A full-face helmet is a helmet that covers both your head and your face. It is used primarily in motorsports, such as dirt biking, ATV-riding, snowmobiling, and motorcycle riding, but are also used in downhill and enduro-cycling. A full-face helmet offers good protection, regardless of activity.
A full-face helmet offers protection for both your head and face. But there are different types of full-face helmets that are intended for different types of use.
These helmets also feature a visor, which protects your eyes when riding at high speeds. These are the most common helmets for motorcyclists. Depending on how you ride, there are some different aspects to consider, but it’s crucial to find a helmet with a good fit. It should sit tightly on your head and not be able to turn when the chin strap is tightened.
If you ride at very high speeds on airstrips or racing tracks, you want a helmet with a very tight fit that feels molded to your head. It shouldn’t move at all, even at speeds far beyond street-legal.
The modular full-face helmet offers a combination of a full-face and open helmet. You can lift the chin guard to let air in or communicate, without having to remove the helmet. It is also highly practical when stopping for a quick snack.
Most cyclists prefer a lightweight, well-ventilated helmet. But if you’re into downhill cycling or enduro-riding, you will appreciate the extra protection of a full-face helmet for cycling. These helmets feature chin guards, but weigh less and are better ventilated than full-face helmets for motorsports.
Things to take into account when looking for a full-face helmet (or any helmet), include rotational motion protection. If an accident happens and you fall off your bike or vehicle, your head is most likely to hit the ground at an angle. At the moment of impact, rotational motion occurs that can make the head rotate more or less, depending on the object or surface of impact. The energy from the impact can be directed further into the head, where it can cause injury. Rotational motion is thus the result of oblique impacts to the head.
Mips has been researching rotational motion and helmet safety for more than 25 years. A large number of studies and data say the same thing: in the vast majority of accidents when someone hits the head, the impact is oblique. Research also clearly shows that an oblique impact entails an increased risk of damage to the brain.