Factory Visit: Nutcase Helmets

The colorful wall of helmets at Nutcase HQ.

If you hear the story of how Portland, OR-based Nutcase Helmets got started, you’ll understand how they so effortlessly captured the whimsical part of the market for adult multisport helmets.  Back in the fall of 2000, Nutcase creator and founder Michael Morrow was looking for a graphic way to show his support for the Oregon State Beavers at the “Civil War” football game against U of O. His solution? Four-inch metal screws super-glued to the top of an old orange-and-black Oregon State helmet; he then impaled yellow rubber duckies on the screws to demonstrate the fate awaiting the Oregon Ducks.

The response to the helmet was instantaneous—as was Morrow’s light bulb moment:  adult helmets are boring, and not indicative of the fun everyone has while biking, skiing, and skating.  What started out as a garage operation with Morrow and his kind-hearted wife has now blossomed into company with 12 employees, with orders flooding in from all over globe and annual deliveries in the hundreds of thousands.

The decal-applied helmet designs come in all variety of color and style, from watermelons to polka dots to graphics that support your favorite team or city. The chinstrap boasts a one-handed magnetic buckle that works like magic and a simple dial to adjust the helmet’s fit.  All helmets comply with U.S. CPSC Safety Standards for riders ages five and older. The line includes street sport helmets as well as models for cycle/skate, snow sports, motor sports, and water sports.

We also love the whimsical collection of bells.

And we really like that their spacious HQ is above Portland’s amazing Ford Food and Drink, which makes a breakfast buttermilk biscuit with mozzarella, pesto, and organic relish that has no business tasting as good as it does. Craft beer goes for $4 a pint—which was almost enough to convince us to have one with our biscuit.

Fun fact: In Portlandia, the mayor of Portland (played by Kyle MacLachlan) wears the first official Nutcase helmet.

We’re testing one of their helmets right now and will report back soon.