POC Auric Cut BC MIPS Ski Helmet
Auric family · 26/27
Technology
Mips
A low-friction layer inside the helmet that lets it move a few millimeters on an angled impact, redirecting rotational force away from your head.
ABS Hardshell
A tough injection-molded ABS outer shell — the durable, knock-resistant build POC uses across its freeride Auric line.
EPP Multi-Impact Liner
An EPP foam liner that holds up to repeated impacts rather than being a single-crash material — built for the abuse of backcountry days.
A passive reflector that lets an organized rescue crew with a RECCO detector — helicopter or ground — home in on your location.
Features
- ·ABS hardshell over a multi-impact EPP liner
- ·RECCO rescue reflector for backcountry use
- ·Low-cut skate-style shape
- ·Adjustable venting
- ·Detachable ear pads and goggle clip
The Auric Cut BC is built around durability, and the liner is the tell. Most helmets use EPS foam, which crushes to absorb a single impact and then has to be retired — one hard knock and that protection is spent. The Auric uses EPP instead: a resilient multi-impact foam that recovers between hits. Paired with a tough injection-molded ABS hardshell, that makes a lid that shrugs off the everyday abuse of backcountry days — strapped to a pack, dropped on rock, run through trees — and keeps protecting through repeated knocks rather than only the first. That durability is the point of the whole Auric line.
"Cut" is the low, skate-style shell shape, and "BC" is the backcountry version — the one that adds a RECCO reflector. RECCO is a passive reflector that lets an organized rescue team with a detector home in on your location; it is worth being precise that it is an after-the-fact aid for professional rescue, not an avalanche safety tool and no substitute for a transceiver, shovel, and probe. Mips handles rotational force on an angled impact. The rest is deliberately simple: adjustable venting, detachable ear pads, a goggle clip, and EN 1077 Class B plus ASTM F2040 certification. The durability costs weight — 580 to 690g across the sizes, heavier than a resort lid.
In POC’s backcountry range the Auric Cut BC is the hardshell option: burlier and more abrasion-resistant, built to take a beating with a true multi-impact liner. The Fornix BC is the lighter, more ventilated alternative — a build with molded aramid bridges that saves grams for long tours, and it carries a twICEme NFC medical chip the Auric does not. Choose the Auric Cut BC if you want maximum durability and the multi-impact liner and do not mind the weight; choose the Fornix BC if you tour long distances and want to save every gram. Either way the RECCO reflector rides alongside your avalanche kit — it does not replace it.
Safety — read this
The RECCO reflector is an after-the-fact layer — it helps organized professional rescue locate you once something has already gone wrong. It does not replace an avalanche transceiver, shovel, and probe, or the training to use them, and it is not a companion-rescue tool. Professional rescue typically arrives long after the short early window where companion rescue is what actually counts. Carry your avalanche kit, and know how to use it.
Strengths
- +Durable ABS hardshell over a multi-impact EPP liner
- +RECCO reflector for organized backcountry rescue
- +Mips rotational protection
- +Low-cut freeride shape with adjustable venting
Best For
Backcountry and sidecountry skiers who want a durable multi-impact hardshell with a rescue reflector alongside their avalanche gear.
Limitations
- −Heavy for the category (620g in M/L)
- −RECCO is a rescue-location aid, not avalanche safety gear
- −Overkill and heavy for strict in-bounds resort skiing
Not For
Strict in-bounds skiers chasing the lightest lid, and anyone who never travels in avalanche terrain.
Specs
- Weight
- 580g (XS/S) · 620g (M/L) · 690g (XL/XXL)
- Construction
- ABS hardshell + EPP multi-impact liner
- Rotational Protection
- Mips
- Rescue
- RECCO reflector
- Ventilation
- Adjustable vents
- Fit
- Detachable ear pads, goggle clip
- Certifications
- EN 1077 Class B · ASTM F2040
- Sizes
- XS/S · M/L · XL/XXL
Common Questions
- Does the RECCO reflector on the POC Auric Cut BC MIPS replace an avalanche transceiver?
- No. The RECCO reflector helps organized professional rescue locate you after an incident — it is not a companion-rescue tool. You still need a transceiver, shovel, and probe, plus the training to use them.
- What do "Auric", "Cut", and "BC" mean?
- Auric is POC’s freeride hardshell line, Cut refers to the low, skate-style shape, and BC stands for backcountry — the version with the RECCO reflector.
- How much does the POC Auric Cut BC MIPS weigh?
- It weighs 580g in XS/S, 620g in M/L, and 690g in XL/XXL — heavier than a resort lid because of the multi-impact hardshell build.
- Auric Cut BC MIPS or Fornix BC — which should I buy?
- They are both POC backcountry helmets, but built for different priorities. The Auric Cut BC is the hardshell: an ABS shell over a multi-impact EPP liner, more durable and abrasion-resistant, but heavier. The Fornix BC is lighter and more ventilated with molded aramid bridges, and adds a twICEme NFC medical chip. Pick the Auric for durability and the multi-impact liner; pick the Fornix BC to save weight on long tours.
- What makes the EPP liner different from a normal helmet liner?
- Most helmets use EPS foam, which crushes to absorb one impact and then has to be retired. EPP is a multi-impact foam that recovers between hits, so it keeps protecting through the repeated knocks of backcountry use rather than being spent after a single crash.
