I love POC helmets. I’ve worn the Octal and Ventral for years, and now the lineup has stepped into a new generation.
Replacing the Ventral is the “Cytal” series: the standard Cytal, the lightweight Cytal Lite, and the robust Cytal Carbon. Alongside them sits the Procen Air, whose aggressive TT-like silhouette has been turning heads.
Of these, I’ve been using the Cytal Lite, Cytal Carbon, and Procen Air. I’d like to review these three flagship models through the lens of someone who genuinely loves the brand.
Reviewer
 | Ryuji (@ryuji_ride) |
text & Photo / Ryuji (＠ryuji_ride)
edit / Tats (@tats_lovecyclist)
Contents
POC’s Neutrality
POC isn’t just about beautiful design. What draws me to this brand is its neutrality.
Cycling apparel brands have proliferated like never before. Each has its own personality and philosophy, and there’s real joy in choosing. But helmets are a different story. Between pro-team associations, assertive colorways and shapes, and designs that reflect a national character, helmets are surprisingly talkative. Just wearing one tends to say something. Brands that can genuinely stay “neutral against any outfit” are, in truth, rare.
POC is one of those few. Its subtractive design carries a timelessness that doesn’t ride the trends. It isn’t heavily colored by any one team or star rider. And it doesn’t force a styling agenda on you. All of this gives POC a uniquely neutral presence.
So whatever you’re wearing, a POC helmet doesn’t clash. When you’ve settled on the day’s look, adding POC just quietly falls into place. The helmet doesn’t insist “this is who I am.” It steps back and lets the wearer’s style stand out.
That graceful restraint is, I think, the deepest reason I’ve stayed loyal to POC for so long.
The three models reviewed here, Cytal Lite, Cytal Carbon, and Procen Air, are all POC road helmets, but their characters diverge quite a bit. Let’s go through each and see the three distinct personalities I’ve come to know by actually riding them.
1. Cytal Lite: Lightness Is Justice
Cytal Lite (¥66,000)
| Weight | 195g (M size) |
| Colors | – Uranium Black Matt – Hydrogen White Matt – Hydrogen White/Uranium Black Matt |
| Sizes | – S 50–56cm – M 54–59cm – L 56–61cm |
| Price | ¥66,000 (tax incl.) |
The Cytal Lite (Lite from here) has a solid, aero-conscious shape, yet lift it in your hand and it feels absurdly light. The gap between what your eyes expect and what your hands feel almost glitches your senses. Put it on your head and the impression holds. Helmets you can genuinely feel to be “light” while wearing them are, honestly, not that common.
Hand it to a riding buddy and the reaction is always the same: “Whoa, that’s light.”
Every Gram Counts
Lightness translates directly to less fatigue. So the Lite is what I reach for on long, all-day rides. When you’re on the pedals for hours, the tiny difference in weight on your head starts to accumulate later in the ride. With the Lite, that creeping fatigue barely surfaces.
On climb-heavy days and hill-climb races, this is the no-brainer pick. If you’re going up, lighter is better.
The Helmet I Grab on Hot Days
Ventilation is a clear step ahead of the other two models. It has the largest vent openings, and cooling doesn’t fall off even at low speeds. In situations where speed drops, like climbing, heat doesn’t build up. So on hot days, the Lite is what my hand naturally goes for.
Even as a lightweight model, the shape is aero-aware. It keeps up with tempo riding and looks properly modern too.
The Cost of Going Light
There are trade-offs. To shed weight, the outer shell has been trimmed back, leaving more EPS liner exposed. That liner is delicate. It dents and scuffs easily, so you handle it with care. Tossing it into a bag isn’t an option.
Lots of exposed liner, and eyewear retention is a weak point.
The other quietly annoying issue is eyewear retention. I like to park my sunglasses in the front vents, but the Lite has no rubber grippers to hold them. Depending on the shape of your shades, they can slip right out. If you often stash your glasses on your helmet mid-ride, check the compatibility with your current pair first.
2. Cytal Carbon: At the Summit
Cytal Carbon (¥77,000)
| Weight | 299g (size M) |
| Colors | – Uranium Black Matt – Hydrogen White |
| Sizes | – S 50–56cm – M 54–59cm – L 56–61cm |
| Price | ¥77,000 (tax incl.) |
At the top of the Cytal series sits the ‘Cytal Carbon‘ (hereafter Carbon). A carbon wing runs front to back down the center, setting this model apart both visually and structurally.
Why carbon
Its safety credentials are proven: the Virginia Tech helmet ratings gave it the top 5-star score. What makes this remarkable is that it achieved this without MIPS, the rotational impact mitigation system. Compare it against other models and the accomplishment becomes clear.
Only carbon can deliver both the lightness and the protection this top wing provides
The reason lies in that carbon “wing” running front to back down the center. It is filled with a material called Koridion, and combined with the strength of carbon, it achieves both light weight and impact protection. At first glance the structure reads as a design accent, but it is actually central to the helmet’s protective performance.
A sense of quality
Carbon is the one I reach for on days when I’m not riding as long as I would with the Lite. On high-tempo days covering ground, or on routes with some climbing but relatively gentle gradients, its aerodynamics and ventilation come into their own.
The ventilation concept differs from the Lite. The number of vent holes is fewer, but the front intake is much larger, and air taken in flows efficiently out the back. According to POC, the wing accelerates the airflow. In practice, once you’re moving above 30 km/h, the inside of the helmet stays quite cool. Where the Lite relies on its abundance of openings at low speeds, the Carbon comes alive as the pace rises. Their territories are clearly divided.
The fit also differs from the Lite. A supple, lightweight wire adjuster wraps the head evenly through 360°, and compared to the Lite, the Carbon feels a touch more refined.
Using it alongside the Lite, the biggest difference is durability. The outer shell covers a larger area, so unlike the Lite you don’t need to be delicate with it. There’s a reassurance in being able to handle it a bit more casually day to day. On top of that, carbon gives it a distinct premium feel.
The most expensive of the series. The price makes sense given the carbon wing construction, but it is not a casual purchase
Buy the Cytal Carbon (official site)
3. Procen Air: Wearing speed
Procen Air (¥74,800)
| Weight | 344g (size M, shield included) |
| Colors | – Apatite Navy Matt – Hydrogen White – Pargasite Green Matt – Uranium Black Matt |
| Sizes | – S 50–56cm – M 54–59cm – L 56–61cm |
| Price | ¥74,800 (tax incl.) |
A bold shape that pushes right up to the edge of TT helmet territory. The ‘Procen Air‘ is POC’s answer to “ultimate aero” for the road.
My first reaction was “wait, really?”
I’ll be honest, my first impression was that the look was almost off-putting in its impact. But line it up against other brands’ aero-focused helmets and the refinement of the Procen Air stands out. The silhouette is similar, yet the Procen Air isn’t just unconventional, it’s genuinely beautiful. In this category, for me it’s Procen Air or nothing.
Making an aero function look this stylish is a trick only POC can pull off.
By now I’m completely smitten with the shape and sometimes just pick it up to admire it for no reason
A distinctive slipperiness
I reach for the Procen Air on days that are mostly flat. The aero benefit is most obvious at high cruising speeds or into strong headwinds, where it feels noticeably faster. Once you know the distinctive way the wind glides past your head without catching, you actually start wanting to wear it more on windy days.
It’s also great on cold days, since less wind hits your face directly. That’s a quiet but welcome side benefit of an aero helmet.
Ventilation-wise, above 30 km/h air flows through and out, so as long as you keep the pace up, heat doesn’t build up
Being worthy of it
Let me add a personal note here: this helmet definitely chooses its rider.
Unless you’ve been putting in the training and your body is dialed in, you don’t feel worthy of the Procen Air. Because it’s a helmet built to wear speed, it demands a matching condition of its wearer. And that’s exactly why it becomes a helmet that makes you want to be the kind of rider who deserves it.
Points to note
The fit shape is worth flagging. Compared to the previous two models, the Procen Air’s interior leans more toward a Western head shape. I use the global-fit size M across the board, and while the Cytal Lite and Carbon fit me without issue, the Procen Air alone felt a bit narrow. Depending on your head shape, this is one to try on in person.
Its use case is also limited. The ventilation is strong for an aero helmet, but the cooling only kicks in once you’re moving quickly, so honestly it’s not a helmet I’d reach for in the heart of a Japanese summer.
344g including the shield that replaces sunglasses. It doesn’t feel as heavy as it looks, and lacks that heavy-on-the-head sensation typical of aero helmets
The new ‘Amidal’
Following these three models, POC has released a helmet called the ‘Amidal‘.
Where the Cytal and Procen Air are aimed more at the race scene, the Amidal extends its scope to commuting and city riding alongside road use, and at ¥44,000 (tax incl.) it’s priced a step below the Cytal series.
Its defining trait is a slim silhouette. The compact shape hugs the head closely, with a reinforced zone at the rear ensuring structural strength. On the safety front, it features MIPS Air Node. Weight comes in at 300g for size S and 310g for size M. Another distinctive feature is a rear light mount developed jointly with Knog, allowing you to attach a light to the back of the helmet (the light itself is sold separately at ¥6,750). It’s available in a wide range of 11 colors.
Since I haven’t actually used this one, I’ll leave it here as an introduction to one of the new additions to the lineup.
A High-End Trio to Choose From
Rotating between the three models has only reinforced this feeling: I love all three of them.
The Cytal Lite, which grants freedom through lightness. The Cytal Carbon, which lifts the mood with its solidity and refinement. The Procen Air, which cloaks you in speed and beauty. Each has a different aim, yet all feel unmistakably POC. Stripped of anything unnecessary, and never an imitation of anything else.
Which model you choose comes down to which kind of ride matters most to you. POC has an answer prepared for every question, so find the model that sits closest to your own way of riding.
Shop POC helmets (Official site)
text & Photo / Ryuji（＠ryuji_ride）
edit / Tats（@tats_lovecyclist）
