POC

Brand overview and significance

POC is a Swedish protection specialist that changed how skiers think about helmets, goggles and body armor. Founded in 2005 by Stefan Ytterborn and based in Stockholm, the brand built its identity around one clear mission: to protect lives and reduce the consequences of accidents for athletes and anyone inspired to be one. Rather than treating safety as an afterthought, POC put research, biomechanics and industrial design at the center of its product development, creating protection that feels technical, looks distinctive and is comfortable enough to wear every day on snow.

POC entered the ski world at a time when wearing a helmet was still far from universal in many resorts. Bright colors, clean Scandinavian lines and race-driven safety stories helped normalize helmets in freeskiing and racing circles. Collaboration with doctors, brain scientists and safety experts through its internal “POC Lab” gave the brand credibility with World Cup racers and big-mountain athletes alike. Over the years, POC has accumulated dozens of international awards for design and safety, and its gear has been used by Olympic champions and World Cup athletes while also becoming a familiar sight in lift lines, parks and backcountry trailheads worldwide.

Although POC now works across snow, road cycling, mountain biking and urban commuting, its ski heritage remains obvious. Race helmets with FIS certification, freeride lids designed for repeated tree laps, and goggles tuned for flat light in storm cycles all grew from the same starting point: understand how crashes actually happen, and then design equipment that quietly stacks the odds in the skier’s favor. For the skipowd.tv audience, that makes POC less of a fashion label and more of a trusted piece of the safety system that sits between ambitious skiing and the real consequences of impact.

Product lines and key technologies

On the snow side, POC’s core products fall into four main families: ski and snowboard helmets, goggles, body protection and technical apparel. Racing helmets are built around hard-wearing ABS or carbon shells paired with multi-impact liners and features such as breakaway chin guards, designed for World Cup slalom and GS environments where repeated gate hits and high-speed crashes are part of the job. All-mountain and freeride helmets prioritize balanced coverage, low weight and effective ventilation, with models aimed at everyone from first-chair powder hunters to all-day resort riders.

Key safety technologies revolve around managing both straight-on impacts and the rotational forces that modern research links to many brain injuries. POC has used its own SPIN (Shearing Pad INside) concept in several snow helmets, with internal pads that can shear slightly to help dissipate oblique forces, and it now integrates various Mips solutions in many models to add a low-friction layer between head and shell. Multi-impact EPP and EPS liner structures are combined with unibody shells and aramid bridges that help distribute impact energy across a wider area, reinforcing high-risk zones without turning the helmet into a heavy, rigid bucket.

Goggles are built around Clarity lens technology developed in partnership with optics specialists, using tints that filter specific parts of the light spectrum to sharpen contrast and terrain definition. Toric and cylindrical double lenses, anti-fog and hydrophobic coatings, and wide peripheral fields of view aim to keep vision intact in flat light, storm days and bright spring sessions. POC’s back protectors and body armor rely on its VPD (Visco-Elastic Polymer Dough) materials, which stay flexible in normal use but stiffen on impact, allowing vests, shorts and spine pads that move naturally while still absorbing significant energy in a crash.

Ride feel: who it’s for (terrains & use-cases)

The ride feel of POC gear is not about a playful ski flex or sidecut; it is about how the equipment disappears until something goes wrong. On snow, that translates into helmets that feel light, stable and quiet at speed, with even pressure across the head and minimal “hot spots” during long days. Adjustable ventilation lets you open things up on spring park laps or while hiking bootpacks, then close vents down during cold storm days in the trees. Many shells sit fairly low-profile for a race-derived product, which helps them integrate cleanly with modern goggles.

For freeriders and big-mountain skiers, POC helmets and goggles are tuned for predictable behavior when the terrain gets serious. Wide, stable goggle fields of view combine with high-contrast lenses to make it easier to read micro-features in couloirs, wind lips, pillows and landing zones. Because Clarity lenses are designed to emphasize detail in snow, they help riders pick up subtle shadows and texture changes that can mean the difference between a clean stomp and an unexpected compression. Back protectors and padded shorts come into their own on park laps and freeride days where falls are part of progression; the goal is to keep you moving and exploring rather than sitting out after a heavy slam.

Recreational skiers who mostly cruise pistes benefit in a more straightforward way. A comfortable, well-vented POC helmet paired with a goggle that stays clear in poor light makes all-day skiing less tiring and more confidence-inspiring. Parents often choose POC youth helmets and goggles because the safety story is easy to explain, and kids are more likely to actually wear brightly colored, well-fitting gear than a heavy, anonymous rental lid. For ski tourers and sidecountry riders, lighter-weight helmets and packable body protection pieces fit naturally with avalanche packs and layered systems.

Team presence, competitions, and reputation

POC’s credibility in skiing was built early through World Cup racing. The brand served as a supplier to national teams and high-profile athletes, putting its helmets and goggles on Olympic champions and top-level speed and technical skiers. That presence on the World Cup circuit forced rapid iteration of safety features and fit systems at the highest speeds, and the lessons learned in icy race environments filtered down into freeride and all-mountain products where the falls are less structured but no less consequential.

Over time, POC’s roster expanded into freeride, park and urban skiing, as well as a deep bench of bike athletes. For freeskiers, the important point is not a specific name on a sticker sheet, but the way those riders use the gear: high-speed GS turns into chop, backcountry hits with awkward landings, and rail-heavy park days that test how well goggles manage fog on repeat. Edits and films on skipowd.tv frequently show POC helmets and goggles in backcountry segments from places like British Columbia and Japan, reinforcing the idea that the brand belongs on serious trips rather than just shop walls.

In reputation terms, POC is generally seen as a safety-first company with a strong design language. The matte shells, bold color blocks and rounded shapes are instantly recognizable on the hill, which some riders love and others ignore—but underneath the look sits a consistent commitment to testing and certification. Among coaches, guides and patrollers, that consistency has value: if an athlete shows up in a POC race or freeride helmet, there is a good chance the product was chosen deliberately, not just for its aesthetic.

Geography and hubs (heritage, testing, venues)

POC is rooted in Sweden, with headquarters in Stockholm and strong connections to the country’s ski culture. Scandinavian venues such as Åre and Riksgränsen, with their mix of FIS racing, spring freeride events and variable weather, offer natural proving grounds for helmets, goggles and back protection. Cold temperatures, flat light and fast-changing surfaces punish gear that does not ventilate well or fog-resist, so products that survive repeated days there tend to translate well to other mountain regions.

From that Nordic base, POC expanded quickly into the Alps and North America. Helmets and goggles now show up in lift lines from Verbier to Whistler, on race training lanes in central Europe and in backcountry zones from the Coast Mountains to interior Japan. The same focus on data and lab testing that appears in cycling road and enduro helmets also appears in snow, with POC using its cross-sport reach to keep refining how it manages impacts, rotational forces and fit. For skiers who split their year between bikes and skis, that continuity is appealing: the brand that protects them on the trail is also the one they trust on snow.

Construction, durability, and sustainability

Construction details are where POC’s safety-first approach becomes tangible. Many helmets combine a lightweight in-mold outer shell with EPS or multi-impact EPP liners, backed by aramid bridges and unibody shell structures in key zones to improve penetration resistance and maintain integrity in high-speed hits. Race-focused models add features such as removable, breakaway chin guards and enhanced coverage around the temples and back of the head. Fit systems are designed to wrap the head evenly and reduce pressure points, which not only improves comfort but helps ensure the helmet stays correctly positioned during a fall.

In protection pieces, VPD foam plays a central role. It is soft and flexible while skiing, then stiffens on impact to absorb energy. That behavior lets POC create back protectors, vests and shorts that do not feel like rigid armor but still provide a meaningful barrier when you tomahawk through a rock band or land sideways onto a knuckle. Durability is supported by robust fabrics, reinforced stitching in high-stress areas, and components that can handle repeated packing, chairlift rides and overhead compartments without falling apart after a single season.

Sustainability enters the picture through material choices and partnerships. POC has moved some goggle frames and straps toward higher percentages of bio-based materials, developed long-lasting products to reduce churn, and collaborated with environmental organizations such as Protect Our Winters, including special Clarity goggle editions where part of the proceeds supports climate advocacy. Its “Protected by Science” approach, highlighted on the brand’s own about pages, emphasizes that improving protection and extending product life is itself a sustainability move: fewer replacements, fewer injuries and better use of resources.

How to choose within the lineup

Choosing the right POC setup starts with an honest look at how and where you ski. Racers who spend their winters in gates should prioritize FIS-approved race helmets with full hard shells, optional chin guards and goggle setups that lock in securely at speed. Look for models with robust ear coverage and multiple thicknesses of padding so you can fine-tune fit over balaclavas or under race suits. Pairing a race helmet with a compact goggle that nestles cleanly into the brow helps avoid wind gaps during high-speed runs.

Freeride and all-mountain skiers who split time between powder, steeps and groomers can focus on versatile helmets with adjustable ventilation and modern rotational-impact systems. A midweight shell with a slightly deeper fit can provide extra confidence in variable terrain and tree lines without feeling overbuilt for lift-served laps. Goggles with Clarity lenses tuned for all-round conditions are a solid match for riders who encounter everything from storm-day flat light to bright spring slush in a single week. If you often leave the resort boundary or ski consequential terrain, adding a VPD back protector or vest is a straightforward upgrade.

For park and slopestyle riders, priorities shift slightly toward field of view, goggle stability on big tricks and helmets that sit securely without bouncing on impact or rail taps. A lower-profile, well-vented helmet that pairs seamlessly with a wide-vision goggle helps with spotting features and landings from takeoff to stomp. Ski tourers and weight-conscious sidecountry skiers should look for lighter helmets that are certified for both alpine and mountaineering use where appropriate, plus low-bulk protectors that fit comfortably under backpacks and outer layers.

Why riders care

Riders care about POC because it consistently treats safety as a performance feature, not a compromise. A helmet that manages rotational forces better, a goggle that makes flat light more readable, or a spine protector that disappears until you need it all contribute directly to how confidently you can ski. When you trust your protection, you are more willing to commit to the fall line, stay relaxed in rough snow and focus on line choice rather than on what happens if you crash. That mindset shows up clearly in the edits and films where POC gear appears: the equipment is rarely the star, but it is part of why the skiing looks controlled even when the terrain is serious.

For the skipowd.tv community, POC has become shorthand for a particular mix of Scandinavian design and hard-nosed safety engineering. It is a brand you see in race start gates, in freeride start huts and in lift lines full of dedicated locals, all using the same underlying technologies. Whether you are chasing personal bests on groomers, stacking storm-day tree laps or lining up a spring park session, POC offers a toolkit built around one simple promise: protect the rider first, and let style and performance follow from there.