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As summer continues on in Vancouver (now complete with sunshine), I continually seek out well-designed and useful accessories to get me around town in style and promote cycling as a daily event rather than a workout.

I was recently sent a beautiful Sawako Furuno Hanabi style helmet to road test and review. Sawako Furuno is a UK-based cycle accessory and clothing label for women. Furuno, originally from Tokyo, is a trained architect who has always been passionate about design. As a regular London cyclist, she was keen to design products that would stand out from the typical range of unattractive cycling accessories and apparel. “The brand is about being feminine, stylish and having fun on your bike”, according to Cycle Fashion.

The first things that came to mind were how lightweight and comfortable it felt to wear.

The helmets have been receiving great reviews both in print and online, including TimeOut London and the Evening Standard.

Earlier this year, local Dutch bike company Jorg and Olif included the helmet in a review of five cool bike helmets, declaring it the perfect female cycling accessory.

The Hanabi is part of the Classic revival collection from Cycle Fashion and is inspired by a traditional Japanese aesthetic. The helmet is BMX style, loaded with a floral motif, and comes in one size (Medium). It’s fully adjustable via clicking the wheel (at rear of helmet), as well as changing the length of the straps.

The helmet has passed US and European cycling safety standards (and I’ve been told that Canada is on its way). I’ve worn it a few times already and it’s getting loads of compliments!

The designer plans to expand the line to include accessories and apparel in the future. Although the shop is based in London, the helmet can be ordered online (currently sold out but due back in the store this month).

Disclosure note: I was sent the Sawako Furuno Hanabi helmet for the purpose of writing this review: Cmply.2