This Product | Trek Velocis MIPS | Specialized S-Works Prevail 3 MIPS | Specialized Airnet MIPS | Lazer Tonic Kineticore | |
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Awards | Lightweight Performance and Unique Style | Best Overall Road Bike Helmet | Best-In-Class Ventilation | Best Bang for Your Buck | Best Helmet on a Tight Budget |
Price | $260 USD List Check price at Amazon UK | $300 USD List | $300 USD List | $120 USD List | $80 USD List Check price at Amazon UK |
Overall Score | 82 | 85 | 82 | 72 | 67 |
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Bottom Line | Quiet cooling airflow, all-day comfort for a steep price | A comfortable, lightweight, and well-ventilated helmet that will keep you cool for hours of riding | This helmet provides incredible ventilation, fantastic padding, and dashing looks, but is very pricey and a bad fit for tall heads | A high-value performer with great ventilation, giving it great bang for your buck | With its low price, light weight, and great adjustability, we can overlook a few flaws in this very good helmet |
Rating Categories | POC Ventral Air MIPS | Trek Velocis MIPS | Specialized S-Works... | Specialized Airnet... | Lazer Tonic Kineticore |
Comfort (25%) | 8.0 | 9.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 6.0 |
Ventilation (25%) | 9.0 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 |
Adjustability (20%) | 7.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 |
Weight (15%) | 9.0 | 8.7 | 7.4 | 4.5 | 8.9 |
Style (7.5%) | 7.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 |
Durability (7.5%) | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 8.0 | 5.0 |
Specs | POC Ventral Air MIPS | Trek Velocis MIPS | Specialized S-Works... | Specialized Airnet... | Lazer Tonic Kineticore |
Measured Weight | 295 g (Size L) | 300 g (Size L) | 320 g (Size L) | 364 g (Size L) | 296 g (Size L) |
Size Range | 56-61 cm (Size L) | 58-63 cm (Size L) | 55-59 cm (Size L) | 52-62 cm (Size M) | 58-61 cm (Size L) |
Number of Vents | 15 | 12 | 24 | 18 | 18 |
MIPS? | No, SPIN | Yes | Yes | Yes | No, Kineticore |
Sizes Available | S, M, L | S, M, L | S, M, L | S, M, L | S, M, L, XL |
Riding away with one of our top pick awards, the POC Ventral Air MIPS takes rightful its place on the podium. We loved the comfort, style, and ventilation with the Ventral. It provides many of the same advantages and features as other helmets we tested but comes at a slightly higher price. This is a great helmet for riders who pedal hard in the heat for high double or triple-digit miles that appreciate the unique design and a plethora of color options.
Performance Comparison
Comfort
The Ventral Air provides a high range of fit variability with an adjustable head cradle and our preferred dial tensioning system at the occiput. The cradle isn't as intuitive as other models and takes some force to adjust. That said, the cradle has a light, airy feeling that is not noticeable after hours of riding.
The model we originally tested included POC's SPIN (Shearing Pads INside) pad liners, which were nearly identical in design to the MIPS liners found on many other helmets. Since our test period, POC and MIPS have teamed up, and have renamed the SPIN technology to now be called MIPS Integra. The comfort and performance of the helmet remain the same.
The liner pads provide excellent contact points with the helmet's body, and our testers found these pads to be extremely comfortable and not hold heat or moisture. We did read some reviews that stated this helmet is not well suited to round head shapes, but our various testers did not find this to be true. The helmet does have a longer and narrower shape than other models tested. As with any equipment you plan to wear for extended periods, it is worth trying on before you buy, as comfort can be quite subjective.
The chin strap webbing is not as supple as other models we tested but sits comfortably against the mandible. We prefer a helmet with minimal contact points as this promotes cooling and reducing pressure points. After riding all day, the Ventral Air felt lighter than its 295 grams in a size large. Overall, this is an extremely comfortable helmet if it fits your head.
Ventilation
The Ventral Air uses the venturi effect of air pulling air (our quick summary) to cause some of the best yet quietest airflow that we tested. Though it has a lower vent count than other helmets, the large forehead shafts dry the interior padding and optimize airflow from the front of the helmet all the way to the trailing edge.
The recessed air channel technology utilized in the Ventral Air and a couple of other models in our lineup proves far superior to traditional venting. Riders who brave summer sun or desert heat should strongly consider this model. The excellent ventilation also reduces perspiration and saturation of the padding. The wonderful ventilation on this helmet earns it the word 'Air' in its name; it makes you feel like you are flying.
Although it has a hefty price tag, other helmets on the market fail to offer that same level of ventilation and drag reduction (as proven through reduced wind roar). If you have the cash to spend and the style appeals to you, this helmet provides cooling comfort on a hot day.
Adjustability
As stated above, the Ventral Air has a fore/aft adjustable head cradle that takes a second of finagling to get into place but stays secure throughout the riding.
The large micro adjustment dial is easy to use and find one-handed while riding. The precision straps are comfortable, and webbing can be fed through to adjust the placement of the Y-buckle. This system is not as friendly or intuitive as other models, but it is a standard design across several brands.
Weight
At 295 grams in size Large, the Ventral Air is in the middle of its class. It proved to be a pleasure on long rides regardless, causing little to no neck strain on all-day rides.
The integrated pads and rotational protection of the MIPS Integra technology shed some grams, as does the variable density EPS foam. Those counting grams for gram's sake can look elsewhere. We found the extra grams unnoticeable and reached for the Ventral on our longest rides despite its heavier weight because of its excellent scores in the metrics that follow.
Style
POC has routed the classic helmet design and offered a helmet that provides a bold design to reduce turbulence. All riders may not prefer the unique trailing edge, but we did find that it reduced noise and the large open vents offer excellent airflow.
The Ventral Air is offered in nearly a dozen colors for every taste. Our favorite aspect in this category is the sunglass garage. The grippy vinyl tape in the fore vents holds sunglasses at speeds clocked up to 35 mph without budging. It is also very easy to find one-handed while riding to put your sunglasses away. The Ventral Air offers a new look for those not shy to stand out and those who want the excellent ventilation of large recessed air channels.
Durability
We are impressed with the PolyCarbonate (PC) shell that fully wraps the Ventral Air. There is very minimal exposed EPS foam. The shell is tight and well-bonded, wrapping well into the brim, offering protection for the foam all the way around. The helmet is lightweight considering the surface area of the PC compared to other models that sacrifice the heavier Poly Carbonate to cut grams, exposing fragile EPS foam.
Our testers encountered no issues with typical rough handling and use in the course of testing. The Ventral Air strikes a nice balance between weight and durability. Certainly, one could seek a lighter helmet, but you sacrifice the protection of the PC shell in the process.
Value
The Ventral Air contends for one of the most expensive helmets we tested. A bargain, no. But POC gives you a lot for the money: comfort, excellent ventilation, and we do love the sunglass garage (they are not all created equal). A non-traditional design, many unique colors, and a forward thinning vent layout makes this helmet worth the wedge for those who plan to ride in the heat or crane their neck forward for hours in a low position. If you're on a budget or the unique design doesn't speak to you, then look elsewhere. As stated above, we feel this helmet deserves high honors, and we awarded it as a top pick.
Conclusion
The Ventral Air is a high-quality, durable helmet that has excellent ventilation. The unique design may not fit every head or call to every sensibility, but all our testers agreed that it felt light as air and kept our heads cool in the grueling summer heat. The price tag justifies the services for those willing to throw down for a new interpretation of a necessary tool in our sport.