Anon Merak WaveCel - Review 2023

Anon’s new WaveCel lineup of helmets represents the very cutting edge of snowsports impact protection. The Merak is the leading, feature-rich model out of the collection that has garnered quite a bit of controversy regarding the claims of its “Wavecel” protection technology.

So what is this WaveCel Technology? In short, it’s a network of hundreds of tiny dampening chambers between the shell of the helmet and your skull that looks something like space-age corrugated cardboard. We’ve seen similar technology in Bontrager and Trek cycling helmets- a liner that’s built to break, but in a good way.

Their purpose is threefold: In the event of a crash, these chambers first flex to absorb some of the initial shock. They then collapse like the crumple zone of modern cars, further dampening the impact. Finally, the cells also slide laterally similar to POC’s Spin technology, effectively reducing rotational forces and diverting–or gliding–energy away from your head.

Testing is more likely than not done on a proprietary basis, and we’re not exactly lining up to run into trees to give you a more definitive answer. The bottom line is that this is the first time we’ve seen this tech in the snowsports industry, and if you trust the safety parameters that Anon is touting, it seems like a promising new development.