The Limar Pora is a lightweight all-mountain helmet with a comfortable and breathable fit. It might be one of the lighter options among the best mountain bike helmets but it has limited adjustment and a peak that I found frustrating while riding.
Limar Pora Helmet – Technical details
Limar, as a brand, is probably more familiar for its range of road-orientated helmets but the company also has a full range of mountain bike and off-road-specific helmets. The Pora is a mid-range option and is available with Mips for £96 or without for £68.
The Pora is available in medium (53-57cm) or large (57-61cm) in four colours with the version pictured here known as Matte Sand Green. Claimed weight for the medium is 260g, which is very light for an all-mountain helmet. The actual weight of our helmet is 286g and, while this is quite far off, it is still impressive. There are 22 vents spread across the front and back to aid airflow.
Limar Pora Helmet – Fit and performance
The Pora has a typical dial retention system giving plenty of adjustment. There is also some height adjustment where the retention dial is connected to the frame. While this provides some height adjustment, the retention straps are not secured to the rear of the helmet, limiting the effect of how securely it stays in place.
The padding inside is generous – both in terms of coverage and depth, making it a very comfortable helmet to wear. On hotter days, the thick padding can retain quite a lot of sweat but this is the only real drawback. The straps have an easy-to-adjust clamp to secure under the ears, and a padded section holds everything under the chin. Airflow is excellent with the large vents drawing air through, helping to keep the head cooler on hotter days.
One big frustration is the visor, which is large but not adjustable. The larger size is good for rainy or sunny days but, for the majority of the time, the visor impacts the field of vision in a significant way. I needed to lift my head higher on faster downhill sections to properly see the track ahead, which became a major frustration when riding.
The visor also has a thin feel to it and, even when it’s secured to the sides, there is a rattle that makes it feel thin and cheap. The visor is not adjustable in height or position but is removable and, on many rides, I was tempted to stop and take it off.
Limar Pora Helmet –Verdict
The Pora retails for £68 with the standard version pictured here. The Mips version retails for £90, which makes it a competitively-priced helmet. The Specialized Camber is a popular, well-priced all-mountain helmet and it is now even cheaper than when Liam tested it and comes with Mips as standard.
The Endura Humvee Plus is just a little less, now at £65, and it is available in a wide range of colours and three sizes with an adjustable visor.
I recently tested the Fox Racing Crossframe Pro and that was another exceptionally comfortable helmet but it is also over £100. For those on a budget, the Fox Mainframe is the go-to option, costing £80 and features Mips but is quite heavy at 390g.
The Limar Pora has its plus points with the low weight, comfort and good airflow all being key factors but the peak shape and lack of adjustment frustrated me whenever I used it. The flexible rear tension dial and limited adjustment it offers is another area that dents the overall performance.