Are Open Face Motorcycle Helmets Legal?
Yes, open face motorcycle helmets are legal in the UK provided the helmet meets an accepted safety standard and is worn and fastened correctly.
There is no UK law saying that a road-legal motorcycle helmet must have a fixed chin bar. That means an approved open face helmet can be used legally on a motorcycle, scooter or moped just like a full face motorcycle helmet or an approved flip front helmet.
If you are looking for one, you can browse our open face motorcycle helmets here.
What Makes an Open Face Motorcycle Helmet Legal in the UK?
The important part is not whether the helmet is open face, full face or flip front. It is whether the helmet meets an approved safety standard.
Current UK Government guidance says motorcycle helmets used on UK roads must meet one of the recognised standards, including:
- UNECE Regulation 22.06
- UNECE Regulation 22.05
- British Standard BS 6658:1985 carrying the BSI Kitemark
- Certain equivalent standards accepted within the European Economic Area
Most new motorcycle helmets you will come across today will be approved to ECE 22.06.
ECE 22.05 helmets have not suddenly become illegal to wear in the UK. A properly approved 22.05 helmet can still be used legally, although newer helmet designs are now predominantly made to the newer 22.06 standard.
You can see the current Government guidance on the GOV.UK motorcycle helmet law page.
What Is an Open Face Motorcycle Helmet?
An open face helmet normally covers the top, sides and back of your head but leaves the face and chin exposed.
Depending on the design, it may have:
- A full-length clear visor
- A short visor
- An internal sun visor
- A peak
- No visor at all
- Provision for goggles
Open face helmets are particularly popular with scooter riders, cruiser riders and owners of classic and custom motorcycles, although there is nothing restricting them to those types of bike.
You can see the different styles currently available in our open face motorcycle helmet range.
Does an Open Face Helmet Have to Protect Your Chin?
No. A chin bar is not required simply to make a motorcycle helmet legal.
That is one of the main differences between an open face and a full face motorcycle helmet.
A full face helmet has a fixed section covering the chin and jaw. An open face helmet leaves this area exposed.
That does not make an approved open face helmet illegal, but it does mean it provides less physical coverage around the lower face.
That is worth understanding before choosing one. Legal and maximum coverage are not necessarily the same thing.
Are Open Face Helmets Safe?
An approved open face helmet has still had to meet the required helmet safety standard, but its design leaves areas of the face exposed that would be covered by a full face helmet.
There are reasons riders choose them. They can feel very open, give excellent peripheral visibility and allow plenty of airflow, particularly around town and during warmer weather.
The trade-off is obvious: there is no fixed chin bar between your face and the road.
If maximum facial coverage is important to you, have a look at our full face helmets.
If you want something that can give you more coverage while riding but can also be opened when stopped or when appropriate, a flip front motorcycle helmet may be another option.
Are Open Face Helmets Legal on Motorways?
Yes. There is no separate motorcycle helmet law that suddenly requires a full face helmet because you have joined a motorway.
If your open face motorcycle helmet meets the required approval standard and is worn correctly, it is legal for normal road use, including motorway riding.
Whether you actually want to ride at motorway speeds with your face exposed is another question.
Wind, rain, insects, grit and general road debris become considerably more noticeable at higher speeds. A good visor or suitable approved eye protection can therefore make a big difference to comfort.
Do You Need a Visor With an Open Face Helmet?
An open face helmet does not have to have a full visor simply to make the helmet legal.
However, if you use a motorcycle visor or goggles on the road, they must meet the relevant legal requirements.
GOV.UK states that approved motorcycle visors can carry the appropriate British Standard marking or UNECE 22.05/22.06 approval. Very dark visors may not meet the required light transmission standard for road use.
If your existing helmet needs a replacement visor, mechanism, liner or other fitting part, have a look through our motorcycle helmet parts and accessories.
What About Tinted Visors and Goggles?
This is an area where riders can easily get caught out.
Just because a tinted, mirrored or coloured visor physically fits your helmet does not automatically mean it is legal for road use.
Check the markings on the visor itself. Visors marked Daytime Use Only should only be used during daylight, and GOV.UK states that visors transmitting less than 50% of visible light do not fully comply with the relevant standards for road use.
With an open face helmet, good eye protection also makes a practical difference. Even a small fly becomes surprisingly impressive when you meet it face-first at 60 mph.
Open Face vs Full Face Motorcycle Helmets
There isn't one helmet style that suits every rider.
Open face helmets give you an open feel, lots of airflow and excellent visibility, which is one reason they are popular with scooter, cruiser and classic-bike riders.
Full face helmets give additional coverage around the face, jaw and chin and are widely used for commuting, touring, sports riding and track riding.
Flip front helmets sit somewhere between the two in terms of convenience. They have a movable chin section, although whether a particular flip front helmet can legally be ridden with the chin section raised depends on its homologation.
You can compare all three styles in our main motorcycle helmets collection.
Does an Open Face Motorcycle Helmet Need to Fit Tightly?
Yes. The fact that the front of the helmet is open does not change the importance of fit.
A motorcycle helmet should feel securely snug around your head without creating painful pressure points. It should not slide around freely when you turn your head or move the helmet from side to side.
The chin strap should also be correctly adjusted and securely fastened whenever you ride.
Do not simply buy a larger helmet because it feels more comfortable when you first put it on. Helmet interiors settle slightly with use, and a helmet that is already loose when new may become even looser later.
If you're unsure, our guide to how tight a motorcycle helmet should feel explains the difference between a correctly snug helmet and one that genuinely does not fit.
Can a Passenger Wear an Open Face Motorcycle Helmet?
Yes. A pillion passenger can wear an approved open face motorcycle helmet in the same way as the rider.
The Highway Code states that riders and pillion passengers on motorcycles, scooters and mopeds must wear an approved protective helmet, subject to the recognised legal exemptions.
The important requirement is that the helmet itself complies with the regulations and is securely fastened.
Is ECE 22.05 Still Legal?
Yes. This causes quite a bit of confusion.
ECE 22.06 is the newer standard and is what you will increasingly see on new helmets, but current UK Government guidance still lists both UNECE 22.05 and UNECE 22.06 as accepted standards for helmets being worn on UK roads.
So owning an ECE 22.05 helmet does not mean you suddenly need to throw it in the bin because 22.06 has arrived.
Condition and fit still matter, of course. A damaged helmet or one that no longer fits securely should not be kept in use simply because the approval sticker is still there.
Should You Buy an Open Face Helmet?
That comes down to the type of riding you do and what matters most to you.
An open face helmet may appeal if you want:
- Maximum airflow around the face
- A very open field of vision
- A helmet for scooter or urban riding
- A traditional look for a classic or custom motorcycle
- A lighter, less enclosed feeling
If you regularly ride quickly, spend hours on motorways or simply want more coverage around your face and chin, you may prefer a full face helmet or flip front helmet.
There is nothing wrong with choosing an open face helmet as long as you understand what it does and does not cover.
Try an Open Face Motorcycle Helmet at RaceLeathers
Helmet fit is one of those things the internet cannot completely solve.
We stock a wide choice of motorcycle helmets at RaceLeathers in Darwen, Lancashire, including open face helmets, full face helmets and flip front helmets.
If you're not sure which style or size suits you, call into the shop and try a few on. Different manufacturers and even different models from the same manufacturer can fit noticeably differently.
We would rather spend the time getting a helmet properly fitted to your head than simply sell you whichever box happens to say Medium on the side.
Browse our open face motorcycle helmets, or view our complete motorcycle helmet range online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are open face motorcycle helmets legal in the UK?
Yes. An open face motorcycle helmet is legal provided it meets an accepted UK helmet safety standard and is worn and fastened correctly.
Do motorcycle helmets legally need a chin bar?
No. UK motorcycle helmet law does not require every approved helmet to have a fixed chin bar.
Can you wear an open face helmet on a motorway?
Yes. The same helmet approval rules apply. However, the exposed face means wind, weather and road debris may be more noticeable at motorway speeds.
Is ECE 22.05 still legal in the UK?
Yes. Current UK Government guidance recognises both UNECE 22.05 and UNECE 22.06 for road use.
Is ECE 22.06 better than ECE 22.05?
ECE 22.06 is the newer approval standard and introduced a broader range of helmet tests intended to better represent real-world impacts.
Does an open face helmet need a visor?
Not simply to make the helmet legal, but any visor or goggles used on the road must comply with the relevant legal requirements.
Are open face helmets as protective as full face helmets?
They do not provide the same physical coverage because the face, jaw and chin remain exposed. Riders wanting greater facial coverage should consider a full face motorcycle helmet.