Last year I reviewed POC’s Cularis helmet, and now the brand has a new “Pure” version. What makes it pure? Well, it’s $30 cheaper, eschews some of the Cularis’s more high-end features, and has a pretty wild swappable visor (or peak, if you’re European) system.

POC says it shares the same “CFD airflow modeling” as the original Pure, but now you have the option to shut off most of those vents with one of the visor options. This helmet is … interesting, so buckle your seatbelts for a breakdown of what’s new, as well as a brief meditation on existence as a bald person.

POC Cularis Pure Overview

• Sizes Available: Small, Medium, Large - 48-62 cm head circumference
• Features: Interchangeable breakaway visor, Mips Evolve liner, adjustable fit system
• Weight: 336 g (size medium, shell, no visor), 69 g (un-vented visor), 58 g (vented visor)
• Price: $210

POC Cularis Pure Fit 

My head is shaped more like a watermelon than a basketball, and it measures 57 centimeters in circumference. I wear size medium helmets from almost all brands, and I get along well with the medium Cularis Pure. It fits very similarly to the regular Cularis, which means that I’m close to the high end of its adjustment range, and it feels a little narrower than some other helmets like the Specialized Ambush 3. It does have the full Mips Evolve liner that I’ve found tends to catch hair a little more than systems like the Mips Air found in the regular Cularis, and can be a little more creaky.

The adjustable dial system on the back of the helmet works well, but it’s not quite as slick and smooth as BOA’s current systems.

POC Cularis Pure Features

The swappable visor is the most important thing here, but we’ll cover the other features first. The Cularis has sunglasses storage at the front of the helmet, but only if you’re using the vented visor. It uses a regular buckle, and unfortunately, I think it would be hard to mount a light to it since the removable visor covers up almost all the flat real estate.

About that visor: It’s held on with four snaps, so it’s easy to swap, and it’ll break away in a crash. So far I’ve been impressed by how well it stays on though. I haven’t had any issues with rattling, or with it separating from the helmet when I toss it in a gear bag. The helmet ships with two visors, one with vents, and one with indentations where the vents would go. With the un-vented visor attached, all the front and top vents are covered, effectively sealing the helmet’s intake.

This creates an interesting sensation, because, unlike a skate lid, or a less-vented helmet, there are still voids in the parts that touch your head. So it doesn’t necessarily feel like there’s more protection or coverage, instead there’s just no airflow.

You can also run the helmet with no visor, for all your gravel needs. And, if you’re crafty, you could make some cool little bobbles to stick on the buttons.

A Meditation on Baldness

I was quite skeptical of this helmet. I had one question going in: why? Just why? I ride year-round here in Bellingham, Washington, so I do own a winter helmet, a Giro Tyrant, with less venting, and ear protection that keeps me nice and toasty. And then, in the summer, I want as much venting as I can get without sacrificing safety. So, in some ways, the Cularis Pure felt like the worst of both worlds to me. It doesn’t keep my ears warm in winter mode, and it doesn’t have an adjustable visor in either mode. Yes, it’s nice right now, during the shoulder season, on rides that are a little chilly but don’t necessitate a winter helmet, but that’s a niche use case.

And then I rode with my bald buddy. We’ll call him Jason, because that’s his real name. I have been bald (or buzzed as short as possible) almost all my life. I am very used to the sensation of freeing my scalp to the slings and arrows of the world. Jason is a newer convert to the congregation. I taught him about Pitbull’s (Mr. Worldwide’s) pro model head razor a couple years ago and it changed his life.

It’s important to note that Jason is also what most people would call a “hater.” He does not care about mountain bike tech. He does not care that your wheels are 5-percent stiffer or your fork is 15-percent more supple. He cares that you dig, and that you don’t post secret trails on the internet. I’ve seen Jason drop into more disgusting moves, on less capable bikes than anyone else.

I expected him to mock the Cularis Pure immediately. Instead, he fell in love at first sight. It turns out that Jason does not like things touching his bald, shiny head. He’ll ride the biggest moves in town on a hardtail with a bald rear tire but fling a leaf, or a bug, or a chunk of loam into his helmet, and he breaks down. He’s always wanted a trail helmet with no vents, and the Cularis Pure exactly meets his criteria. 

Since this revelation, I, and my (haired) partner have started noticing stuff getting into our helmets much more than we used to. It is kind of gross feeling. And now you’ll probably start noticing it too. If so, this is the helmet for you.

POC Cularis Pure Performance

All that scalp talk aside, the Cularis Pure is a fairly “normal” easy to live with helmet. In the vented position it feels a lot like the regular Cularis, which is a very good thing. And swapping between the two is a very easy process. No, you can’t adjust the visor, but the default position is pretty solid for all the riding I do.

I think this helmet will work just fine for folks who are looking for a “normal” trail helmet that’s a little cheaper than the regular Cularis, and who might never swap the visors around. But, if you want to, the option is there. Maybe you feel like Jason, and this helmet will change your life.

For Now

It’s easy for the bike industry to feel really homogeneous. If I have to type the words “Avonix M2S” again, my hands might cramp up permanently. But, in that sea of sameness, POC is doing something different with the Cularis Pure. Is it better? Well, that depends on how you feel about your scalp.

Learn more: POC