Whether you can wear glasses under a motorcycle helmet isn’t a straightforward question.
Some helmets cater to those who wear glasses by incorporating grooves into their inner layers, but other helmets don’t do much to help.
Join us in finding out if it’s possible to wear glasses under a motorcycle helmet and feel comfortable while doing so.
What this article covers:
Is It Uncomfortable?
While it's possible to wear glasses under many motorcycle helmets, it’s not always comfortable.
Most glasses wearers have an issue with comfort when it comes to wearing glasses beneath their helmets.
The best motorcycle helmet for someone with glasses accommodates the wearer’s needs.
For example, certain full-face helmets have glasses grooves on the sides of the inner lining where your glasses’ arms can rest.
The motorcycle helmets that don’t have these features lead to the glasses flying around the inside of the helmet, possibly damaging your eyes and hurting your ears.
Another issue that comes with your glasses moving is losing your vision and becoming a distraction. The last thing you need when riding on the open road is something flapping around your face and causing you to lose focus.
Choosing a helmet that isn’t friendly towards glasses wearers isn’t only uncomfortable, it’s dangerous.
Best Helmet Types for Glasses Wearers
The motorcycle helmets that are ideal for glasses wearers as well as being the best motorcycle helmet for visibility are open-face and modular helmets.
This is due to these helmets not having any material covering your face.
Most modular and open-face helmets accommodate glasses wearers as these helmets aren’t for those with a need for speed.
The problem however comes in the form of safety. Modular helmets have an extra piece acting as the chin bar in a full-face helmet, but this piece tends to be made of weaker material.
In the event of an accident, the extra piece can break off and cause further damage instead of protecting you.
As with open-face helmets, there isn’t any chin bar so if you end up falling or crashing, your face isn’t protected.
So, if you’re planning to go for a late Sunday afternoon drive while wearing your glasses, these helmets will do.
But they shouldn’t be worn if you want to ride on the open road and wear glasses.
A full-face helmet that allows glasses wearers to make use of the grooves is probably your best bet for a safe, glasses-friendly helmet.
Precautions
Before you start grabbing your gear and wearing your glasses, there are a few things you need to note.
Your glasses can get dirty and fog up if you’re wearing an open-face helmet as you won’t have a layer between the glasses and the dirt from the open road.
If you do choose to wear a full-face helmet, this won’t be much of an issue.
However, if you choose a full-face helmet, try to keep an anti-fog insert on standby. In the way your visor fogs up under cold conditions, your glasses do too.
This can be dangerous, as vision is key when riding, so it’s best to do everything you can to keep your visor crystal clear.
You should avoid wearing glasses that have thicker hinges as they might restrict your peripheral vision when riding.
The irony of wearing something that’s supposed to help with your vision, and restricts you when riding can be avoided if you wear the correct glasses.
Finally, most helmets that allow glasses tend to have adjustments by the grooves. These grooves must be adjusted to fit your glasses before your start riding.
Knowing what helmet works best for glasses wearers also helps to know how to wear goggles with motorcycle helmets.
But why do people wear goggles? We understand the need for prescription glasses because they enhance the vision of the wearer, but what’s the appeal surrounding goggles?
What’s the Purpose of Goggles?
Goggles are commonly seen on the faces of off-road motorcycle riders, but why wear goggles under helmets? The answer is to protect your eyes.
That’s right, goggles beneath the motorcycle helmet aren’t a fashion statement. These goggles do an excellent job of combatting flying debris or rubble that can lead to eye injuries when wearing an open-faced helmet.
It also gives you more air to breathe if you choose to wear a modular helmet with the visor up.
Goggles are bulkier than your standard prescription glasses but the helmets that are glasses-friendly allow you to wear goggles comfortably.
Answering the Burning Question
Yes, you can wear glasses beneath your motorcycle helmet. If you’ve taken note of the precautions, you shouldn’t face any problems.
A full-face helmet that accommodates glasses wearers with grooves or interior adjustments is a perfect choice.
So, let’s have a look at a helmet that does the job with ease and protects not only your eyes but your head too.
Our Recommendation: Shoei Glamster
These helmets don’t come cheap, but they do an excellent job of making you feel comfortable when wearing glasses.
The Shoei Glamster is a modern and feature-filled helmet that we recommend if you’re someone who wears prescription glasses. It’s also a good choice if you’re wanting to wear some shades beneath it.
Design
With glam being in the name of the product, you can expect the designs to be stylish.
The Glamster comes in a clean off-white, a laguna blue, and plenty of black finishes ranging from carbon to matte.
Shoei also offers this helmet in a range of custom graphic designs such as the Resurrection.
The inner liner is comfortable, removable, and easy to wash so you won’t need to worry about smelling your sweat while you ride if you clean the liner.
Design aside, we’re here to look at what it brings to the table for glasses wearers. The inner liner contains grooves that are adjustable to suit the shape of your glasses.
This ensures that your glasses don’t fly all over the place while you ride.
Beneath these grooves is a spot for a Bluetooth communications system too, so you’re getting the full package with this helmet.
So, we’ve already established that this helmet is perfect for glasses wearers, but how safe is it?
Safety
The helmet’s outer shell is made using Shoei’s Advanced Integrated Matrix material, making it one of the lightest and most rigid helmets out there.
If you’re worried about the helmet not fitting, there are a total of 3 different shell sizes and 1 of them is a guaranteed fit.
The inner lining is a dual-density EPS liner, and the helmet is secured to your head with a double D-ring fastener.
The former allows paramedics to easily remove your helmet in the event of an accident, while the latter is for the rider, ensuring the helmet stays on your head while you ride against the wind.
Ventilation
Good ventilation means your glasses and visor will be mist-free.
The Glamster has vents galore, ensuring you have ample room to breathe. There’s a total of 4 chin vents that are always open as well as a smaller forehead vent that’s operated using a slider.
The glasses grooves on the sides of the liner do a good job at letting some of the air circulate visor and glasses too.
Finally, we have the escape point in the form of 2 exhaust vents.
Visor
The Glamster’s visor is pin lock ready and operates using a buckle mechanic. There’s a lock at the bottom of the visor that buckles when you’re wanting to keep the visor in the closed position.
The visor offers excellent peripheral vision, but it isn’t quick release meaning you need to unscrew it from the helmet if you want to replace it.
So if you’re asking yourself if motorcycle helmet visors are universal, the answer is no. This applies to helmets with quick-release visors too.
A specific visor is designed for a specific helmet.
Closing Remarks
The Shoei Glamster ensures that you feel comfortable when wearing your glasses due to its glasses-friendly approach.
They’re priced at around $800 and fit under the intermediate helmet range.
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