POC Crane Commuter Helmet Review

POC is a Swedish company whose mission is to save lives with its safety gear. The company was founded in 2005 and made its first marks at the ISPO Trade Show in Munich where it primarily addressed the skiing market. At the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics, US alpine ski racer Julia Mancuso won the gold medal in giant slalom and pictures of her wearing a POC helmet and goggles were published all over the world. Since then, POC has evolved and developed protection for different categories including free-skiing, snowboarding and bike disciplines.

For commuting on your bike, you may not want to wear a racing helmet, so the POC Crane commuter helmet is the perfect solution. The POC commuter helmet is a cross between a typical skate-style helmet, an aero road helmet, and a standard commuter style helmet. 

Features

• Dent-resistant construction
• Progressive core dual density liner
• Lightweight design 
• Full wrap shell for increased durability
• Odour-control technology

The commuter helmet is a term apparently used first by by Bell in 2004 when they introduced their Metro model. To most it means a rounded in shape helmet rather than the typical elongated road helmet that we are more used to seeing. 

Protection

Protection should be the first thing you consider when buying a helmet, but realistically it may not be a consideration at all. Most people I know when buying a helmet, 90% of the choice is looks and colour. Let's assume the CE mark will protect us. It's a polycarbonate shell, so that will take care of most knocks and bumps. It has a thick layer of polystyrene material inside that (of course it will be a more fancy and dense substance than what your TV is packaged in) and plenty of padding. I would say as helmets go this will offer top protection. 

Ventilation

Ventilation is a big consideration when buying a typical road helmet, especially if you are planning a big tour in Europe in summer, although it is probably less of a consideration in the UK. This helmet has 10 large vents and the padding keeps a nice air flow round your head making it surprisingly well vented. 

Padding

Being used to a typical road helmet, I found this helmet much thicker in material and thicker in padding. I am not crash testing this, or hitting it with a hammer, but I would rather be wearing this helmet if I was to take a blow to the top of my head. The padding makes this helmet feel like it is sitting on a velvet cushion on your head. Luxury at its finest!

In the rain

There is no visor on this style of helmet so any rain is coming straight down. However, as the material is fairly thick around your entire head it does have about 1 inch overlap on your head. Less than a typical visor but still enough to keep a bit of rain out of your eyes. 

Fit and Adjustments

Under the chin, the commuter bike helmet fastens with a magnetic clip and the length can be adjusted from one side. At the rear of the helmet are two push fits so you can change each side independently to get a snug fit on your skull. It is very easy to get a nice snug fit and it stays in place. Sunglasses will sit under the straps on this helmet. The straps come from the centre and meet under your chin. It is not possible to have the arms of your sunglasses over the straps. 

Verdict

Overall, this is a really comfy helmet and it feels solid and well made. It is definitely a design statement and if you are after a commuter-shaped helmet then this is an excellent choice. Great fit, nice padding, and importantly looks very cool.