IN BRIEF
Trek is selling a city helmet in France, the Charge WaveCel, at €169.99. Its distinguishing feature comes down to two magnets: a Trek Flare rear light supplied with the helmet, which clips magnetically to the back of the shell and which the brand says is visible up to 400 metres in broad daylight, and a Fidlock chinstrap buckle that closes one-handed. The helmet is certified to the Dutch NTA 8776 standard, tested at 45 km/h, which clears it for use on fast electrically assisted bikes. It comes in three sizes, from 340 to 420 grams.
| Price | €169.99 (official Trek France product page) |
| Weight | 340 g in S, 370 g in M, 420 g in L |
| Sizes | S, M, L |
| Certification | NTA 8776, impact testing at 28 mph (45 km/h), approved for S-EPAC use |
| Light included | Trek Flare rear light (part no. W5328882), 4 modes, claimed 400 m daytime visibility |
| Buckle | Fidlock magnetic buckle |
| Mounts | front Blendr mount included; rear Blendr mount included; Blendr magnetic system compatible with Blendr lights and a GoPro camera |
A city helmet is often judged by what you hang off it: a light you forget to charge, a mount you lose, a chinstrap you fasten badly with gloves on. The Trek Charge WaveCel, offered in France at €169.99, answers all three with magnets — and with a certification that takes it out of the ordinary-helmet aisle.
A magnetic rear light, supplied with the helmet
The main argument is in the box. Trek states that the Trek Flare helmet light is included, that it fits to the rear of the shell and that it delivers 400 metres of daytime visibility. The brand presents it as an integrated daytime running light, with a flash pattern it describes as punchy, and four lighting modes to balance visibility against run time. The product page gives it a part number of its own, W5328882, which suggests it can be bought separately.
The same magnetic logic turns up at the front and on the chinstrap. A front Blendr mount is included to take the brand’s daytime running lights, while the Blendr magnetic mount system, according to Trek, integrates Blendr compatible lights and a GoPro camera.
Trek Charge WaveCel: a helmet certified for fast e-bikes
The other notable point is the certification. Trek writes that the helmet is NTA 8776 certified at 28 mph, or 45 km/h, and approved for use with an S-EPAC electrically assisted cycle. The brand explains that this Dutch standard subjects the helmet to impact testing at higher speeds, over a wider test area of the helmet. On its speed pedelec helmets page, Trek also writes that users of these bikes “often ride at higher speeds than those on traditional bikes, so they require a helmet that offers more protection in higher-speed crashes”.
Trek also states that the Charge WaveCel earned a four-star rating from the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab, which the brand presents as “one of the industry’s most recognized independent helmet testing programs”. According to the same product page, a high rating there is associated with a lower concussion risk, and the organisation recommends wearing helmets rated four stars or higher.
The rest is a well-executed urban helmet: WaveCel technology that Trek calls improved, credited by the brand with 150% more ventilation than the previous generation of the Charge, and an unapologetic focus on city cycling and daily commuting. The three sizes weigh 340, 370 and 420 grams respectively — reasonable figures for a helmet that carries both an impact-absorbing structure and a light.
According to road.cc, which reported the announcement on 10 September 2026, the Charge WaveCel was unveiled alongside the Domane+ SL electric road bike and the Inbound+ electric city bike.
One caveat, as of 13 September: according to the French product page, the helmet’s six listings — three sizes in two colours — were all marked “OutOfStock” at that point. The product is therefore listed and priced at Trek France, but not yet available to ship on the day these lines are written.
