POC Otocon – Review
The Otocon is POC’s latest foray into lightweight full-face helmets. Designed for the pressures of enduro racing to keep you comfortable whether racing downhill or giving full effort uphill. Packed with enough safety features and a new fitting system the POC Otocon will keep your head protected and comfortable for the most challenging days on the bike.
Working with the ibis Race team, POC has created a strong, lightweight, and safety-packed helmet, directly aimed at (but not exclusively) the enduro racer. This is a helmet that can be worn by any rider on a variety of trails. It has been influenced by the POC Whole Helmet design principles and shares similar features to POC’s other helmets in terms of safety, ventilation, and weight savings.
The Otocon is a DH-rated helmet and POC has done a great job in reducing weight with no sacrifice to strength.
Weighing in at only 680g for a medium, this is a serious contender for the lightest DH rated helmet.
Features
The Otocon has a lot of attractive features, but if we had to Absolut–ley distill it down like a fine Swedish vodka, it would be its stability, strength, and weight. POC uses Dual-material liners; EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) in the multi-impact chin bar and lower part of the helmet to improve durability and sustainability, while an EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) upper keeps the weight low, and to retain even more strength and stability the lower part of the liner features an injection-molded cage.
Bold design principles and elegant lines give the POC Otocon a modern and clean look.
Airflow is obviously a major USP for POC, with the Otocon boasting a hefty, 18 ventilation ports all up! These have been optimized to channel air through the helmet for comfort at both high and low speeds.
The grill in the chin piece protects the face from mud splashes and can be removed for better airflow in warmer, drier conditions.
POC’s integrated Race Lock retention adjuster is a Boa-style system that neatly integrates into the helmet. The retention system cradles the head and offers a supportive and stable fit around the head and can be adjusted vertically for a more tailored fit.
The Race Lock retention system feels like a giant hand gently, and securely cupping your head.
The POC Otocon also features the RECCO® Reflector safety system. The collaboration between POC and RECCO was launched with ski helmets 15 years ago. When the RECCO SAR Helicopter Detector system was developed, and used for year-round search and rescue, POC became the first brand to integrate rescue reflectors into biking helmets, making their customers searchable. Thanks to the inclusion of a RECCO reflector in the new Otocon, users of this helmet benefit from this feature.
Small rubber bumpers protect the helmet when placed down on the ground. Nice touch.
The cheek pads use a simple clip-in design, making it very easy to swap between the two sizes.
On The Trails
The Otocon has a snug entry space, so squeezing our head into the helmet for the first time, was a tight experience. But once on, the internal space provided a gentle but firm fit. Adjusting the Race Lock cradle is super-easy with a Boa-style dial at the rear of the helmet, very similar to open-face helmets.
Simply turn the thumb dial at the back of the helmet and you’ll feel the Race Lock cradle start to tighten down over your head for a glove-like fit. Be sure to check the Race Lock cradle system is folded down before pulling on the helmet as this can fold up on itself. Lastly, buckle up the traditional chin strap and you’re ready to go.
The helmet features a patented breakaway peak that will snap off in the event of a crash, improving safety by reducing unnecessary twisting forces to the neck, and YouTubers will appreciate the smooth underside of the peak which has been designed to house a GoPro mount. Hey GoPro, start recording!
In terms of stability, the Otocon felt rock solid with zero bobbing, creaking, or rattling on the rowdiest of trails. The Race Lock system has a lot to do with this.
Three huge vents across the brow channel air through and over the head to exit at five vents on the rear of the helmet, with two large vents along the jaw line and additional smaller vents positioned around the brow area.
Visibility is excellent with the Otocon’s large open-face design, which gave us ample forward and peripheral views. Some full-face helmets have a tendency to close everything in, which can cause that disconcerting tunnel vision sensation. The Otocon makes it easy to read the trail and has a very natural feel with head movement, with or without goggles.
Airflow through the helmet is excellent at high and low speeds with the large open-face design and the cavernous brow and jawline vents channeling ample air over and around the head. The removable grill is a brilliant touch and will be a killer feature in the Australian summertime when you’re looking for that extra airflow, as well as keeping grit and debris out on wet weather days.
We paired the Otocon with the POC Ora Clarity goggles and it was a match made in heaven.
Conclusions
The POC Otocon offers the best in class protection with all-day comfort, pushing the boundaries of what a lightweight full-face helmet can be. The Race Lock cradle provides a firm comforting fit that reduces helmet wiggle on the rowdiest of trails and a super wide open face to read the trails at high speeds.
Featuring a whopping 18 vents which push air around your noggin to keep you comfortable on track whether racing downhill or giving full effort uphill. The POC Otocon is perfect for the Australian climate.
POC say the Otocon is a helmet that is “tailored to the challenges of enduro racing“, but we feel it is a helmet that can be worn by anyone who’s serious about protecting their head, be that professional EWS racers to weekend warriors alike.
If you’re serious about protecting your head and are looking for a DH-certified lightweight full-face helmet that allows you to can climb and descend like a pro, then the POC Otocon has your name all over it.
Price / Where To Buy
POC Otocon Helmet: $425.00AUD
POC Otocon MIPS/Recco: $500.00AUD
You can pick up the POC Otocon either direct from POC’s website, or ask at your local bike shop.
Additional Features with the MIPS version:
- Mips
- RECCO® Reflector – Check out the RECCO® Reflector in action demonstrated by the GMBN team.
- twICEme® NFC Medical ID
- Aramid internal skeleton (claimed to improve structural stability and penetration protection)
- Clip-on transparent peak extender that offers extra splash protection for foul weather conditions.
Purchase from your local bike store or direct from the POC Australia website.
