When you buy a motorcycle helmet, it usually comes with a clear visor i.e., a transparent visor. But sooner or later many tend to replace their clear visors with smoked or mirrored visors. It is mostly done for sun protection. Apart from protecting the eyes from the harsh sunlight, the mirrored or smokes visors enhances the aesthetics of the helmets. To be honest, helmets with mirrored visors look pretty cool. But among these major types of motorcycle helmet visors which one is the best one for you to choose from?
In this article, we will discuss briefly the pros and cons of all the three types of helmet visors. Let us first start with the clear helmet visor.
Clear Helmet Visor:
Clear helmet visor is the basic and the most common type of helmet visor.
Pros:
- Clear helmet visors are transparent.
- They allow maximum light to pass through them and offer the highest visibility among the three types of visors even in the darkest situation.
Cons:
- Being transparent and being the one to allow the maximum amount to light to pass through it and it does not provide any kind of protection from the harsh sunlight.
- Long rides during sunny days can stress your eyes if you are using a clear visor on your helmet.
- Clear visors are not aesthetically pleasing.
Mirrored Visor:
Mirrored visor got its name from the mirror type surface finish on it.
Pros:
- Having a mirror type surface finish, it reflects the maximum amount of light, allowing only a small fraction of light to pass through it.
- It is a boon during sunny days as it provides maximum protection from the sunlight keeping your face cool and keeps the almost eyes stress free.
- Mirrored visors look best among the three types of helmet visors.
Cons:
- There is no denying that the mirrored visor is a boon during a harsh sunny day motorcycle ride, but it can prove to be a curse too when used after the sun goes down.
- It will almost blind you during night rides as it does not allow much light to pass through it making the ride dangerous.
- Using a mirrored visor at night can lead to an accident.
Smoked Visor:
Smoked visors are the coloured visors, mostly black and are translucent in nature. So, being translucent, smoked visors provide protection from the sunlight as well as provide better visibility than the mirrored visor at night.
Pros:
- Provides better protection than clear visor from the sunlight.
- It provides better visibility than mirrored visor at night.
- Smoked visor might not look as good as mirrored visor but definitely looks better than a clear visor.
Cons:
- Smoked visors provide better visibility after the sun goes down only in well-lit conditions, such as within the city.
- Even smoked visors can be dangerous to use in dark environments, such as highways with no streetlights.
Verdict:
If your motorcycle ride is only during the daytime and will end before the sunset, then you can use a mirrored visor without any hesitation. The smoked visor can be used if your night ride is within a well-lit environment, such as within the city. But in any case, if your motorcycle ride will continue after the sunset and will take you to dark conditions, then always carry a clear visor in your bagpack so that you can easily swap the visor and prevent an accident due to poor visibility. Lastly, if it is possible, always try to get your hands on a dual-visor helmet where there is an inbuilt mirrored visor along with the clear visor to provide you the protection from the sunlight when required.
You may also like to read: Why choose Mirrored Sunglasses while Driving or Riding?
