Ive been riding mtb for over 30 years and have lost count of how many helmets ive owned. My last one was a specialized ambush pro, and was probably the first one that i enjoyed wearing, because it was comfortable, functional, fit well, and looked cool. But it got caught be tween my head and a tree one too many times and cracked. I suffered a mild concussion on the last hit, i would probably be very messed up if not dead without that protection. I was a little disappointed that it cracked only because it was the thin ribs between vents that cracked. I think manufacturers started using the number of vents as a marketing point (more =better) but my experience is that it weakens the helmet, and didnt do much for venting. Having ridden the poc now, it seems that bigger vents is more important than quantity. The tectal is so light, and ventilates so well, that you forget you are wearing it. Plus, this allows for larger structural ribs, which i think will give this lid some added durability.Honestly i wanted the tectal when i bought the ambush, mainly because i like the way it looks, something about that thick line on the front of the visor just makes it look solid. The overall shape of the helmet, the vents, and way it resembles the facets of a tortoise shell is just cool. Added to that, you get more coverage on the temples, and back that any other helmet, and ive taken knocks in both those areas so the more protection the better! You should head over to poc’s website or youtube and look at the technology in these things, its leading edge. Epp foam reinforced with kevlar, molded in a unibody construction with the shell and other internal structure makes it one of the most robust helmets on the market. I am totally confident that this is the most protection you can buy in this style of helmet at the moment, and in my experience offering the most comfort. This helmet does not have mips, but if you spend an extra $50 on the tectal race, you will get poc’s version of it. While I like the fact that my last helmet had mips, and i feel like it allowed my head to spin in a couple of hits, I didnt like the fact that it allows for a little slop in the fit. I ride with a light on my helmet, and the weight of the light makes the mips slop noticeable.Finally, a couple of other features and a first for me, the tectal comes with recco, which is a built in radar reflector that makes you visible to search and rescue teams carrying the matching radar emitter. Probably not going to help me in the east, but I’d definitely want it out west. You also get a spot to hold your glasses by mounting them on the back., pretty sweet!I highly recommend this helmet, if you ride hard, you are going to wreck, and it makes sense to get the best even if it seems a litlle overpriced.I ride road, gravel, and race competitive XC mountain bikes- not a big downhiller, but I have had some gnarly crashes and I have to say, there is really no comparison to the sturdy, MIPS security of this POC. On our third race of the season at Lake Havasu, pre-riding the course, I was blinded by the sun and I flew into a deep rut going probably 10 mph, and flipped over the bars into a 10 foot freefall, bike in tow attached to me with my pedals. I landed flat out on my face- and saw the gravel and rock coming at my face with full unmitigated force...nothing to stop me but the brim of this oh-so-wondrously built piece of engineering on my head. As I crashed on my face, the bike slammed on top of me, and I was bleeding form about 100 places--my feet and legs and arms and elbows and shoulders and entire chest was a bloody mess, top to bottom GORED, even through my kit. But my face was perfect. I did deal with some wicked whiplash for a few weeks from the blow to my neck as my face slammed the rock, but the MIPS worked like a charm, and this helmet didn't move at ALL on my head, it was so well fitted. Strangely, it wasn't even damaged. Just a minor scrape on the brim. No cracks...nothing. I am DEAD certain I would not just have lost most of my front teeth but very likely have sustained a serious brain injury had I not been wearing this helmet that day. So thank you POC. Thank you THANK YOU. Well, thanks to ME for my decision to splurge on this pricey (but WORTH IT) helmet. I have now purchased a very high quality helmet for each of my kids and my husband and there will be no one in the family riding without a very well fitting MIPS helmet, EVER. AGAIN. For those worried about sizing, it's a BIG deal, so get it right! I fell forward over a big icy mogul wearing a POC snowboard helmet and smashed my nose when the helmet slipped off of my forehead backwards. That wasn't a brand issue- it was a fit issue. For me, the mountain bike helmets from POC fit like a glove, but I can't wear their snow helmets. So take it from me, a many-time veteran of bad, bad crashes...if a helmet doesn't fit you like a GLOVE, without any movement or pinch points after you adjust it, you return it! If a helmet slips backwards on your forehead at ALL when you shake your head, go with another one, or try a different brand. As far as this helmet's fit: I am a pretty average sized woman- I have fine straight hair, so not much extra bulk up there, but I'd say average sized head- I wear a size Med in most other brands, but in this one I go XS/SM.Great protective, easy setup bike helmet. Reasonably priced for a quality product. I like the upgraded tightened wheel my old POC did not have. Highly recommended without reservation.Spend a little more for a good helmet folks. This POC fits great, is lightweight, and has great venting.This helmet offers everything I was looking for: ventilation, comfort and style. IMHO, it's slightly pricey but none the less a great helmet.This is a great helmet, super light and the one piece design is solid. Great protection without going full face. I will say that the size is tru. I ordered XL and that is what I always buy for MX and MTB helmets. This just fits me perfect on the lowest/tightest settings. Any larger and i would have to returned it for a smaller size. That is a first for me. So pay attention to the measurements!This is a nice helmet and finally I found one that fits an Oval shape head ... the problem is my head is about 59cm and got the XL/XXL helmet based on POC's sizing chart and it's too big -- once the helmet is fitted, it still moves when I shake my head (it seems like it's too deep). I am going to try the M/L and hope that will fit better as I do like this helmet.** Update **Tried the M/L helmet and it fits snug ... just a little too snug which is a shame as I really like this helmet. It seems is you have a head 60cm or larger you will be good with the XL/XXL and 58cm or lower, the M/L will be perfect ... 59cm I am out of luck.I never considered a cycle helmet to be a fashion item until my 10yr old made his opinion clear as we looked at new helmets for both him and me!Suffice to say, while I looked at the safety amd comfort aspects, he was quick to dismiss most until I chose this, which is apparently a "sick" brand ?What i do know is that it has MIPS impact protection (essential in my opinion) and excellent ventilation which is much needed if you ride for any period of time.In addition it is lightweight and so comfortable you really can forget you are wearing it.No, it not cheap but POC are considered the Volvo of cycling equipment and that is good enough for me!Finally.I, like many people, rely on the (genuine!) reviews when I make purchasesI am putting quite a bit of time into reviewing the things I buy on Amazon to assist people in making informed decisions.That "Helpful" button below this (and all) reviews.Could you please click it if this review has helped you?That way I know I am doing this right and the time is not wasted :).ThanksI wrote one of these off in a horrible head-first crash into boulders. It's not very often you get to see how a helmet holds up when it really matters, but by god, I swear this helmet saved me from a massive head injury and a stay in hospital. I immediately bought an identical replacement. I used to wear any old helmet, but to be frank I'm not sure my cheap £15 helmet would have performed anything like the Tectal. I wouldn't wear anything else now. Hard to comment on comfort because although I find it very comfy, we all have different shaped heads. Very good protection though.This is a great helmet for MTB, it costs a premium perhaps over many other models and makes but it does feel like real protection. But it's very comfortable as well as giving the protection. You're always going to be safer with a full face but its a great compromise between having one and having a nice feeling/ better experience open face. The rear comes lower than others I have tried as well.I was having a bit of trouble with it feeling low on my forehead and thought it was part of the design. However, luckily I found some information which shows there is an additional adjustment that can be made at the back which has now made the helmet perfect for me, even if it makes the adjustment wheel a little more awkward to access easily. My head size is 58 and I went for an M-L for me I cant fault it. Great protection keeps you cool and it looks amazing! So despite the high price its money well spent.It doesn't have the MIPS but I tried a few of those helmets and to be honest perhaps scientifically they may give some advantages but this actually felt better and safer to me. I'm sure there is some valid data in the MIPS but a lot of the time they are just trying to sell you the next thing. You can buy the SPIN liner for this if you that concerned which is a simular concept to MIPS from POC, but it'll cost £25 extra, or just buy the RACE SPIN in the first place.I really wanted to like this helmet - it was a good price and I love the look of it. The construction is great and the finish is superb.However, I tried it on, and immediately it was too tight around the back of the skull - I tried all the different positions for adjusting the helmet (you can un-pop the inner and move it around in three positions). I also found the plastic retaining inner (the bit that sits on your head) too close to the top of my ears). The last disappointment was lack of clearance to put glasses or sunglasses on while wearing the helmet.I know we all have different shaped heads, and this may be perfect for you- but do try putting glasses/sunglasses on when you try it out - it may be the deal-breaker for you.I lost the visor screw on my first ride, I had not tightened so I emailed POC to ask if I could buy another one. They wrote back to ask for my address so they could post me one free of charge. Great service. More importantly, as an MTB helmet it is far better that any I have used before. Mainly in that it is comfortable and light with excellent full round and low coverage about the head. Never feel too hot either. Would buy again without hesitation.