POC’s new Omne Eternal helmet has a solar-powered light that runs itself
POC has announced a new Omne Eternal helmet featuring a built-in and self-powered rear light that never needs to be manually charged and has no on/off switch.
The rear light is activated just by wearing the helmet. Sensors within the helmet can then detect fading daylight and switch on the rear light as needed. POC has neatly incorporated the light into the rear of the helmet, which otherwise retains POC’s recognisable design cues and is one of the cleanest integrations of this type that we’ve seen.
The helmet features Powerfoyle technology from Swedish company Exeger to power the helmet. The Powerfoyle solar cells on the top section of the helmet can harvest energy from all light, outdoors and indoors, converting it into power. POC claims this means the light is always charged and ready to go when you want to ride. In addition to omitting a manual on/off switch, the helmet has no charging cables or charging port, either. However, on the flip side, that also means there’s no way to replace the battery when it eventually begins to lose capacity (as all rechargeable batteries do) nor any way to manually turn the light on for use as a daytime running light (although we’re not sure currently if it’s bright enough to serve in that role, anyway).
The helmet also retains key features expected from a modern helmet. Although we have not seen the helmet in person yet, POC claims it is light, safe, well ventilated, and comfortable. The Omne Eternal features POC’s “optimised-density” EPS liner, which is said to provide superior impact absorption, as well as its SPIN technology to protect against rotational forces in a crash.
POC has long been at the forefront of helmet development and first introduced the idea of creating a self-powered helmet light with Exeger in 2019. POC also released solar-powered shades last year, and while those didn’t quite live up to their potential, hopefully this new helmet proves more successful. We’ve got one inbound, so we’ll find out soon enough.
The Omne Eternal will be available at POCSports.com from June and is priced at €250 (international pricing TBC).
The post POC’s new Omne Eternal helmet has a solar-powered light that runs itself appeared first on CyclingTips.