In a sea of lookalike bike helmets, POC has always stood out from the crowd by matching first-class performance with distinctive design.
That continues with the new Amidal – the Swedish firm’s latest helmet, designed for road and gravel riders. It’s a helmet suitable for anything from early-morning commutes to full-gas city crits, via an off-road detour in between.
“Our objective in creating the Amidal was to develop a helmet from all our extensive safety, ventilation and aerodynamic expertise and encapsulate it in a new form,” says POC’s Magnus Gustafsson.
How has POC achieved that? Here are five things you need to know about the new POC Amidal.
It’s a highly ventilated, aerodynamic all-rounder
This is unmistakably a POC helmet, thanks to the large ventilation ports and streamlined silhouette.
A polycarbonate outer shell wraps the EPS liner and is shaped to draw air through the front ports, to then be channeled through the helmet.
The internal channels themselves have been designed to funnel cooling air from front to back, regardless of whether you’re riding slowly up a long climb or gearing up for a sprint at race pace.
You can expect POC’s signature fit and adjustability
As a helmet designed to be a rider’s go-to lid, POC has paid close attention to the Amidal’s fit and adjustability. “What sets the Amidal apart is the comfort and balance which will support and energise long and short rides alike,” says Gustafsson.
The 360-degree fit system distributes retention evenly around the head, eliminating any pressure points as a result. The chin straps are also fully adjustable, enabling the rider to personalise the fit up, down, fore and aft.
And if you need to store your sunglasses on the move, the Amidal features an eye garage on the top of the helmet.
It’s compatible with a bespoke Knog rear light
The POC Amidal’s safety features continue with the bespoke Knog rear light that can be paired with the helmet.
The light (sold separately) has been designed specifically for the Amidal and integrates perfectly with the helmet, ensuring that enhanced safety is part of the conversation from the start, rather than an afterthought.
“Our objective in working together was to create a seamless and highly usable light that would be a clear part of the helmet’s product development and design, very intuitive to use and add to each rider’s safety in all conditions, whether they are riding during the dark months in Sweden or on the busier urban roads in Australia,” says Knog’s Colin Brown.
The 17g Knog x POC light has a maximum output of 30 lumens and four modes:
- High steady – run time, two hours
- Low steady – run time, eight hours
- High flash – run time, seven hours
- Eco flash – run time, 26 hours
Say hello to the latest MIPS safety technology
Safety is front of mind and the Amidal features the latest MIPS Air Node technology.
MIPS stands for Multi-directional Impact Protection System and the latest evolution, Air Node, features a low-friction layer laminated onto the base of the helmet’s internal padding.
MIPS technology is designed to enhance the safety credentials of helmets by reducing angled impacts, with the Air Node liner sliding relative to the head in the event of an accident.
It won’t break the bank (or the scales)
As a do-it-all road and gravel helmet, the POC Amidal weighs a competitive 310g for a size medium when built to the EU’s EN 1078 safety standard, and 350g for a size medium in the CPSC 1203 standard for North America.
The Amidal has also been designed (and tested) according to the new EN 1078 rotational impact thresholds due to come into force in the near future, ensuring the helmet is fully future-proofed.
The POC Amidal costs:
- £220
- €240
- $270
- AU$440
