I have ridden with the Octal MIPS for the last six years. I love the fit of the helmet and am a fan of how it looks. Recently I was due for a replacement and decided to try the Ventral Air. I have to say I am very pleased. It looks much better than the Octal and the fit is improved. Some of the minor adjustments have made a big difference to the fit and function. Primarily this is the tighter fit of the straps to your head. The ventilation also seems better. However we have not had any hot temps yet since I started wearing the Ventral. I would highly recommend this helmet.
I ride a gravel bike but take it mostly on roads. I wanted a white helmet to be able to stand out to cars, but I also really was looking for something that was designed with function and aesthetics in mind. Performance wise, the Ventral Air is crazy light, has great airflow, and the straps/buckles are great. The final push that got me to purchase this helmet was its look. POC designed a beautiful helmet that works well with my head shape. I like how it feels, and how it looks on my head. Also, the matte white is absolutely stunning. It's definitely pricey though. Is it worth the money??? Performance wise, probably not. It's nothing revolutionary. I justified the price because of its aesthetics.
Ride to work year round on my Brompton for the last 10 years using a POC non-MIPS. Decided to get the Ventral MIPS when on sale in the same bright Orange. A good helmet is a must. It pains me to see young people riding around New York City without one.
I bought this to replace a 10-year-old Giro helmet. Specifically chose for ventilation for warm weather rides. Very comfortable, and the ventilation is really noticeable - I can feel the air crossing my head and coming out the back. Never noticed that before in my other helmets (Giro, Smith Trace).
Only 2 drawbacks. First is that the helmet is kind of loud. As soon as I hit about 18 mph, all of that airflow made it sound like I was going 40 mph. Takes some getting used to. Second is the sunglass garage. There's a little piece of fabric or something to help hold your specs in place, but it doesn't feel real secure. POC should replace that with a silicone patch or something similarly lightweight and grippy.
Overall the helmet is fine. It is light and it vents well. My only issue with the helmet is this eye garage. The vents aren't quite wide enough to keep glasses tight and the "eye garage" doesn't provide any extra slip protection if they aren't in contact with the sunglass arms. If you don't take your glasses on and off, then no worries. If you do, be prepared for your glasses to potentially feel like they're coming off before the "eye garage" catches the ends of your sunglasses (the tightest part of your glasses). This issue is not universal with all my cycling glasses. A smaller frame size works okay.
If you have a pair of glasses you love, try them with the helmet, before you hit the road/gravel/trail.
I gave my ventral air SPIN to a friend and picked this up. It is almost identical to the SPIN tech from looks but has added minimal padding towards the back. This helmet in the same size feels slightly more locked in than the SPIN technology. Still the same comfort and airy feeling. I trust MIPS technology as I like to believe it saved me in my hockey helmets.
First time I have purchased a POC road helmet. Great fit, light weight (I'm a Clydesdale so so a few grams either way isn't important), and excellent ventilation. I will purchase another POC helmet when needed.
I give this review a 4 stars due to the fitment, medium feels small and large is too big , wide does not exist. Over the look and feel is a bit bulky looking but it does serve its purposes.
Was dying during the PDX heat wave in my old Smith with the straws. This new POC feels like I'm riding without a helmet compared to that thing. Long oval head (Arai Signet is my usual motorcycle helmet) and fits well, works with with glasses (tried with Tifosi Sledge, Rapha Full Frame and Smith Ruckus). Liked it so much bought a second one as backup.
It was time, 5 years, ti get a new helmet. I picked this one for its price and looks too. I hot much, much more. Light weight (I have to check ever once in a while to make sure I even have a helmet on); much better looking in real life than in the pictures; good and comfortable fit, it is snug with comfort; it holds my glasses well when I don't need them on.
Great helmet - sizing is a little on the small side. Super light and very breezy. Once on, easy to forget you are wearing a helmet.
