What makes POC gear so great?
In reading through the POC’s product line, you’ll see a lot of abbreviations, like VPD, VDSAP, and MIPS. It’s hard to know what’s what. POC gear features a range of innovative technologies that the company has developed to make its gear as protective as possible. We’ve covered a few of the most important technologies below.
POC VPD technology
POC VPD (Visco Elastic Polymer Dough) has been used in POC body armor since 2009. POC VPD 2.0 was introduced in 2012. VPD is designed to be soft and pliable but to immediately stiffen upon impact. In doing so, POC VPD absorbs an extreme amount of the energy created by the impact, shielding your body from the force of the impact. POC VPD is also progressive, meaning that the harder the impact, the more energy, proportionately, the VPD absorbs. VPD is one of the few compounds on the market that meets the European Union’s highest standard for protective motorcycle clothing (CE 1621 Level 2-High Performance
POC MIPS technology
Statistics show that the most common accident occurs with an oblique (or sliding/sideways) hit to the head, yet most helmets are typically safety tested by dropping them vertically on a rigid surface. POC’s MIPS technology absorbs both vertical impacts (in the event that you fall directly on your head) and oblique impacts (in the more likely event that your head takes a rotational blow). This mimics one of the safety systems Mother Nature put into the human head. Your brain is surrounded by a low-friction cushion of cerebrospinal fluid. MIPS imitates the brain's method of protecting itself by giving POC helmets with MIPS their own low-friction layer between the ABS/PC outer shell and the PC liner. When subjected to an oblique impact, the low-friction layer allows a small rotation of the shell relative to the liner, which reduces the force of the impact on the brain. In short, MIPS technology provides 21st century technology fused with a design innovation from the modern human brain, now in its 160,000th year. POC developed MIPS helmet technology in cooperation with the Royal Institute of Technology and Karolinska Institute of Sweden.
POC and Polygiene: A partnership sweet enough to sniff
POC has a partnership with Polygiene AB to include Polygiene odor control wipes in POC ski helmets, bike helmets, and body armor. Polygiene permanent odor control treatment neutralizes odor by inhibiting the growth of stink-causing bacteria and fungi, helping your POC helmet and POC body armor stay fresh. Your gear also lasts longer because the bacteria don’t have the chance to break down the synthetic fibers.
POC: A company devoted to innovation
POC is a young Swedish company whose mission is to do all it can to save lives and reduce the consequences of accidents for gravity sport athletes by developing and renewing what personal protection is all about. POC combines sophisticated engineering with spare Scandinavian styling to produce what are arguably some of the best-looking, high-tech protective gear on the planet. The company has won numerous international design awards. In terms of safety, one award in particular stands out. Volvo, possibly the most safety-conscious company in the world, awarded POC its Grand Prize in the category of Active Safety as part of their prestigious annual Volvo ISPO Sports Design Award competition. POC now has a partnership with Polygiene AB to include Polygiene odor control wipes in POC ski helmets, bike helmets, and body armor.
