POC Octal

General Reviews
1

This will very much be an ongoing review

After nearly two years with the Catlike Kompact, which i really really like, i decided it was time for a change. Almost pulled the trigger on a Kask Vertigo, but figured for a little more i would gamble on the POC

$323 shipped from Evanscycles while they were having their 20% sale, handy.

The unboxing, as you can see in the pics, comes with the helmet, spare padding, helmet bag, a cap and an emergency barcode sticker thingy which is supposed to hold your ICE details.


Quality looks pretty good, first thing you notice is the stackhat feel of the thing.





Adjustment looks pretty simple when you compare it to Kasks, and it definitely dosnt have that premium feel of leather cushion chin strap, it has no cushion at all, ie the Kompacts


Initial wear feels good, definitely feels deeper then the kask/kompacts.

All the talk about glasses fouling the helmet was unfounded for me, I tried the lid on with my radar XLs and no issue with arms fouling. This might be because of head shape more then the depth of the helmet I suspect.

Weighs in at 200 grams on the dot according to china scales, in comparison my catlike kompact came in at 260 on the dot

To be continued…

2

Very nice! Really keen to hear your thoughts on it.

3

Your scale has a smiley face!

Have you found the ‘sunglasses garage’ holds your shades properly when they’re not in use? It’s like the one thing that kills me about my Catlike Whisper.

4

Havnt used it yet, combination of shoddy weather and house renos means riding time is lacking, hopefully this weekend will get some saddle time

5

Photo with cap on under helmet and bill flipped up when ya got a chance please. Pretty much how I choose helmets.

6

pretty much how i ride as well, never without a cap

7

Ok, regular 70kish loop this morning with the POC.

Initial impressions about my oakleys are a little different when actually riding, they do make contact with the lid, and you do notice the arms of the oakleys touching your head. Having said that you do forget about it after a while, its not like they dig in or anything.

195grams is pretty light, so like most helmets once on, you dont notice the thing on your head. Retention system is pretty rock solid, the dial/clicks feel more substantial when comparing to say the Kompact, the ratchets feel ‘beefier’. Definitely no movement once i secured my spot

Ventilation felt good, head was a tad bit cooler, but could be the weather, will have to till summer for a proper review about that

Eye garage feature felt good, sunnies are very secure when your not wearing them.

Straps felt a little wierd, i felt the peices that loop around/under your ears are a little short so felt like it was touching the bottom of my ears ever so slightly, will have to see if its adjustable, i hope they are

Aesthetically, i reckon its a good looking lid from the side and rear, from the front its quite mushroomy, but who looks at you from the front anyway!

So, initial recommendations. For the $300+ price point, i probably wouldnt recommend it, theres a few niggly things for me that just make it not worth it my IMO. Im big on bang for buck, but i dont mind paying for something if its worth it.

I just feel when comparing to say something like the Kask vertigo, the premium feel dosnt match the price its asking. Dont get me wrong, its a great helmet, but not at $300+. Whats harder is seeing the catlike kompacts for $65, sure its an older model, but no way is the POC 5 times better than the kompact.

Not sure if im gonna keep it to be honest, still on the fence

any questions, happy to answer if i can

some pics



8

Cap compatibility approved.

9

Thanks for the pics & review.
Advice noted & appreciated.