2022 POC Road Helmet Lineup

Even though Punxatawney Phil says we have 6 more weeks of Winter ahead, we’ll all be back out on the road sooner than we think. A new helmet might be in the cards for you, so here is a rundown of one of our favorite brands, POC. The Swedish brand has been a leader in snow and cycling protection for well over a decade. Safety has always been the brand’s top priority and it goes beyond the helmet protecting the rider in a crash. The Attention, Visibility, Interaction, and Protection concept, or AVIP is part of POC’s strategy to help stop accidents before they even happen. We’ll dive into the brand’s three main product lines and the helmets that are part of each.

Octal

POC’s original road helmet was the Octal. This was the helmet that made a splash all those years ago because it was dramatically different from the norm in those days. Currently, the Octal is available in the standard Octal MIPS and the more rugged focused Octal X SPIN.

Octal MIPS – $200

The Octal has always been about protection, ventilation, and comfort. This is the road-going version that started it all for POC.  While POC has moved to their own SPIN rotational protection system, the Octal is the only helmet in the road lineup that still features the MIPS system. It’s been around for a few years, but still a very relevant helmet in POC’s arsenal.

Rotational Protection – MIPS

Available Colors – Propylene Red Matt, Uranium Black Matt, Hydrogen White, Fluorescent Orange AVIP

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – 250/270/300g

Octal X SPIN – $200

The Octal X SPIN was targeted as more of an adventure helmet in their road line, think gravel/allroad. Very similar to the original Octal, the X SPIN adds a little bit more coverage for riders that are looking to get a little more gnarly, but still includes the ventilation that the line is known for. Instead of MIPS though, POC uses their own SPIN rotational protection system.

Rotaional Protection – SPIN

Available Colors – Hydrogen White, Uranium Black

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – 231/242/274g

Ventral

Next, the Ventral was added. It started out life as an aero-focused helmet to replace the Octal Aero, which had just a single intake port in the center of the helmet for ventilation. The Ventral included more intake ports but still kept an aerodynamic focused shape. Current helmets in the lineup are the Ventral SPIN, Ventral Air SPIN, Ventral Air SPIN NFC, Ventral Lite, and the Ventral Tempus Air SPIN.

Ventral SPIN – $290

The Ventral SPIN is the aero-focused version of the Ventral line. It still has plenty of ventilation with five large ports on the front, two on the top, and three massive ports in the rear. The ports use the Venturi Effect to accelerate air through the helmet to help cooling efficiency. Compared to the Air though, it has more of a closed shell. The front vents also include POC’s Eye Garage to keep your glasses in place when not wearing them.

Rotational Protection – SPIN

Available Colors – Uranium Black Matt, Hydrogen White Matt, Zink Orange AVIP, Hydrogen White Raceday, Lead Blue Matt, Prismane Red, Propylene Red Matt, Uranium Black Raceday, Lt Agate Red Matt

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – 257/280/310g

Ventral Air SPIN – $250

Many cyclists loved the Ventral SPIN, so why not create a ventilated version for days in the mountains. The Ventral Air SPIN opens up additional vents on the side and top of the helmet. The general shape of the helmet is about the same, allowing it to still get some of the aerodynamic gains of the Ventral SPIN.

Rotational Protection – SPIN

Available Colors – Uranium Black Matt, Hydrogen White Matt, Hydrogen White Raceday, Uranium Black Raceday, Lead Blue Matt, Prismane Red Matt, Zink Orange AVIP

Special Editions – Color Splash – Basalt Blue Matt

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – 245/265/295g

Ventral Air SPIN NFC – $275

Similar to the Ventral Air SPIN, the NFC adds a Near Field Communication chip in the helmet that provides first responders essential info in the case of an accident. Think of it similar to when you use your phone for things like ApplePay.

Rotational Protection – SPIN

Available Colors – Uranium Black/Hydrogren White

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – Not listed

Ventral Lite – $275

Lightweight, ventilation and protection are the focus of the Ventral Lite. While it does not have a rotational protection system like other Ventral helmets, it still features multi-density EPS foam with a mostly full-coverage shell. Everything on this helmet takes a minimalist approach, down to the straps, to make it as light as possible.

Rotational Protection – None

Available Colors – Granite Grey Matt, Uranium Matt Black, Uranium Black/Hydrogen White Matt

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – 220/240/270g

Ventral Tempus Air SPIN – $260

This is your Ventral for the bad and cold weather days. Similar to the Ventral Air SPIN in many of the vents, the front of the helmet is closed off to protect the head, and keep the weather and cold out. It also features reflective accents on the full coverage shell to provide additional visibility as part of the AVIP System.

Rotational Protection – SPIN

Available Colors – Apophyllite Green Matt, Fluorescent Orange

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – Not listed

Omne

Finally, POC added the Omne, which is more of an all-around helmet, blending the best of both worlds between the Octal and Ventral. Current models include the Omne Air SPIN and Omne Eternal.

Omne Air SPIN – $150

The Omne Air SPIN provides comfort, ventilation, and protection in an all-day helmet. In a blend of the original Ventral’s fewer open vents, yet still plenty of ventilation, this helmet can take you on any ride. Styling isn’t quite as in your face as the Ventral and Octal, the Omne fits in as a commuter, road, gravel, just about any ride you can think of.

Rotational Protection – SPIN

Available Colors – Light Agate Red Matt, Uranium Black Matt, Hydrogen White, Natrium Blue Matt, Zink Orange AVIP, Actinium Pink Matt, Lead Blue Matt

Specials Editions – Color Splash – Multi Basalt Blue Matt, Rapha – Birch, Grey Pinstripe, or Medieval Blue

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – 285/305/350g

Omne Eternal – $200

The Omne Eternal isn’t quite available yet, but POC is still teasing it on the site. Noted as available later this Fall, the special feature is the built-in rear light to enhance your visibility to other road users. Instead of batteries to replace or USB cables to lose, the Eternal’s light charges from any light source, inside or out, using Powerfoyle, and turns on and off automatically by movement. Other sensors detect the surrounding light to know when to turn it on. No word on how much weight it adds to a standard Omne helmet, but POC claims it is still lightweight and well ventilated.

Rotational Protection – None

Available Colors – Uranium Black Matt

Sizes – Small (50-56cm), Medium (54-59cm), Large (56-61cm)

Weight – Not listed

Rotational Protection

After being one of the first brands to use MIPS in the past, POC later developed their own system called SPIN. SPIN stands for Shearing Pad INside. It’s a silicone pad technology that helps to counteract the forces your head experiences in a crash. The aim is to help minimize brain injuries. Unlike the MIPS liner system used on the Octal MIPS, the SPIN system is completely encapsulated in the helmet’s pads. The pads have small silicone bladders inside that allow your head to move and helps to reduce some of the rotational impact forces, similar to how the fluid around your brain works. POC first used it in their snow helmets, before moving to mountain and eventually into the road line.

Additional Safety Features

Additionally, POC has added structural protection in the form of thicker EPS foam in zones that typically take the most impacts. They also fully wrap their helmets in a unibody shell to increase structural integrity. It’s also a nice feature that helps to protect your helmet’s foam from nicks and bumps when not wearing it. While POC uses a few different lightweight retention systems, all fully wrap around the head for a stable fit. When it comes to the straps, all of POC’s helmets feature fixed lengths around the ears to splitters that allow front and back adjustment, with an adjustable length chin strap for a secure fit.

To learn more about POC’s road, mountain and snow lines, along with sunglasses and helmets, visit their website.

https://www/pocsports.com