A novel spider-web bionic hierarchical honeycomb structure was designed to enhance the out-of-plane crashworthiness of honeycombs. The structure was created by introducing smaller hexagons into the centers of primitive hexagonal cells and connecting their vertices to the center points of the cell walls via straight beams. This hierarchical structure was integrated into regular hexagonal honeycomb (RH) cells, leading to the development of novel hierarchical bio-honeycombs. Finite element simulations were conducted to validate the model and analyze the out-of-plane crashworthiness. The results showed that the introduction of bionic cells and RH cell walls produced significant interaction effects, with more severe plastic deformation at their intersections and the formation of more folded flaps in the cell walls. The effect of geometric parameters on the crashworthiness of the novel biomimetic bio-honeycomb structures was further discussed. It was shown that smaller bionic honeycomb pore sizes are beneficial for improving the efficiency of material utilization. The study highlights the importance of hierarchical design in enhancing the mechanical properties of honeycombs. Inspired by natural structures, researchers have developed various honeycomb designs to improve impact resistance and energy absorption. The introduction of hierarchical structural elements has significantly expanded the macroscopic mechanical properties of single-stage honeycombs, thereby enhancing specific strength. The study proposes a new spider-web-type hierarchical honeycomb out-of-plane model, which was based on the work of Mousanezhad et al. and He et al. This model features a transversely hierarchical honeycomb structure, which has not been previously reported. The objective of this study was to explore the impact behavior and energy absorption properties of the graded spider-web-type honeycomb under out-of-plane impact loading. Using LS-DYNA simulations, the deformation process of hierarchical honeycomb was analyzed, considering various structural parameters and densities. The study aimed to examine the effects of these graded structural parameters on the energy absorption capabilities of the hierarchical honeycomb. This honeycomb structure can provide a reference for the innovative design of transversely hierarchical honeycomb structures, while the findings are expected to offer valuable design principles for lightweight honeycomb structures with enhanced energy absorption capacities.A novel spider-web bionic hierarchical honeycomb structure was designed to enhance the out-of-plane crashworthiness of honeycombs. The structure was created by introducing smaller hexagons into the centers of primitive hexagonal cells and connecting their vertices to the center points of the cell walls via straight beams. This hierarchical structure was integrated into regular hexagonal honeycomb (RH) cells, leading to the development of novel hierarchical bio-honeycombs. Finite element simulations were conducted to validate the model and analyze the out-of-plane crashworthiness. The results showed that the introduction of bionic cells and RH cell walls produced significant interaction effects, with more severe plastic deformation at their intersections and the formation of more folded flaps in the cell walls. The effect of geometric parameters on the crashworthiness of the novel biomimetic bio-honeycomb structures was further discussed. It was shown that smaller bionic honeycomb pore sizes are beneficial for improving the efficiency of material utilization. The study highlights the importance of hierarchical design in enhancing the mechanical properties of honeycombs. Inspired by natural structures, researchers have developed various honeycomb designs to improve impact resistance and energy absorption. The introduction of hierarchical structural elements has significantly expanded the macroscopic mechanical properties of single-stage honeycombs, thereby enhancing specific strength. The study proposes a new spider-web-type hierarchical honeycomb out-of-plane model, which was based on the work of Mousanezhad et al. and He et al. This model features a transversely hierarchical honeycomb structure, which has not been previously reported. The objective of this study was to explore the impact behavior and energy absorption properties of the graded spider-web-type honeycomb under out-of-plane impact loading. Using LS-DYNA simulations, the deformation process of hierarchical honeycomb was analyzed, considering various structural parameters and densities. The study aimed to examine the effects of these graded structural parameters on the energy absorption capabilities of the hierarchical honeycomb. This honeycomb structure can provide a reference for the innovative design of transversely hierarchical honeycomb structures, while the findings are expected to offer valuable design principles for lightweight honeycomb structures with enhanced energy absorption capacities.