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Cycling airbag system Aerobag named one of the best inventions of 2026

Time magazine has named the Aerobag, a wearable cyclist safety device crafted by a Belgian company, among its premier inventions for 2026 within the sports and fitness category. Built into bib short straps, the apparatus employs nine distinct sensors to track rider movements at a high frequency, deploying within milliseconds of detecting a potential crash before resetting for continued use.

The six-year development cycle was spearheaded by Bert Celis alongside Quinton Van Loggerenberg, following the tragic fatality of Bjorg Lambrecht during the 2019 Tour de Pologne.

Professional integration remains in progress as kit brands such as Nalini, Nimbl, and MOA collaborate on the technology, with teams like Visma-Lease a Bike and Picnic PostNL having already tested the hardware. Meanwhile, the UCI initiated a formal consultation earlier in the year to establish safety standards and explore apparel integration for competitive cycling.

World teams and regulatory bodies continue evaluating wearable protections while industry development moves forward.

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