Certified EN 966
Ideal for paragliding and other sports for which low weight and impact protection are essential features
Eco is a new budget paragliding helmet by Icaro, designed specifically for airborne sports in which low weight and high impact protection are fundamental factors. Like all Icaro helmets, Eco is fully certified, specifically EN 966 for airborne sports, and it can be classified as one of the safest of its category.
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Its name is an abbreviation of “economic,” and in fact Eco is the first Icaro helmet specifically designed to ensure optimum protection at an attractive price.
It nonetheless embodies all the features that hallmark products by Icaro: safety first and foremost, with excellent impact protection and progressive impact energy dissipation, attractive design, guaranteed quality, entirely made in Italy.
Eco is light, visually distinctive, and high performance.
With removable ear covers, optional visor and internal ventilation, it has everything required in a helmet used for demanding sports such as paragliding, hang gliding and ultralight flying.
Laboratory and flight tests have shown that this type of helmet permits efficient communication for in-flight radio communications and for discerning the audio signals provided by flight instruments.
100% Made in Italy, Eco features the Italian flag at the back, under the IC2 (Icaro 2000) logo.
The helmet was devised by Icaro’s team that includes Felice Manzoni, Italy's top helmet development consultant, and graphic designer Ignazio Bernardi.
The name Eco reflects Icaro's preference for maximum quality, no frills, and the right price.
Eco is a helmet designed specifically for airborne sports (HPG, hang gliding and paragliding), optimized to offer EN 966 certified protection along with reduced weight and an attractive appearance.
It is an open-face helmet (jet configuration) with removable ear covers, integrated ventilation, and optional visor.
It was designed by Ignazio Bernardi, with technical consultancy from Felice Manzoni at the eponymous Italian helmet design studio.
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Icaro’s helmets all begin life as a concept accompanied by the desired performance specifications. Our designers sketch their ideas and then create prototypes using traditional sculptural techniques, working with materials such as wood and plaster. Once the basic shape has been approved, it is converted into numerical data in the form of a 3D file. This is used to generate computer images, subsequently utilized to simulate versions in various colors and materials. After final approval, the data files are used to program the CNC machines that generate the outer and inner shells, and the many other components that make up the complete product, such as visor, ear covers and chinstrap. Each helmet is carefully assembled by our factory staff in Laveno, and then thoroughly checked for quality before being packed and distributed. Eco is a fine example of Italian design and engineering.
Eco has an outer shell in injection-molded ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, 1,100 kg/m3), finished with a paint coating that protects the surface from UV radiation. The outer shell has excellent perforation resistance, strength and elasticity, for optimized impact protection.
Eco has an inner shell made in polystyrene (70 kg/m3), with a thickness designed specifically to enhance the helmet’s protective function while ensuring exceptional lightness.
In addition to its role in impact absorption, protecting the head in case of incidents that may occur in airborne sport activities, the EPS inner shell also makes the helmet very comfortable to wear.
Eco is made with a unified outer shell for sizes 55-62, length 260 mm, width 240 mm, height 235 mm (tolerance +/- 2 mm for all dimensions).
Eco’s sizes are attained by different comfort lining thicknesses, from 5 to 15 mm.
The size of a helmet corresponds to the comfort lining’s inner circumference.
Therefore you can measure your own head circumference at its widest point (just above the ears) in centimeters, using a soft tape, in order to determine the ideal helmet size.
If you are unsure whether to opt for a larger or smaller helmet, we recommend choosing the larger version. This can be adjusted by means of thicker comfort padding. Conversely, if the helmet is too tight, there is no way of increasing its size.
Eco is available in sizes: Small 55-56, Medium 57-58, Large 59-60, and Extra-large 61-62 cm
Eco has a comfort lining in the form of a cap made using the high-technology fabric Shalimar.
As well as being very soft, Shalimar improves comfort by absorbing perspiration, conducting it away from the scalp and promoting its rapid evaporation.
Each Eco helmet bears a label guaranteeing the use of the innovative Shalimar fabric.
The comfort lining is attached to the inner shell using Velcro.
This makes it easy to remove, for washing or replacement.
You can adjust the helmet’s fit by using a thicker comfort lining.
If your helmet is not a perfect fit, we can send you new padding, regardless of where you purchased the product.
4 comfort lining caps are available:
Eco has ear covers (thickness 20-25 mm) with a semi-rigid exterior part and a soft, comfortable interior layer.
They are easy to remove and replace if necessary.
For optimum protection, we recommend always using the helmet with the ear covers in position, because they provide extra impact protection, and improve the helmet’s stability on the head.
6 Visors are available, 3 very special mirror colours
For the Eco helmet, a visor is an optional accessory.
Tests performed on visors have shown that they improve field of vision and wind protection when compared to ordinary sunglasses.
The visor for Eco is made in 2 mm polycarbonate, 1,200 kg/m3, and it is optimized for impact resistance, anti-scratch and anti-fog performance, ensuring optimum optical transparency.
It can be cleaned using a mild soap solution with a soft microfiber cloth.
Material: 1,200 kg/m3 polycarbonate with anti-scratch treatment.
Thickness: 2 mm
Weight: 90 g
Total light transmittance:
Transparent visor 88%
Tinted visor 37%
Icaro uses its proprietary visor fixing system that increases safety.
In fact the pivot screw was designed with an external disc that projects from the outer shell by less than 5 mm, so that there is no risk of paraglider lines becoming entangled.
This feature is mandatory for EN 966 certification.
The visor fixing system comprises an O-ring in contact with the inner side of the aluminum disc. This provides the friction that enables the visor to be adjusted to any position, fully closed, fully open, and all intermediate positions. The friction of this system can be adjusted using the hex key that Icaro supplies with the helmet.
In the fully open position, the visor is totally outside the field of vision, ensuring optimum visibility.
Internal ventilation is provided by intake and exit slots, on the front and back of the helmet respectively, along with ventilation channels between the outer shell and the polystyrene inner shell.
The ventilation system was designed in consideration of the relatively high speeds of airborne sports such as paragliding and hang gliding, with the objective of ensuring optimum user comfort.
The chin strap is easy to adjust, with millimetric precision, using both the red quick release clip, and the double D-ring for strap length adjustment.
Just lift the red tab to undo the strap.
The chin strap is padded with soft, comfortable fabric.
Eco is currently made in two colors, white and black.
Icaro’s helmets are tested by CSI, a laboratory authorized by Italy’s Ministry of Transport.
Eco is intended for use by paraglider and hang glider pilots, by pilots practicing other airborne sports such as ultralight flying, and for other action sports in which low weight and high protection are important considerations.
Eco’s reduced weight improves user safety by reducing the risk of whiplash injuries.
Eco is certified in compliance with the European EN 966 standard.
View the certificate issued by CSI
For further information on EN 966 testing, please see our page
About safety
The test report compiled by the CSI laboratory is available at this link (14 pages)
The report shows that the results of certification tests are well within the limits specified by the Standard.
It therefore provides quantifiable, scientific documentation of the helmet’s safety performance.
Eco is 240 mm in width, 235 mm in height and 260 mm in length (tolerance +/- 2 mm for all dimensions).
During certification, the helmet passed the test for satisfactory peripheral vision and vertical field.
The Eco helmet, without visor, weighs 600 grams.
The visor weighs 90 grams.
View the Manual for the Eco
All our helmets are created by Italian designers, made in Italy using Italian materials and technology, assembled at our workshop in Laveno by trained Italian personnel, and certified by an Italian company.
It would be cheaper to outsource production overseas.
We prefer to do everything ourselves, here in Italy, for a reason: quality, which means safety and user satisfaction.
Our quality is not just a slogan: it is demonstrated by tangible results. Our hang gliders and helmets are used by leading pilots who have conquered an impressive list of world championship victories.
And you can see quality in action. You are welcome to visit our premises and watch our team working on the helmets.
Eco is a new helmet and so as yet we have no customer comments.
Feel free to send us your own comments and reviews to
[email protected]
For privacy reasons, we never publish the name of the customer who sent us the comment.
Texts by Henry Neuteboom
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