POC Omne Air Bike Helmet - Whether cycling to work, exploring gravel tracks or on the local trails, the helmet gives trusted protection

Product Information

Whether on the morning commute or a long weekend club ride, the Omne Air MIPS pushes you to go further. Optimal liner

Venting is pretty good, too, with noticeable airflow in particular on the forehead. It’s certainly not as airy as something like my Octal or a Giro Synthe road racing helmet (the two road helmets I wear most often), but I think it’s good enough for hard riding on a hot day. The helmet is, true to POC’s intention, also lower-profile and, in terms of aesthetics, probably more universally appealing than the Octal—I even got a compliment on it, and the comment, “Wow, that’s a POC?” It’d look natural worn with casual clothes, and for riding around town I’d much prefer it to the hot, heavy, skateboard-style lids often billed as commuter helmets. The Omne Air Mips is made from a standard polycarbonate shell with an EPS – expanded polystyrene – liner with Mips Integra crash protection. There is no Virginia Tech rating for this helmet, though others from the brand scored 4 out of 5. The other thing you get is an understated style that perfectly captures a smart commuter look. Pair it with something from our list of the best commuter bikes and you will feel right at home. What you don't get, unfortunately, is a score from Virginia Tech, and you will have to dig out one of your old micro USB cords if you need something longer than what comes in the box.When it comes to the downsides of the Circuit, it centres around the WaveCel rotational impact system. Unlike Kineticore which actually adds breathability, WaveCel is a system of cells that cuts down on breathability somewhat. I've never found that to be a big deal but I have found myself bothered that I can't reach through the vents and scratch my head. I also would always prefer a lighter helmet over a heavier helmet The real star though is the rear cradle. The design is the same as products like the Giro Eclipse aero helmet and that means it's compatible with the Roc Loc 5 LED light. It is an added cost but it's the most integrated rear light I know of on a road bike helmet. The Agilis also adds reflective paint that's effective even without a light. While the POC Omne Air Resistance Spin helmet might not provide the same level of coverage you'll find from a dedicated trail/enduro lid, particularly when referencing rear head coverage, it still manages to strike a balance where it counts - offsetting attributes such as comfort, ventilation and safety quite impressively. It's easy to detach and reattach the helmet peak, giving you the flexibility to control helmet functionality. EPS Liner

The only thing you'll want to keep in mind is that Wavecel does limit access through the helmet. It's a little less breezy, and you can't scratch your head without removing the helmet. On the outside, the POC Omne Air features an optimised-density EPS liner for "ideal impact force absorption". The exterior aesthetic is quite minimalist, with a relatively low profile, meaning it sits neatly on your head without looking bulbous in any way. This is the style section. It's something that people think doesn't matter but ends up being one of the questions I get asked about the most. Style matters and it's important to trust your intuition. Virginia Tech is the only independent organisation that provides a test of bike helmets with more detail than pass or fail. That makes it hard to ignore the testing that Virginia Tech does and yet, not every helmet has a test result. You will have to decide if that sways your choice or not but there are some reasons why it might be missing. The shape is the same as the basic Omne Air MIPS but the Omne Ultra MIPS has a couple of new appendages. On the right side, there's a bungee cord with enough room for, I guess, tyre levers as shown in one of the POC marketing images. On the other side, you'll find a POC logo on a fabric patch attached to the helmet. There's no practical purpose to this and even swapping it your own patch won't be super easy.Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it? The Omne Air also features the MIPS Integra system. This brings together POC’s ‘whole-helmet’ safety and design ethos with the fully integrated brain-protecting technology of MIPS. This holistic approach sees every detail of the helmet engineered to work in harmony with each other, giving you new levels of seamless safety, comfort, ventilation, fit and function.

Chain reaction Cycles and CRC are trading names of Wiggle Ltd (In Administration) registered in the United Kingdom at 1000 Lakeside, Suite 310, Third Floor N E Wing, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 3EN, The big difference between the two is that Smith adds Zonal Koroyd in addition to MIPS. Koroyd looks a bit like a handful of straws and the idea is that it actually replaces some of the foam to add rotational impact protection right into the helmet itself. There's another interesting effect of the Koroyd though.

Although there will always be government safety testing, Virginia Tech goes further. Certifications from agencies like the CPSC only state that a helmet meets a minimum requirement. They give no indication of how that performance ranks compared to the competition and impact testing only covers a specific type of impact. Virginia Tech has emerged as the only unbiased organisation to use a standardised and comparable test to rank helmet performance compared to other models. Virginia Tech is also a pioneer in the idea that off-centre impacts are different. When it comes to finding a comfortable budget bike helmet, it's all about fit. You could say the same about more expensive helmets as well but it becomes even more important as other features get stripped away. Different brands have different size ranges and some fit perfectly while others are a struggle. the helmet delivers superior levels of comfort, fit and performance, and features a host of safety systems,