POC Trabec helmet.

POC hit the nail on the head (maybe not the best analogy for a helmet review), when it introduced the Trabec helmet back in 2011. The standard version hasn’t changed a whistle since. Out of the box the Trabec looks the business, with its rounded, no-messing chunkiness and minimalist styling. Moulded EPS foam strengthened with a gridlock of aramid (Kevlar) fibres makes up the core of the helmet and it’s all encapsulated in a polycarbonate shell, designed to dissipate impact forces across as wide an area as possible.

Coverage is great, extending down the side and round the back of my head but it still feels feather-light, weighing in at less than 350g. The fitting system is about as simple as it gets; pop the helmet on and close the sliding grippers at the back, snugly gripping your head all the way round. The padding round the front is thick, squishy and velcro-detachable for easy washing. Spare padding is included too, for when it gets beyond the ‘freshening up’ stage. On the trail, it’s forget-you’re-wearing-it comfortable, and the 14 ventilation slots work well to stop my head overheating.

So what’s the downside? Most probably the price, but given that the aramid-reinforced polystyrene is fully protected by the hardshell, which should protect it from scuffs and scrapes and general life, the helmet should last well until you need it most.