POC Octal Helmet - Review
The Octal might be intended for road use, but its lightweight and well-ventilated design could make it ideal for cross-country riders, especially those who live and ride in warm climates.
With no visor, massive vents that look like the grill of an expensive car, and less protection at the back of the head than the current crop of hot (both literally and figuratively) trail-style helmets, POC's road-inspired Octal might not be something that many mountain bikers would consider at first glance. Then again, there are surely still riders out there who search for minimalist options when it comes to helmets, be it those who wear plum smuggler suits and smash out intervals, or riders who just don't feel they need the extra protection, weight, and heat of a more substantial helmet. The Octal is available in blue, white, or the orange pictured here, and our medium example weighs 253 grams. MSRP $283.50 USD www.pocsports.com
With twenty large openings and a unique appearance, the Octal doesn't look anything like most helmets on the market.
POC took a different approach when it came to venting the Octal by designing twenty of the largest openings that they could make use of rather than a larger number of smaller vents. This approach gives the Octal a rather unique appearance, especially from head-on or when looking at it from behind, and it's clear that the Swedish brand was aiming for function over fashion, with the goal of moving as much air as possible trumping the desire for a sleek image. And while the Octal obviously offers less coverage than some of the burlier looking trail lids out there (that's not its competition, remember), its EPS shell actually does extend further down at the sides and rear than many of its road going counterparts and lightweight cross-country options. Certifications include EN 1078 and CPSC 12.03, and both European and North American versions are available in order to satisfy the different testing standards required by each. Gram counters might be excited to see that a Euro-approved Octal in size small weighs in at just 190 grams, which is pretty nuts when you think about it.
The Octal employs a rather simple looking adjustable retention system that features a single dial to make changes, meaning that it should be pretty easy to use while on the move.
Massive vents and minimal internal padding make it one of the airiest looking helmets on the market.
What to do with your glasses when you're not wearing them has to be one of the most pressing questions facing riders these days, much more so than how the expected onslaught of electric ''mountain bikes'' might affect trail access, right? Maybe not, but anyone's who's lost their glasses after slipping them into their helmet as the light fades and they're no longer needed, only to ride over them with their own bike, knows that it's worthwhile to stop and put them into a pocket instead. POC has come up with a set of nifty little pads located on the inside of the two forward facing vents that they say helps hold your glasses in place.
Bob modelling the Octal. Maybe not the best choice if you want to blend in at the trailhead.
Pinkbike's Take
 | Helmet fit isn't really something that you can apply a rating to given that my noggin is different from your noggin, which is different than your buddy's noggin. But, at least in terms of comparisons, the Octal didn't feel like anything out of the ordinary compared to a helmet from Giro, Bell, or anyone else. That's to say that there are no strange hotspots to speak of, even when talking about the retention system at the back of the head, and I can't really come up with anything to complain about in regards to shell shape either. The lightweight, airy design certainly doesn't hurt, and while the bright orange colour isn't exactly subtle, it felt nearly invisible on my head. The Octal's forward facing vents allow an enormous amount of air to run through the helmet, much more than any traditional mountain bike helmets out there, and it kept my head noticeably cooler when the rest of me felt like I was sweating hard enough that I needed to be hooked up to an high-flow IV drip. It might be pretty obvious that the Octal is going to run cool given how vented it is, but one thing that I didn't really expect was for the two sticky 'Eye Garage' glasses holders to actually work. They did exactly that, however, keeping a rather expensive pair of riding glasses from falling out during plenty of fast, rough descents that I'm pretty sure would have seen them hit the ground had I stashed them in the vents of any other helmet. That's pretty cool because I could easily slip them into the helmet when on the move rather than stop to jam them into pocket. So, great fit, mega light, and a unique appearance, but what doesn't work about the Octal? Only one gripe when it comes to the helmet's function: I didn't really get on with the Octal's straps, with them being anything but invisible next to my skin. They do sit flat, unlike some other helmet straps out there, but they were just a bit too noticeable for me. I've also had the Octal for quite awhile now, long enough to notice that its bright orange colour is fading after nearly a full year's worth of riding - that's not ideal for a helmet that costs nearly $300 USD. The Octal is a different sort of helmet compared to the more protective trail / enduro lids that many riders are preferring these days, which is something that, along with it lacking a visor, is going to rule it out for a lot of people. Having said that, it's going to be a cross-country rider's wet dream, or ideal for someone who can live with a more minimalist approach. - Mike Levy |
Click here to see the high-res photo gallery
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
source: im a roadie...yes i know im asking for it
and honestly how much is your brain really worth?
#AllMountain4Life
Too many people have told me "you should protect your brain, more protection is better" yet when I ask "how is this better than a cheaper helmet with MIPS or a top end Giro/Bell helmet?" they simply shrug and say something about the bright colours.
Anyways if I'm completely wrong then feel free to let me know what makes the POC so much more protective than other helmets. Right now it just looks like an overpriced orange hipster helmet from a brand with no road or xc history.
POC don't cater to the standardized tests. The structure of the helmet is built with real life accidents in mind, with increased protection for the tempels and back of the head. They use an uni-body for the outer structure which means they don't have to use any inner structure - low density foam thru and thru. It's also compatible with ICE, if you happened to be in a crash of force that could knock you out your phone will let your ICE contacts know.
Also about the colors...fluorescent colors are about 5 times more visible then regular colors.....to avoid getting hit by a car, you know.
Don't fool yourself, POC are the leaders when it comes to head protection gear.
I never wear visors, neither on my trail helmet nor my full-face. I find them useless since I'm usually riding in the shade and I'm wearing sunglasses anyhow. I also find that visors restrict visibility. Last time I wore a visor I clocked my head on a low-hanging branch that was hidden by the visor. Visors also catch the wind and whistle in the breeze when you're railing it. I know the younger dudes think visors are cool looking, but I'm way past the point of caring about that - I'm looking at it from a practical POV.
Are you Rogatkin?? :-)
Best helmet comment I've ever read. I only click on helmet reviews to read the inevitable justification of conspicuous consumption, "how much is your brain worth."
What are we to look up? If you have any scientific data that shows greater reduction in head injuries due to these helmets, I'd love to read it. I too am interested in preventing head injuries.
I actually remember reading a study in the 1990's that made a casual relationship that the less you paid for a helmet the greater protection. They concluded this was because the cheaper helmets had more material, due to less vents, and a rounder shape, due to less aerodynamics.
So what about the visor on my DH helmet? Should I remove it? Whenever PB does a review on something, a bunch of trolls come out from under rocks and shit on the product. Do you work as a bicycle protection designer? Since you "usually ride in the shade" does that means everyone else does as well? Man, blow it out your @$$...
This poc octal helmet:
$300
INJURING YOUR BRAIN
AROUND $30,000
honestly, you cant complain about things like this its not overpriced... POC, let alone any company who produces bike helmets, has put in tons of money into making a helmet safe and effective. They aren't going to sell you anything that will impact (no pun intended) yourself in a negative way. One of my best friends got hit by a truck while commuting to school and due to the fact he was wearing a helmet, managed to surpass the accident with only internal bleeding, a broken collar bone, and a fractured pelvis. If he hadnt been wearing a helmet he would have easily been much worse.
SO STOP BITCHING, don't buy the helmet if you don't want to invest in it.
it seems like the biggest thing these days with the pb comments in reviews seem to revolve around everything being overpriced.... mountain biking is one of the more expensive sports out there, i cant really think of any other sport where you have to re mortgage your house in order to buy a piece of equipment.
MY APOLOGIES FOR RANTING JUST HADA GET IT OUT THERE
There is nothing to say a $300 helmet protects better than a $30 helmet.
No one is saying helmets are a bad idea. Just overpriced ones. Especially when you consider helmets are supposed to be trashed after one good impact. That means this is a throwaway item.
Like a maxipad for your head.
Some people like bling though so I think that is likely what this is about.
It is like the porche Cayenne. It is not a very good SUV, but it is a Porsche so it is worth the money so you can be driving a Porsche.
These are flimsy justifications for conspicuous consumption.
Then again, everyone talks about how much your brain is worth. . .
I have a helmet I will sell you for $800. I mean yeah I am going to buy it for $25, but how can you complain? It is your brain we are talking about here.
The Octal is also the first ever road helmet in professional use to offer MIPS (available to public Jan /15)
Finally making it one of the lightest helmets in the world means it has a lower mass and physics tells us that the Mass Energy equivalence means the more mass the more energy , if we can reduce mass we are reducing the energy that is potentially transmitted to the rider in a fall or collision.
Hope this help
$300 is far too much though. You could buy 3 decent discipline-specific helmets for that and still have change for a brew. I think the same about all POCs products, so obviously I'm not their target market.