makes it clear that it uses MIPS technology, which stands for Multi-Directional Impact System. Its aim is to reduce harmful rotational movements in the event of an impact, which should in turn significantly reduce the risk of concussions and severe brain injuries.
Officially, Alpina's helmet is standardised according to EN 1078, but not according to the stricter Dutch standard NTA 8776, which applies to e-bike users there. Instead, the product’s description states that Alpina relies on High Expanded Polystyrene, or Hi-EPS for short. It reads: «The material has microscopically small air chambers that absorb the forces acting on the helmet in the event of an impact.» Alpina also advertises Hybrid Tec, which means that the lower part of the helmet is made of a lightweight Inmold shell. The upper part, on the other hand, is made of Hi-EPS.
According to Alpina, this hybrid construction leaves more room for air vents and ducts. And indeed, the Brighton is breezy enough for my taste. Even on the odd warm autumn day, I was hardly sweaty.
Source: Martin Jungfer
Weight: a workout for your neck
In the first few days especially, I found wearing the helmet to be somewhat of a workout for my neck muscles. All the great tech built into the Brighton comes with a catch: it tips the scales at over half a kilo. For comparison, the Stan helmet from Alpina has fairly similar safety features but weighs 340 grammes. And there are other comparable, much lighter models on the market.
Having a solid pound of helmet on my head has my neck muscles working. If I look to the side too quickly, the weight of the Brighton swings along with me – and I have to break the momentum. The same happens with bumps on the road. It forces my head to do involuntary strength training in the form of nodding. To put things into perspective, the average male’s head weighs around four kilogrammes, with the average female’s head weighing 500 grammes less. In other words, the Brighten increases the load on my neck by up to 15 per cent.
Source: Martin Jungfer
The lowdown: somewhere between heavy and too heavy
On the one hand, the Brighton offers loads of safety and comfort; on the other, a hefty price tag and weight. The Brighton doesn’t make it easy for me to recommend it. Is it just heavy – or is too heavy? The innovative brake light idea undoubtedly increases safety. But whether it’s worth the additional weight on your head is up to you.
As for me, I’d take half the battery life and fewer lighting modes if it meant the helmet weighed 100 grammes less or so. But hey, shoulda, coulda, woulda.
Got a question about the Alpina Brighton that I haven’t answered in my review? Drop it in the comments!
Header image: Martin Jungfer
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.