AI‑manipulated image. Source: iSi Wearables; AI edit: wemakestories
iSi Wearables names Eurogear Co., Ltd. its exclusive Japanese distribution partner as Hövding 4 prepares to launch in Japan in spring 2027.
Bringing a European safety icon to Japan
September 9th 2026, Vienna/Tokyo – iSi Wearables, the company behind Hövding and part of the Austrian iSi Group, announces a new distribution agreement with Eurogear Co., Ltd., a well-established Japanese specialist in European active-sports and safety brands. Eurogear becomes the exclusive Japanese distributor for Hövding 4, with market entry planned for spring 2027. For iSi Wearables, the partnership represents another step in its international expansion, introducing automotive-grade wearable protection to cyclists in Japan.
Hövding is, in fact, returning to familiar territory with earlier generations of the product being sold in Japan in the past. Building on that history, and on Eurogear's deep understanding of the local market, iSi Wearables sees considerable room to establish Hövding 4 as a natural companion for everyday cycling across Japan's cities.
Two safety-driven companies, one shared mission
Since its founding in 2004, Eurogear Co., Ltd. has spent more than two decades introducing distinctive European active-sports and safety brands to Japanese consumers. Operating specialty stores nationwide, the company began its journey as the Japanese apparel partner for the Italian motorcycle brand Ducati. Today, Eurogear's portfolio spans from motorcycle wear to other diverse forms of protective equipment. What makes Eurogear a particularly fitting partner is how closely its purpose aligns with iSi Wearables' own: both companies exist to protect people through the products they bring to market. That shared conviction, paired with Eurogear's proven skill in launching premium European brands in Japan, laid the foundation for this partnership. Together, the two companies will combine Eurogear's specialty retail network with a focused campaign to build awareness among cyclists in Japan - generating trade momentum and consumer anticipation ahead of Hövding 4's spring 2027 debut.
"Japan is a market we've been watching closely for some time, and we see real potential for Hövding 4 to become part of everyday cycling routines in its cities. Eurogear gives us the local expertise, the retail presence and the genuine enthusiasm for safety-focused European brands that this launch needs.” – Alexander Haag, Managing Director at iSi Wearables
"Through our products, our mission is to protect the lives of as many people as possible and Hövding 4 fits that mission perfectly. It's a strikingly original, unmistakably European product entering a market that has always welcomed genuine innovation. We're proud to bring Hövding 4 to cyclists here and to show our customers this new generation of protection." – Hisaya Katsukawa, President and CEO, Eurogear Co., Ltd.
Having already sold more than 500,000 units, protected over 10,000 cyclists in documented accidents across Europe and secured distribution agreements throughout the Nordics, Germany, Austria and the Benelux, Hövding has firmly established itself as a distinctive and successful presence in the cycling category. For urban cyclists who prefer not to wear a traditional helmet, Hövding 4 offers a compelling alternative - pairing automotive-grade safety with everyday comfort, convenience and contemporary design.
Automotive-Grade Safety: Swedish invention meets Austrian engineering
Hövding began as a bold Swedish invention: the idea that a cyclist's head could be protected not by a hard shell, but by an airbag worn discreetly around the neck like a collar. Since the first Hövding reached the market in 2011, that Scandinavian design vision has protected urban cyclists across Europe - and it remains the soul of the product today.
With Hövding 4, that Swedish heritage is combined for the first time with Austrian automotive engineering. Hövding is now part of iSi Wearables, drawing on decades of expertise from iSi Group, specifically iSi Automotive, in developing life-saving airbag systems for the international automotive industry. The result is a genuinely European achievement: Scandinavian design thinking paired with the precision, testing rigor and safety culture of an established supplier of automotive airbag technology – merged in a wearable for city cyclists.
"For us, Automotive Grade Safety is not just a claim - it defines how we engineer products. It is a way of working: how we select suppliers to meet our standards, how we validate each development stage and set up rigorous testing procedures. Hövding 4 stands for a new level of trust – built on testing, engineering precision and decades of protecting lives." says Alexander Haag, Managing Director at iSi Wearables
In practice, this means Hövding 4 is built around sensors that read a cyclist's movement 200 times per second, powered by an AI algorithm based on neural network technology that can distinguish an accident from everyday riding within milliseconds. When the algorithm detects an accident, the airbag inflates in 0.1 seconds to protect the head and stabilize the neck. The size adjusts to the individual rider, and the whole system is designed to disappear into daily life – invisible while you ride, ready when it matters.
With Hövding 4 now backed by distribution partners across the Nordic region (MnO International AB, covering Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland), Germany and Austria (Sports Nut GmbH), the Benelux (Action Sports SRL) and, now, Japan (Eurogear Co., Ltd.), iSi Wearables is steadily bringing Hövding 4 to cyclists around the world.
About iSi Wearables
iSi Wearable Safety GmbH is iSi Group's division for wearable protection and owner of Hövding. The company combines human‑centred design with automotive‑grade safety engineering to redefine protection in modern mobility.
About iSi Group
iSi Group is an international industrial group headquartered in Vienna, operating in Culinary, Components, Automotive and Wearables. iSi Automotive is an established player of passive safety systems to global car manufacturers, designing and manufacturing airbag solutions with around 4,000 employees in six countries.
About Eurogear Co., Ltd.
Founded in 2004, Eurogear Co., Ltd. is a Japanese specialty distributor for European active sports and safety brands, including motorcycle, ski, cycling and equestrian gear. As the exclusive distributor for multiple overseas sports brands, Eurogear operates specialty stores nationwide and organizes events that help customers enjoy active sports safely.
For more information or trade enquiries, please contact:
Company contact:
iSi Wearable Safety GmbH
Kürschnergasse 4
1210 Vienna, Austria
Email: Info.Wearables@isi.com
web: wearables.isi.com | hovding.com
Agency contact:
PUNKT PR GmbH
Benjamin Kolthoff
Völckersstraße 44
22765 Hamburg
Email: bkolthoff@punkt-pr.de
Sales contact Japan:
Eurogear Co., Ltd.
Katsunori Suzuki
Email: b2b@eurogear.jp
Web: www.eurogear.jp