There is no doubt that a helmet’s primary function is safety. If a rider falls or has a collision, it provides a vital layer of protection between the rider’s head and the force of impact – absorbing and reducing the risk of head injuries. Swedish brand POC has been on a mission to provide and protect the heads of ‘athletes and anyone inspiring to be one’ since 2004. However, with its latest launch, POC has taken safety one step further.
Developed from its popular lightweight, performance-driven Omne range, the new Omne Beacon has safety front and centre of its design, featuring an integrated, rechargeable LED light at the back with extra reflective details. The LED light has different modes – blinking, vivid, and steady – and run times, and according to POC, on a single four-hour charge, the light in blinking mode can last over 30 hours.
Wearing a helmet is second nature when people go out for a ride, but taking or carrying lights is not always a given, and riders can especially get caught out when the nights start to draw in quicker, putting them in a dangerous situation. But with the rear LED light and reflective details already built into the helmet, it is “simple and intuitive to use,” said Magnus Gustafsson, director of hard goods at POC. As a result, it is not only a helmet that can be used all year round, but it also gives riders more security and visibility in dark or low-light conditions, allowing individuals to ride their bikes and feel confident doing so throughout the whole year.
The new Omne Beacon also comes in a range of high-contrast colours for added visibility when out on the road – black and orange, white and orange, and green and orange – yet still remains a stylish helmet for riders to wear. The POC branding on the front and rear of the helmet is also reflective, improving prominence on the road, said POC.
The safety features continue inside the helmet with the more commonly found EPS liner for added impact protection and MIPS Integra technology to enhance rotational impact protection. Gustafsson explained more in a press release: “To deliver on our safety mission our helmets are all developed with our ‘whole helmet’ safety concept at the centre of our design process.” The Swedish brand’s latest helmet, however, really does embody this with visible safety features on the inside and out of the helmet.
While safety is the key to the Omne Beacon, POC has not had to compromise on its performance features. Weighing 320g in a size small, the helmet still includes its aero-influenced ventilation ports and semi-shell construction, which can be found on the other Omne helmets, to help the helmet strike the right balance between speed and ventilation, says POC. It also has an adjustable 360 fit system at the back of the helmet to ensure a comfortable and precise fit as precision fit straps.
The Omne Beacon helmet retails for £220 and will be on display at Rouleur Live on 2 - 4 November 2023.
To learn more about the Omne Beacon, visit the POC website.
