POC Standard, SPIN & MIPS Integra Explained

POC offers a lot of technologies on their MTB helmet lineup. Here we’ll take a quick look comparing the standard comfort foam, SPIN and MIPS Integra technologies.

As we showed in the video the major difference between a standard helmet and the SPIN option is the technology inserted in what we’ll call the “comfort foam” or “comfort pads”.

Rather than standard padding the SPIN (and MIPS Integra) feature an additional technology that improves the slight rotational slip plane designed to lessen impact severity.

Pinching any of these comfort pads you’ll compress the material. However, when you roll the materials between your fingers you’ll note a substantial difference.

The theory is additonal support in the SPIN and MIPS Integra design is designed to actually provide a small slip or rotation, extending the timeline of the deceleration and lowering the spike load of the impact.

SPIN comfort pad on the left and standard comfort pad on the right.

Below is the inside of a POC Tectal Race SPIN with the Spin comfort pad pulled away.

You can see that the SPIN pad mounts like a standard pad with velcro and sits directly onto the helmet’s internal foam.

As a comparison the internals of a  MIPS Integra in the Kortal Race is shown below.

We’ve highlighted the edge of the slip plane that the comfort foam sits on.

The MIPS Integra’s comfort pad sits on this slip plane, connected by velcro tabs. The combination of the slip plane and the internal support / damping in the comfort pad gives riders another degree of protection in a crash.

If you jumped over from our Kortal Race review (or, even if you didn’t but want to read it!) you can find it here.

We hope this helped illustrate some technologies in the POC lineup. Having the SPIN & MIPS Integra explained is pretty simple, and should help you make the best choice of helmet technologies for your riding. We invite you to check out some other content or products here at BikeCo.com – the best in MTB.

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