POC Ventral Lite Helmet: First look at POC's new 190g helmet

POC has today released its lightest ever helmet, the Ventral Lite, coming in at a stunning 190g for a size medium while maintaining POC’s historic focus on helmet safety.

The Ventral Lite helmet takes design cues from both the Ventral Air and the iconic Octal – which have been stalwarts for Team EF Education – NIPPO. The new helmet, which has already been recognised with The Design & Innovation Award (DI.A), will be showcased by the team for the first time at Paris-Nice on the 7th of March.

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A refined structure of EPS foam alongside a carefully designed outer shell has helped POC design the helmet economically in terms of weight, but making no sacrifices in safety terms. From a glance, it also features more vents than recent releases from POC, and so coupling ventilation and low weight will likely prove a favourite for weight-conscious climbers.

“We strongly believe that the safest helmet is one you choose to wear, one which you always look forward to wearing,” says Head of Product at POC, Oscar Huss. “With the Ventral Lite, we used our Whole Helmet Concept to create a helmet that provides the best protection and still meets the needs of those riders who don’t want to compromise on weight or ventilation."

£235, Shop Poc

The Whole Helmet Concept is Poc’s own design philosophy, which aims to target multiple safety measures targeting all types of impacts. It means the helmet focusses on multiple features such as reducing rotational friction with the material used in the shell, while also prioritising different materials to protect from different impacts.

The Ventral Lite is certified to EN 1078, CPSC 12.03, AS/NZ 2063 – hitting all three standards in each territory is something of a rarity, as different bodies sometimes require greater impact resistance. Achieving all three standards usually results in heavier helmet designs, which means we're impressed to see this coming in at such a light weight.

The Ventral Lite doesn't include MIPS technology, which may intrigue some safety-conscious helmet buyers, but POC historically relied on its own rotational impact protection system SPIN. However, having partnered with MIPS in 2019, we may well see a MIPS version on the horizon – though it will likely elevate the overall weight.

Alongside the lightweight helmet comes an intriguing new addition to POC’s line of apparel: a high-tech, and highly priced, new rain jacket. 

POC Supreme Rain Jacket

Weighing in at only 85g and packing down to a rear pocket, the Supreme Rain Jacket (not to be confused with ultra-expensive Supreme skateboarding clothing) caught our attention for its three-layer design.

Recent water-resistant jackets that achieved similar ultra-low weights have used a two-layer design, with a membrane-layer that doubles as a face fabric. The Supreme Rain Jacket uses three layers, though, including a water-resistant membrane layer that claims 20,000mm waterproof rating – which protects from rain and water even under high-pressure.

At the same time POC claims considerable breathability for the jacket, as well as fully glued seams. That should mean it offers comfort and protection whether on a mild early morning training ride or during an onslaught of torrential rain. The jacket also uses a Fluorocarbon-free DWR treatment to further protect against the elements while keeping sustainability in mind.

€490, Shop Poc

With a price point of €490, we’ll be expecting big things. Keep an eye on rouleur.cc for a more in-depth look at the jacket when we manage to get our hands on a test sample.