Motorcycle Full Face Helmets

Full face motorcycle helmets cover the entire head and face. This coverage and one piece construction make them the clear winner in the safety category and most riders love the styling of the helmets themselves. They also offer a ton of features to enhance the riders experience.

Full Face Helmet - Style

With Sport bike riders, full face helmets are the standard, but it is becoming more and more common to see riders of all styles and classes of motorcycles to be wearing a full face helmet. As I've mentioned, style is subjective. I have absolutely nothing to back this up, but I often wonder if the popularity of this style helmet stemmed from the 80's show Street Hawk, which was a motorcycle rip off of Knight Rider. Now that I am showing my age...I doubt it. Of course, there is something inherently cool about the mysterious guy on the motorcycle when no one can see his face through the dark shield.

Comfort

Full face helmets typically offer thick padded inner liners that can certainly add a lot to the comfort of the helmet. A well fitting full face helmet can be very comfortable for the rider as the helmet feels secure on the head. There is virtually no helmet lift with this style of helmet. The aerodynamics of the helmet play a big role in just how comfortable the helmet is. Head bobble, or the feeling that the wind is pushing your head around, can quickly fatigue a rider with the added weight of the helmet. A well designed helmet, however, can greatly reduce if not eliminate this concern all together. If you have bought a helmet and are experiencing this, there are a few other considerations before returning a helmet. Windshields or windscreens on the motorcycle also play a big roll in head bobble. All of the aerodynamics must work together. If you have purchased a quality helmet or several helmets and continue to have the dreaded head bobble, it might not be the helmet at all. It might be time to upgrade that windshield.

Some riders do complain of a claustrophobic feeling when wearing this style of helmet. If this a concern for you, but you want the added safety of a quality full face helmet, you want to make sure you search for a helmet with a large field of vision. On modern full face helmets, the field of vision is usually quite good, but it will never be as good as a half helmet of open face.

Features

Full face helmets are feature rich, or at least they can be. Air flow vents and exhaust are almost a given on every helmet, though some are better than others. Basically every helmet offers a flip up visor. Some visors are even designed to allow the rider to ride with them in the open position to improve airflow. Visors are typically locked into place on the side of the helmet and can be changed without tools. A consideration has to be made here. If you choose to run a dark or tinted visor, it will be very difficult to see when it gets dark, which poses a huge safety risk. Though every ad for a full face helmet claims that the visors are quick and easy to change, I haven't seen many that I would say are. It can be cumbersome and make you think you are going to break the visor trying to pop it into place. A clear visor is the safe bet, but maybe not as cool as the tinted ones. In addition to the flip up visor, you can also find helmets that offer drop down sun visors. Like in the open face helmet, these visors can help reduce glare and improve visibility. If you like the look of the dark visor, but don't want to carry an extra one with you, a great option is to run a clear visor with a dark drop down sun shield. You can use the drop down sun shield to protect against the glares and give that dark look during the day, but flip it up for better night time visibility when you stayed out later than you planned.

Many reviewers and companies classify Bluetooth helmets as their own class. I consider it more of a feature of a helmet and not enough difference to make a separate class. A Bluetooth helmet is one that has the ability to pair with a mobile device, or the motorcycle's infotainment system. They always include integrated headphones and sometimes microphones. This allows you to listen to music and even talk on the phone (isn't the point of riding to get away from other people?) Fully integrated Bluetooth systems in helmets is pretty awesome, but they can be easily added to most any helmet.

Safety

The DOT certification is the bare minimum of safety standards. All helmets after 2013 must display the DOT certification on the back of the helmet to comply with state laws, where such laws exist. The helmet must have 3/4" of protective foam, a hard outer shell and a chin strap attached with solid rivets. The good new is almost all full face helmets are DOT certified. In fact, many of these helmets meet the more stringent requirements of SNELL or other private organizations. Without a doubt, a full face helmet offers the most protection of any style of motorcycle helmet. For that reason alone, it is a great choice. Of course, that protection comes at a cost. The field of vision can be more limited than other style of helmets. Most modern helmets offer an adequate field of vision, but it will never be as good as a half helmet of open face. Some riders also complain of a feeling of claustrophobia in a full face helmet.

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Conclusion

If safety is your primary consideration in purchasing a helmet, a Full Face Motorcycle Helmet is the way to go! They offer full protection of your head and face and a rigid one piece construction.