POC Procen Air Aero Road Helmet Review 2026
What Is It
The POC Procen Air borrows its shell shape and three large frontal vents directly from POC’s dedicated Procen TT helmet, then reworks the tail and ear coverage to make it road-legal and rideable for hours rather than just a 25-minute time trial. For triathletes weighing up a proper TT lid against something more versatile, it sits in an interesting middle ground — most of the aero benefit, without giving up ventilation and hearing entirely.
Key Specs
- Weight — 355g as tested (size M, including the 31g magnetic visor); roughly 323g without it
- Sizes — S (50-56cm), M (54-59cm), L (56-61cm)
- Aero design — three low-pressure frontal intake vents draw air across the head, accelerated out the back using the Venturi effect; POC claims a 5-18W saving versus its own Ventral road helmet at 30-60km/h
- Visor — detachable magnetic visor included (clear and mirrored lenses), stores by flipping onto the back of the helmet when not in use
- Safety — standard EPS liner and polycarbonate shell; no MIPS or other rotational-impact system
- Colours — Uranium Black Matt, Apatite Navy Matt, Pargasite Green Matt, Hydrogen White
On the Bike
The trade-off POC has made compared with a full TT helmet is in the tail and ears: the tail is more aggressively truncated than the Procen TT, and the ear covers are soft, flexible fabric that only half-covers the ears rather than fully enclosing them. That costs a small amount of pure aero performance but buys back the two things that make dedicated TT helmets miserable for anything but a short race effort — you can actually hear traffic and your surroundings, and the more open design keeps it wearable for a full ride rather than just a 20km time trial.
Reviewers who’ve tested it back to back with true TT helmets found it closed much of the aero gap with noticeably fewer comfort and ventilation compromises than expected — a helmet that gets close to TT numbers while staying wearable for a full bike leg. The most notable omission is rotational-impact protection: POC helped pioneer MIPS on road helmets, so its absence here on a £370 lid is worth knowing before you buy, even if it’s far from unique among aero road helmets at this price point.
Who It’s For
Triathletes and road racers chasing free aero watts who don’t want to switch helmets between the warm-up and the start line, or who race courses too technical or drafting-restricted to justify a dedicated TT helmet. It’s better suited to flatter, cooler racing than a hot, hilly course — POC’s own guidance is to swap to a better-ventilated helmet for serious climbing days.
Check price on Tredz — £249.99, RRP £370.00, correct at time of writing.
Care and Maintenance
The matte finish marks easily, so wipe it down with a damp cloth after sweaty rides rather than letting salt residue dry in. Store the visor in its pouch when not fitted to avoid scratching the lens, and replace the helmet after any significant impact regardless of visible damage — EPS liners compress permanently on impact even when the shell looks fine.
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