POC has two all-new helmets to launch today, this Cularis mountain and a companion Cytal road helmet that both look to set new benchmarks in rider safety, while still delivering uncompromised cooling. I’ve been riding both helmets for the past couple of weeks and have been impressed with how light & well-ventilated each feels. Equally impressive – and somewhat surprising – are the safety claims backed up by independent Virginia Tech test results.
Is this really the safest mountain bike helmet that you can buy?
POC Cularis mountain bike helmet is light, airy, AND safe!
When POC presented their new Cularis mountain bike helmet to me, it was billed as an all-around trail bike helmet that was developed to maximize rider comfort with broad open ventilation. But they immediately pivoted to the fact that safety is always their number 1 priority. So even making a light and well-ventilated helmet, it had to as safe as possible first.
With my first look at this helmet, I didn’t immediately get the sense that it would be the safest in a crash of all other helmets that I have tested or even seen. It is truly an unassuming design. With smooth round curves – and classic POC styling – it doesn’t look aggressive or even look like it offers more coverage compared to other POC MTB lids like the Tectal or Kortal.
But the Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings lab results back up POC’s claims of safety as a priority. Certainly, it seems that VT is testing the safety of helmets in a similar way to how POC optimizes their designs. Impacts against an angled plane in several different orientations often result in glancing blows and rotational forces. But that feels like an authentic overlap, as both VT & POC are trying to reproduce impacts more like those cyclists experience in a real-world crash – much different than the single drop on top of your head that dictates most current government minimal safety test standards.
Riding Review
Thankfully, I’ve managed not to crash in the new Cularis yet, so I can’t personally attest to its safety. So I will stick with the subjective.
This is a very light-feeling helmet on my head. Once you put it on, it feels like it wraps the head quite well. It is not NTA certified for the high-speed ebikes that require licensing, so it sticks to the conventional impact testing area. But the coverage of the helmet feels good.
What is really most noticeable is the light and airy feel because of all of those open vents.
Excellent Airflow for Max Cooling
I sweat a lot year-round, so ventilation is key for a helmet for me to remain comfortable. But even then, I sweat without the helmet, so sweat management and plenty of airflow for effective evaporative cooling are really the key factors.
The POC Cularis does a great job with this compared to other trail bike helmets – apparently fueled by extensive CFD airflow analysis. It’s been especially noticeable in some recent cold rides where I sweat quite a bit on extended sunny climbs, and then on the long shaded high-speed descents, the amount of airflow over my sweaty brow is shockingly effective. Much more noticeable than most similar helmets.
The Cularis holds just a little sweat in the MIPS Air Node front pad, but not an unreasonable amount. Sweat seems to move away from my face and only down the straps or across my temples, meaning it doesn’t drip down my glasses. A MIPS liner is often the limitation to front ventilation across your brow, as they require a solid plastic strip for rotational protection. Here it is thin enough to not be a significant issue. But I still think this is a place where there is more room for improvement between MIPS & helmet brands to make these front pads more air-permeable/breathable.
All in all, the new POC Cularis feels like the kind of mountain bike helmet that you put on and just forget about. Which I feel like is one of the highest compliments I can give for any cycling product. You use it, and benefit from it, but you don’t have to think about it.
Tech Details
- #1 ranked for safety by independent Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings across all cycling helmets (March 2025)
- 5-star Virginia Tech safety rating
- fully ventilated design with 5 forward-facing intake, 3 top & 5 rear exhaust vents, plus deep internal vent channels
- MIPS Air Node thin rotational impact protection solution
- EPS foam co-molded in multi-part polycarbonate shell
- break-away visor designed to fly off the helmet in impact to not rotate the head in a crash
- equipped with Recco reflector
- Eye Garage grippy insert on main front vents to hold sunglasses securely when riding (inherited from the road)
- 360° dial fit adjustment with additional vertical position adjustment
- Fidlock magnetic buckle for single-handed closing
- single US/CPSC, CE/EN & AS/NZS certified model
- 3 sizes available: S(51-54cm), M (55-58cm) & Large (59-62cm)
- 359g actual weight, size M
POC Cularis MTB – Pricing, options & availability
The new POC Cularis mountain bike helmet is online starting today, but will be available directly from POC and their partner retailers by the end of next week for $240 / 230€. Buyers can pick from 9 matte colors: fluorescent orange/black, navy blue/white, black/white, white/black, dark green/white, red/black, single color gray, all back, or all-white even with white foam. And of course, all colors in 3 sizes.
