An insight into the Swedish protection apparel specialists. An award winning company focused on keeping their customers safe whilst looking good wearing their products.
A relative new company – founded in 2004 by Stefan Ytterborn – POC build premium quality protective gear for all gravity sport riders.
Situated in Stockholm, Sweden, POC work together with engineers and medical experts to creat innovative protective gear to prevent serious neurological and spinal injuries.
POC sponsor a number of high-profile athletes. Feedback from professional athletes help them to refine their products, resulting in a lightweight range of impact absorption gear with a high penetration resistance.
Possibly the most recognisable is Danny MacAskill.
Shall we use this an excuse to show his famous ground-breaking YouTube video again? Yes, let’s.
POC also sponsors the winner of the 2012 Giro d’Italia, Ryder Hesjedal and X-Games multiple gold medalist BMXer Daniel Dhers.
POC haven’t got a very long story to tell (they’re only just about ten years old after all) but we can let their products tell the tale.
POC Octal Road Cycling Helmet
Not a cheap product by any means. POC don’t do cheap. All of their gear is uncompromising and cutting edge, utilising the skills and knowledge of people at the very top of the game. This all costs money.
The Octal road cycling helmet (this is an old post and the linked content no longer exists) is classic POC. Entering a new market – road cycling – and pretty much ignoring the accepted trends and limitations. Boldly starting a new style aesthetic as well as offering increased function and performance.
The Octal looked like no other road helmet when it came out. But now there are more and more companies aping its looks every season.
More protection to temple areas of the head as well as increased coverage down the back of the head. Fewer vents but much larger vents. Scannable ICE Tag.
Pardon? A scannable ICE Tag. Ice Stands for In Case of Emergency, if an accident happens and the victim is knocked unconscious, scanning the tag will allow passers-by or medical personal to identify the victim and get correct medical information such as blood group or allergies that can be vital for correct care.
POC Essential Cycling Rain Jacket
A waterproof jacket is a waterproof jacket right? Wrong. Almost all waterproof jackets have weaknesses. Usually they don’t breathe very well ie allow body moisture to escape the jacket.
(this is an old post and the linked content no longer exists)
Through an exceptional combination of fabric choice, ergonomic cycle-stance specific tailoring and intelligent vent design and placement, the POC Essential Cycling Rain Jacket does everything that you want a cycling jacket to do.
And it looks good whilst doing it. Which is important to a lot of riders these days.
Protective, breathable, adjustable, dependable, stylish.
POC DO Blade Sunglasses
In the case of POC DO Blade Sunglasses (this is an old post and the linked content no longer exists) it’s not the lens that’s significant. It’s a mighty fine lens don’t get us wrong. Road-specific contrast and zero distortion and all that. But it’s the frame that has the real POC-ness to it.
It’s made from grilamid. Grilamid is a type of plastic (part of the nylon family to be exact). Grilamid is very resistant to extremes of hot and cold, and crucially is extremely flexible without breaking or permanently bending. It’s the perfect material for making wrap-around styled eyewear from.
What does POC stand for?
We don’t know.
We’ve trawled the internets for the answer. Point Of Contact? People Of Colour? Point Of Care? Proof Of Concept?
If you know (or have some other amusing suggestion) please leave a comment below!
