Design & Innovation Award: Here are three interesting winners for 2026

Patrick Bardelli

23.1.2026

Translation: machine translated

What are the outstanding products of the year and which important trend should you not miss? The "Design & Innovation Award" for the bike sector deals with these questions and presents the industry Oscars every year.

The «Design & Innovation Award» is more than just an award, writes the jury on its website. It is the «only award with real product tests, holistic judgement and critically sound statements». This year, the award team of international journalists, professional test riders and industry experts once again analysed the most exciting products in the bike sector for 2026. The list of all award winners in the various categories can be found here.

These products particularly caught my eye

Dirtlej Weathershield rain jacket

The jury of the «Design & Innovation Award» recognised the Weathershield Waterproof as a technically sophisticated jacket that combines functionality, comfort and sustainability in an exemplary manner. And honoured it in the Offroad Equipment category. She continues: «'The jacket impresses as a versatile, sustainable rain jacket for demanding outdoor and bike adventures. Made from recycled material with a PFC-free DWR coating, it combines environmental protection with excellent weather protection.»

I was able to test the jacket last spring and agree almost unreservedly with the conclusion of the jury of the «Design & Innovation Award». I have linked to my detailed product test of the Weathershield Waterproof jacket and other products from Dirtlej here:

And if you want to learn more about the company, I recommend this background:

SQlab 612 R Ergowave 2.0 Carbon

In the road component category, a saddle from SQlab is one of the award winners. No wonder, I'm inclined to say. I haven't yet had the product honoured here under my backside, but I have had very good experiences with two other models from the German manufacturer. Most recently with a saddle that is specially designed for E-MTBs:

The jury of the «Design & Innovation Award» wrote the following about the award-winning racing saddle: «The basis is a balance of weight, stiffness and comfort, supported by carbon struts and a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic base for direct power transmission with low weight. A concept that impressed the jury with its individual approach and high drive for performance.»

Tarran T1 Pro

I first noticed this e-cargo bike at the Eurobike trade fair in Frankfurt am Main in the summer of 2024. Presented as a prototype at the time, the concept of the T1 Pro from Chinese manufacturer Tarran has now also won over the jury of the «Design & Innovation Award».

I have linked my news about the smart cargo bike with AI-supported control here:

Among other things, the Landing Gear System impressed the jury. It wrote about the winner in the Urban category: «The Tarran T1 Pro is a highly developed e-cargo bike. The centrepiece is the innovative Landing Gear System - an automatically extending support system that stabilises the bike when parked, prevents tipping and enables effortless manoeuvring even on inclines.»

Patrick Bardelli

Senior Editor

Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.ch

From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.

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