Those who have looked into smart motorcycle helmets can attest to the fact that they are usually absurdly expensive. I put together a list of the best ones last July, and the cheapest one was the Sena Cavalry helmet at $349. Now, that’s expenive considering we can’t really call this a true “smart helmet”. It’s a simple half helmet with an integrated Sena communicator. Start adding true smart features and you will see prices rise well over the thousand dollar milestone.

Other awesome crowdfunding projects:

I know fellow riders will argue that safety has no price, but this is not like buying a high-end Shoei, which usually costs somewhere between $400 and $800. Smart helmets currently cost around the same as AGV Valentino Rossi designs, which are only purchased by pro riders and street showoffs.

Where are the affordable, true smart helmets? EcoCell USA has created one by the name of PLY, and it promises some great features for as low as low as $399 on Kickstarter.

What is the PLY all about? For starters, it does promise safety first. The design has undergone plenty of testing, including rigorous drop tests (you can see the video at the Kickstarter page). Not to mention the fact that is has been given DOT and ECE 22.05 certifications.

Now that you know this accessory will keep your head protected, it’s time to learn what it has to offer over the usual helmets on the market. Of course, it has Bluetooth access. This means you can listen to audio and make calls using the integrated microphone and speakers.

Another advantage is that the PLY will have no need for an external camera; this helmet has its very own video recorder, which shoots 720p clips at 30 fps. This should make for some pretty neat riding movies.

Using the app is half the fun. Not only can you connect via WiFi to watch your recorded videos, but you can also see the your riding route, take a look at your battery levels, control settings and more.

Is it worth the cash? Sure, it is missing the rear camera and other fancy features, but the price is much more bearable than the competition… and you can enjoy more than simple communicator capabilities.

Interested? The Skully disappointment left a bitter taste in riders’ mouths after going bankrupt and basically leaving customers behind (who spent $1500 on pre-orders). Other options have emerged since, like the promising CrossHelmet, but that one is about $1399. People are not so quick to trust expensive crowdfunded helmets anymore, but you might be more comfortable risking $399 – right?