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Full Face Helmet for Glasses?

9K views 32 replies 23 participants last post by  LowRiderGhost 
#1 ·
I need help. I am new rider looking like crazy for a helmet that fits. I ride a small crotch rocket I suppose, and I want a full face helmet, only a full face helmet.

My problem is this: I have glasses, and I must wear glasses (my tear ducts prevent me from wearing contacts) and I am having unbelievable trouble finding a helmet that lets me get my glasses on and holds them in place correctly

Does anyone with glasses have a model to suggest that work well with their glasses on?
 
#3 ·
I would not go for a modular helmet, none of them are dot and snell rated, they are not safe... I wear an HJC ac-12 and I wear sunglasses every time I ride. The only way I can get em on is by putting on the helmet first, then the glasses.
 
#7 ·
Am i sure? nope, I didn't double check that one, sorry if I gave bad info! Check Dot, SNELL, and SHARP ratings before buying. SHARP is up and coming, they seem to have their stuff figured out. Personally, I want to wear the highest rated helmets, but to each his (or her) own
 
#12 · (Edited)
I would find a helmet that fits well and was comfortable.

I alos wouldn't hesitate to do a little surgery and remove a little tiny bit of foam where the glasses temples pass to your ears. My helmet pushes a little to hard against my temples, so I adjusted it. The little (1/4" channel) shaved area in the foam won't, in my opinion, compromise the safety, but it does make it easier to put on and remove my glasses.
 
#13 ·
Modular helmets are most certainly DOT-approved. There's a lot of evidence out there that the SNELL rating is questionable, and from everything I've read, I'm not convinced that a SNELL helmet is any better than a DOT helmet. Of course, we all have our own opinions. Just try to make an informed decision.
 
#15 ·
i would certainly rather have a snell m2000 helmet than just a dot approved helmet. the question is whether the snell tests are better/worse than the european standards like the BSI tests.

some of HJC's cheaper plastic shell helmets (CL-15 iirc) were found to be inadequate in very pedestrian crashes in the Loudon Club racing series (LRRS) and were banned. i believe they didn't carry snell, but had DOT.
 
#14 ·
The SNELL standards are overrated/unrealistic, but one thing about SNELL approved helmets is that they are actually tested and approved. There is no official testing standard for DOT helmet, it's simply expected than manufacturers will maintain the standard for themselves.
 
#18 ·
How about trying a different style of frames on your glasses. Find a pair of cheap sunglasses with frames similar to what your prescript. can handle, buy the hemet that fits your head and glasses then order new frames for your perscript. glasses. Or, more expensive but what I did, can you get Lasik done?
 
#19 ·
I wear glasses and a KBC DOT approved modular helmet. I went modular because I have the same eyeglass problem as you. It's near impossible to put glasses on with a full face helmet and totally impossible to put the helmet on while still wearing glasses. Even with full face helmets that I could put my glasses on after, my glasses would be askew, uncomfortable and not in a good position for me to see very well.
 
#22 ·
FWIW, when I first bought my bike the guy also included two helemts (one full face HJC and another beanie type). I only wore the HJC as I don't like the beanie. Anyway, the size was a small and getting my sunglasses in was a royal PIA. Within nearly two weeks I had gone to the local dealer and tried on every helmet they had on display. Long story short, I wear a size large and now that I have the correct size it's a piece of cake getting the glasses on. My suggestion is to try on as many helmets for comfort and be sure to get the correct size. Lucky for me my head maesurment is about 1/4" smaller than the measurment given for this size (a little wiggle room to allow the ease of the glasses??). Good luck.
 
#23 ·
i wear a Z1R stance with sunglasses every time i ride. it's DOT and snell approved. what kind of glasses are you wearing? you may want smaller frames...
 
#24 ·
Actually this is a good point...

Because of all the sports I do: hiking, Mountain biking, etc, snow boarding. I wear the sporty glasses that bend like hell (aka they wont break if I drop them or smash my face into the dirt. This means they are very pliable so its even harder to get them into a helmet than normal glasses.

maybe i should jsut shave foam away like someone suggested
 
#25 ·
If you modify the helmet, you are VOIDING ANY WARRANTY OR SAFETY RATING. Of course, feel free to alter the only thing protecting your brain if you want to.

I can assure you no insurance company on this planet will honor a claim on an injury when wearing a 'modified' helmet.

Ask around. Call progressive and ask them.

loudest143
 
#26 ·
1. Depends on the injury. A broken arm has nothing to do with the helmet.
2. The helmets don't have a lifetime warranty. I don't think this is exactly a big issue.
3. Have you ever taken your helmet apart? I replaced my padding (with padding from the MFG). Behind the padding is styrofoam. A channel, just large enough for the temple pieces isn't going to make a full face helmet less protective then a DOT approved Beanie helmet. He doesn't even have to cut it, just compress it a little where the glass go. It will compress this much in use over time. He is safer wearing a slightly modified helmet that is comfortable, then wearing, say an open front 3/4 helmet. The increase in risk is so little, IMO, from the "compromised" helmet, and is probably not measurable.

I removed the styrofoam from my helmet to run my intercom wires. The styrofoam comes out easily. It is not glued, just held in by its shape.

The danger, IMO, is greater if he buys a helmet larger than optimum so his glasses fit. A loose fitting helmet is more likely to cause injury than a proper fitting one. A proper fitting one fits snug, so I think he is better off with the modifiaction than a larger helmet.

My $0.02 anyway.
 
#27 ·
If a larger helmet still fits right, good deal. If not, the potential for severe injury or death from an improperly fitting helmet does not make it a good idea.

I wear titanium flexall wire rim and arm glasses. They are small, light and flexible. Still though, putting on a properly fitting full face helmet and having my glasses on correctly, both very important safety matters, just aint gonna happen.

The flip up portion on my DOT modular says not rated for chin protection. Not rated. That doesn't mean it will not provide protection to my chin or face. It's deflected several stones and bugs. If I fall off, it will offer some level of protection to my face, just not the same level as a full face. That flip down portion can come unsnapped in a wreck. So yeah, there is validity to the argument that full face is better than modular. I suppose it goes; full face, modular, 3/4 with face shield, 3/4, beanie skid lid type, novelty. Don't bother with novelty.
 
#28 ·
I wear glasses too and have always found flip face helmets to be the best in this situation, Caberg is a good brand and they have a nice selection of dual visor helmets so you don't need to worry about the weather, I've particularly love the Roof Boxer helmets, they're BSI rated like all European lids (BSI is to Snell, what Snell is to DOT) but unfortunately the extra rating is reflected in the cost. Don't let anyone scare you, Caberg and Roof flip-face lids carry the same crash rating as their full-face models and most of them will pass the BSI rating, which a Snell lid will not....But all that is just my 2cents, best thing to do is go to a shop with a wide selection of lids and start trying them on.
 
#31 ·
I have a Fulmer modular -- this one:

http://www.fulmerhelmets.com/Product/afm.html

It is DOT approved. Snell...well, like many other "standards" it is all well and good, but just because a company doesn't feel like incurring the cost to get the "approval" doesn't mean the product is not of equal quality.

I've been riding motorcycles for over 40 years, and I've had two major wrecks where full coverage helmets saved my life. I'm confident the Fulmer is at least as good as the two that saved my life, and I'm very comfortable wearing it.

And yes, I can put my glasses on with it, too.
 
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