Glasses wearers shouldn’t feel left out when it comes to motorcycle helmets. While some helmets don’t feel comfortable and accommodate glasses, others most certainly do.
Join us in finding out what are the best motorcycle helmets for glasses wearers.
But before we can dive into the best motorcycle helmets for glasses, can you wear Goggles under a motorcycle helmet? And if so, which helmet works best?
What this article covers:
How Do You Wear Glasses while Riding?
It would be selfish if glasses wearers had to sit on the bench and watch other riders on the road.
Of course, glasses wearers can enjoy the open road while on their bike, but you need to ensure that the helmet you choose supports them.
Certain full-face motorcycle helmets include grooves on the sides of the interior designed to securely hold your glasses.
These helmets ensure that your glasses don’t shake or move around when you’re on the road. The last thing you want is your glasses’ arms hitting against your ears or temple.
However, certain full-face helmets don’t accommodate glasses wearers.
The helmets that do accommodate glasses as well as being arguably the best motorcycle helmet for visibility are flip-up or modular-faced helmets and open-faced helmets.
These helmets have fewer rigid pieces covering your face and they can be detached or flipped up whenever you please.
However, the full-face helmets on this list all have comfortable grooves for your glasses to fit comfortably.
We have a range of motorcycle helmets that glasses wearers can wear comfortably.
HJC I90
HJC is an Asian motorcycle helmet company that has been topping the market since it was established in the 70s.
They prioritize superior comfort and quality, all at a reasonable price.
The HJC I90 is a modular helmet with many impressive features considering its price.
Design
The HJC I90 has a sporty and modern design, coming in a variety of colours and patterns.
The solid matte black is simple and sexy but if you want something more stylish, the red and white colourway is perfect.
The helmet is made from polycarbonate and offers a good amount of protection in the event of an accident.
It has 3 different shell sizes so you’re likely to find one that’s a good fit for you, no matter your size.
The internal comfort lining is washable and easy to remove as its held in place using a plastic-like Velcro mechanism.
It uses SuperCool lining, making the material wick moisture away from your face to keep you comfortable while you ride. Its antibacterial properties also mean it smells fresh for longer since your sweat won’t harbour bacteria cultures.
Safety
Despite modular helmets generally offering less protection than standard full-face helmets, the I90 provides a sterling level of safety.
Where most modular helmets lose their chin guard after an accident, the I90 stays secured to the helmet.
So while certain components like the motorcycle handlebars can break off in an accident, the helmet will do its best job staying secured to your head.
This is a feat that only a handful of modular helmets can achieve.
The chin bar flips up and down with ease, plus there are grooves on the side of the helmet for glasses and google support.
We call this up and down motion a dual homologation modular helmet as it protects your face when the chin guard is down as well as when it's in the open face position.
This means you can comfortably wear your glasses in the open-face position and still feel safe and protected.
Ventilation
Ventilation in most modular helmets is good and the HJC I90 is no exception.
When the chin bar is up, the vent beneath it allows air to travel through to the back of your visor. It can also be slid open or closed with ease when wearing gloves.
There’s another vent located on the crown that also works with a slide mechanism, allowing air to enter through the top and cool the crown.
If this isn’t enough, since this is a modular helmet, you can raise the chin bar for more breathing room.
Visor
The HJC I90’s visor works using a ratchet system and offers a wide peripheral view in both open-face and closed-face positions.
It also uses the RapidFire quick-change system, allowing you to swap visors on the fly. This makes it a highly adaptable piece of equipment that works in many different riding conditions.
The visor is made from clear polycarbonate and offers excellent protection against UV rays, which is better for your eyes and skin.
The helmet also comes with a sun visor specially designed to prevent the sun from blinding you when you ride.
It doesn’t offer as much protection as the standard polycarbonate visor but it’s a neat feature nonetheless.
Finally, the HJC I90 includes a pin-lock antifog insert, allowing you to protect yourself against oncoming fog in colder conditions.
Closing Remarks
You can pick up these glasses-friendly modular helmets for around $400, sitting comfortably between budget and expensive.
Most modular helmets are in that price range, but their impressive safety features make them well worth it.
Scorpion Exo-520 AIR
Scorpion has been engineering some of the best motorcycle helmets money can buy.
With over 178 years of experience, they’re at the forefront of innovative helmet design with neat features and high standards.
The Scorpion EXO-520 AIR is a full-face helmet that makes glasses wearers look stylish when riding.
Design
While the Scorpion EXO-520 AIR looks good in standard solid colours, the star of the show is the variety of graphic designs.
With a wide variety to choose from, each design is stylish and modern
The helmet comes in 3 shell sizes and features a multi-density shock-absorbing inner liner to ensure that your head always remains protected.
This inner liner can be removed and washed without too much hassle, so you don’t need to worry about breathing in your sweat 24/7.
Since this list is for glasses wearers, you’ll be pleased to know that the inside contains grooves designed for glasses and goggles. This ensures that your glasses don’t dig into the sides of your head while riding.
You shouldn’t feel disadvantaged because you wear glasses, and many companies try to accommodate glasses wearers.
Safety
Full-face helmets offer more protection since there aren’t individual components that flip up and down to protect your face.
The outer shell of the Scorpion EXO-520 AIR is made of polycarbonate and the inner shell contains a quick-release cheek pad system.
The former is a firm and flexible material that keeps your head safe in an accident and the latter allows emergency units to remove your helmet without hurting your neck.
Another cool safety feature is the inflatable bladder located near the chin bar. This inflates and pushes the cheek pads outwards to tighten your helmet if you feel it's loose.
Ventilation
Having the word Air in its name, you’d expect the ventilation system to be good.
The EXO-520 AIR has a chin bar vent that operates using a slider allowing air to flow to the back of the visor.
There’s also a single slider near the crown that opens 4 smaller vents, as well as an always-open exhaust vent.
The combination of all these vents allows air to circulate through the helmet, keeping your head cool on those hot summer days.
Visor
The Scorpion EXO-520 AIR has 3 visor positions: open, closed, and cracked open.
The last option allows you to let some air in while riding instead of having to keep your visor completely open.
As you can imagine, since this helmet has specific positions for the visor, you can’t simply use any visor. This is one of the reasons motorcycle helmet visors aren’t universal.
Each helmet is made differently so the visors aren’t interchangeable.
It has a visor lock so whichever position you choose, it stays in that position through all the bumps in the road.
There’s a drop-down sun visor located behind the left side of the visor and it's extremely easy to drop down and raise.
It also allows you to add a Bluetooth headset as there’s space on the right-hand side so it’s safe to say that this helmet is full of premium features.
It also comes with a pin lock antifog insert so keep your vision crystal when riding in cold weather.
Closing Remarks
The Scorpion EXO-520 AIR can clock in anywhere around $500, and for a full-face helmet with so many features, that’s a steal.
Glasses wearers will feel at home when wearing this helmet.
Shoei NXR2
Shoei’s goal is to create premium motorcycle helmets with the highest quality liners, visors, and shells.
The Shoei NXR2 is a sports helmet with style and one that the spectacled can feel comfortable in.
Design
The design of this helmet is catered toward those who love a sporty aesthetic. Yes, you can get these helmets in your standard black and white, but the graphics are where it’s at.
From the sleek Nocturne design to the hip-hop-inspired Mural design, you’re spoiled for choice.
The Shoei NXR2 is a neutral and rounded helmet, but don’t worry about it not fitting. It comes in four different shell sizes ranging from XS to XXL.
The inner liner is comfortable and moisture-wicking so you don’t get any unpleasant wetness while riding. Because it’s easy to remove and antimicrobial, it’s also a breeze to keep clean.
The helmet also includes removable ear pads that can be replaced with a Bluetooth speaker system so you can talk to other riders or a passenger even at high speed.
As with all the other helmets on our list, Shoei includes a slot where your glasses arms can rest comfortably while wearing them.
That doesn’t mean you can just slide the helmet on and set off, though. You still need to know the correct way to wear glasses under your helmet.
Safety
The outer shell is made from Shoei’s own AIM Fiberglass Composite Fibre technology.
This material is found in the highest quality crash test helmets, so you won’t need to worry about it cracking on impact.
The inner lining is a dual-layer multi-density liner that can absorb a range of impacts while keeping your head safe.
The NXR2 also has a double D-ring fastener that always secures the helmet on your head.
However, the inner liner has an emergency quick -release system so if paramedics need to take your helmet off, they can do so without rattling your head around.
Ventilation
A helmet with good ventilation is worth paying a little extra for. The NXR2 has a number of vents allowing for perfect circulation for the rider.
There are two chin bar vents and three crown vents that are all operated with a slider. Each vent has a slider that can be easily opened and closed while wearing gloves.
This helmet also uses Shoei’s 3D Max-Dry liner which is designed to keep your head cool and sweat-free.
Finally, there’s a single exhaust vent that can be opened and closed. This is where the air coming in escapes after circulating through the helmet.
Visor
The visor system on the Shoei NXR2 is modern and fresh. It’s optically correct meaning you’ll barely receive any distortion. This is especially helpful if you wear glasses since those can also distort the view you get, making things unsafe.
Since the reason you’re wearing glasses under your helmet is to see better, you want ot make sure what you’re seeing is an accurate representation of the road.
The visor is made from polycarbonate, offers good protection against UV rays, and locks into place. It can either lock in an open position or a closed one.
This helmet allows for a pin-lock antidog insert and it comes included in the purchase.
Another neat addition to the visor is the vortex generator that practically removes most noise when riding.
Closing Remarks
The Shoei NXR2 is a premium helmet that allows glasses wearers to feel at home when wearing it. They come in at around $800 and will be a welcome addition to any glasses wearers.
LS2 FF805C Thunder
The final helmet on our list of best helmets for glasses comes from LS2, the Chinese helmet manufacturing company.
LS2 is known for its impressive track helmets worn by popular MotoGP racers like Jorge Navarro.
The LS2 FF805C Thunder is perfect for those who wear glasses and still want the appearance of a racer.
Design
The LS2 FF805C Thunder has the basic solid colours but also comes in a variety of matte and carbon designs.
However, since this is a racer’s helmet, you can find some urban and funky designs such as blue, black, and red colourways.
There are 3 different shell sizes so you can be sure to find a size that fits your head.
This helmet also uses X-static fabric technology that adds antibacterial properties to the already great liner.
Finally, this helmet has deep grooves on the side of the liner so that your glasses can sit comfortably when wearing them.
The last thing you need is for your glasses to fly around the inside of your helmet when you ride.
Safety
The outer shell of this helmet is made from a carbon-aramid mixture. This makes for a strong and light helmet that keeps your head safe during impact.
The interior of the helmet is made from a high-quality fabric liner that’s breathable and made from hypoallergenic material.
It uses an expanded polystyrene lining that can absorb impacts with ease. With the inclusion of the EQRS system in this inner lining, this helmet is certainly safe.
Ventilation
When it comes to the LS2 FF805C Thunder’s vents, you’re getting a good range.
This includes the chin bar vent directing air onto your face when it gets hot as well as a forehead vent located right above the visor.
The latter is designed to cool the head and push the air down to the visor.
There are two crown vents operated using sliders as well exhaust vents near the spoiler that always remain open.
Visor
In terms of visor quality, the LS2 FF805C ticks all the boxes.
It’s large, offering a wide peripheral view both vertically and horizontally. Not to mention it being Class A optically correct so expect little to no distortion when riding.
The visor is quick-release and allows for a pin-lock max vision antifog insert.
What makes the former so impressive on this helmet is that you can easily remove the visor on the go. Simply pull it down, twist it, and voila.
You can also find some turbulators and vortex generators on the side of the visor which reduce noise and prevent a smelly sweat smell.
Closing Remarks
The LS2 FF805C Thunder is the final entry in our list and well deserved one too.
You can purchase these bad boys for around $700 and glasses wearers will find many likable qualities in this helmet.
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