Comparative Analysis of Airbags for Motorcyclists

1. Introduction

The National Association of Two-Wheel Sector Companies of Spain (ANESDOR), in collaboration with the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT), publishes a catalog of airbags for motorcyclists in which manufacturers voluntarily declare the conformity of their products. As of April 2026, the catalog (available at airbag.anesdor.com/catalogo/) includes a total of 19 brands and more than 50 models. The platform itself warns that ANESDOR and the DGT do not validate the information declared by the manufacturers; the manufacturers themselves assume responsibility for its veracity.

This document critically analyzes these brands and models from three angles: the European regulatory framework, the technical requirements of each certification, and the practical implications for users who must choose a protection system for their vital organs.

2. Regulatory framework: Regulation (EU) 2016/425

Motorcycle airbags are Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that, because they protect against risks of very serious consequences, including death, are classified as Category III according to Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2016/425. This classification entails the most demanding level of conformity assessment:

•       EU type-examination (module B) carried out by a Notified Body from the NANDO network.

•       Supervised production control at random intervals (module C2) or quality assurance of the process (module D), as per Article 19.c.

•       CE marking accompanied by the identification number of the Notified Body (Article 17.3).

•       Retention of technical documentation and EU declaration of conformity for 10 years (Article 8.3).

Additionally, Article 14 states that the presumption of conformity only applies to harmonized standards whose references are published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). The only harmonized standard, published in the OJEU, is EN 1621-4 for mechanically activated motorcycle airbags. The standard for electronic airbags (EN 1621-5) has not yet been approved or published.

3. Catalog overview by certification

The catalog is divided into three groups according to the declared certification:

Each with 1–2 models in the catalog.

4. Technical comparison of standards

4.1 EN 1621-4 vs. CRITT AMC-013

Both protocols use the same impact energy (50 J) and the same impacting mass (5 kg), but they differ radically in the accepted residual force threshold:

4.2 The case of CERTOTTICA (electronic airbags)

Alpinestars and Dainese are brands with extensive experience and investment in R&D. Their electronic systems use algorithms capable of detecting an accident and deploying the airbag in milliseconds. However, the harmonized European standard EN 1621-5 (which should regulate these systems) has not yet been approved or published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). This means that no electronic airbag can currently prove the presumption of conformity with Regulation (EU) 2016/425, regardless of the manufacturer's reputation or the product's price. CERTOTTICA is a recognized Italian body, but its certification is not equivalent to a published harmonized standard.

5. Analysis by brand group

Group A / EN 1621-4 Certification: AIROBAG, HIT-AIR, MOTOAIRBAG

These are the three oldest brands in the motorcycle airbag market. Their products comply with the only valid harmonized European standard for this type of PPE. All their products are mechanically activated, which implies a simple mechanism, without electronics, highly reliable and easily reusable after an accident by simply replacing the gas cartridge. Certification has been issued by Notified Bodies of the NANDO network, which guarantees an independent evaluation process supervised by the European Commission.

Group B / CERTOTTICA Certification: ALPINESTARS, DAINESE

High-end products with advanced electronic technology. They offer faster activation speeds than mechanical systems and are the reference option in competition in various categories overseen by the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), such as MotoGP. However, the absence of a harmonized European standard for electronic systems prevents full presumption of conformity under Regulation 2016/425. These are reliable products for the demanding user, but they do not have the highest available regulatory accreditation. In fact, the FIM itself is working on drafting its own standard at the time of preparing this document.

Group C / CRITT Certification: Remaining 14 brands

These constitute the majority of the catalog. The CRITT AMC-013 protocol accepts up to 24.5 kN of equivalent peak force, compared to the 3 kN required by EN 1621-4 Level 2: a difference in demand of approximately eight times. This group includes brands with decades of market presence (Helite, Klim) and products with shorter trajectories. CRITT certification does not necessarily imply poor manufacturing quality, but it does imply an impact absorption threshold significantly lower than that required by the European standard.

6. Conclusions and recommendations

The ANESDOR catalog is a valuable transparency tool for the market, but its usefulness is maximized when the consumer understands that mere presence in the catalog does not imply equivalence of protection between the listed products.

According to the technical documents analyzed, the recommended verification process before purchasing a motorcycle airbag is the triad standard + laboratory + document:

•       Standard: verify that the certification is EN 1621-4 (the only published harmonized European standard).

•       Laboratory: confirm that the certification has been issued by a Notified Body of the European Commission's NANDO network.

•       Document: require the certificate and verify its authenticity using the electronic signature of the issuing body.

With this criterion, the only brands in the catalog that fully meet the safety triad (Standard+Laboratory+Document) are AIROBAG, HIT-AIR, and MOTOAIRBAG. The rest offer varying degrees of quality and tradition, but without the highest technical certification verified by current European regulations. Electronic airbags from top brands (Alpinestars, Dainese) may be a valid option for advanced users, but they should be evaluated with the understanding that the complete standard for electronics is still pending publication.

In the field of PPE that protects vital organs, the difference between rigorous certification and less demanding certification can determine the outcome of an accident. An airbag certified with EN 1621-4 and a helmet certified with ECE-22.06 currently represent the maximum accredited protection available to a motorcyclist.

Sources: ANESDOR Catalog (airbag.anesdor.com) • Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Parliament • EN 1621-4 Standard (CEN, 2013) • CRITT AMC-013 Protocol • Comparative technical analysis of standards