Open Face Motorcycle Helmets

An open face motorcycle helmet covers the top, back and sides of the head while leaving the face and chin exposed. Often called a jet helmet, this style is particularly popular with scooter, cruiser, custom and classic-bike riders, although modern open face helmets are also widely used for commuting and everyday road riding.

At RaceLeathers, you can browse open face motorcycle helmets across a wide range of sizes, prices and styles. Our collection includes traditional low-profile helmets with peaks and goggle straps, retro designs, modern jet helmets with full-length visors, models with internal sun visors and convertible designs with removable face coverings.

Depending on current availability, the range includes open face helmets from Bell, Shoei, Scorpion, HJC, Airoh, MT, Merlin, Shark, VCan, Viper and other recognised manufacturers.

What Is an Open Face Motorcycle Helmet?

An open face helmet does not have a fixed protective chin bar. It provides approved helmet coverage around the upper, rear and sides of the head, but the rider's face and chin remain exposed.

Under UNECE Regulation 22.06, a conventional open face helmet is normally classified as a Category J or “jet” helmet. This distinguishes it from a full face helmet with a protective lower face cover.

Some open face helmets have a removable peak, visor, goggle assembly or face mask. These parts can provide protection from wind, rain, insects or road dirt, but a removable mask is not automatically a protective chin bar.

Where a helmet has a non-protective lower face cover, it should carry the appropriate marking or warning that it does not protect the chin from impacts. A helmet with a genuinely protective removable or movable chin section will have a different approval, such as P/J, depending on its design.

Always check the individual helmet's approval, product information and instructions rather than assuming that anything covering your mouth turns it into a full face helmet.

Why Choose an Open Face Motorcycle Helmet?

The large facial opening gives an open face helmet a less enclosed feel than a full face motorcycle helmet. Many riders find them convenient for slower journeys, commuting, scooter use and riding in warmer weather.

They can also make it easier to speak while stopped, put on glasses and get some fresh air without opening or removing part of the helmet. That convenience is one reason they remain popular with scooter, cruiser and classic-bike riders.

There is a trade-off, though. An open face helmet has no fixed protective chin bar, so it provides less physical coverage around the face and jaw than a full face helmet. The rider is also more exposed to wind, cold, rain, insects and road debris.

That does not make an open face helmet unsuitable for road use when it carries the correct approval. It simply means you should understand the design and choose it for the right reasons rather than pretending every helmet style offers exactly the same coverage.

Riders who want a protective chin bar with the convenience of an opening front may prefer a flip front motorcycle helmet.

Classic and Retro Open Face Helmets

Traditional open face helmets usually have a relatively simple shell, a press-stud peak and a strap at the rear to help hold motorcycle goggles in position. They are particularly popular with riders of cruisers, customs, café racers, scooters and classic motorcycles.

Some use a plain matt or gloss finish, while others feature metal-flake paint, stripes, vintage graphics or leather-style trim. That gives you plenty of choice without having to dress as though every journey ends at a 1960s petrol station.

Many retro helmets can accept optional bubble visors, flat visors or peaks using a three-stud fitting. However, stud spacing, visor shape and shell clearance can vary, so check compatibility with the exact helmet rather than assuming every three-stud visor fits every three-stud helmet.

A low-profile appearance does not mean you should buy a smaller size or accept an insecure fit. The protective shell and energy-absorbing liner still need sufficient space to do their jobs, regardless of how tidy you want the helmet to look from the side.

Modern Jet Helmets with Full Visors

Modern jet helmets often include a large clear outer visor, giving better protection from wind, rain and insects than a completely open design. Depending on the model, the visor may extend below the chin or stop closer to the mouth.

Other useful features can include:

• An internal drop-down sun visor.
• Top and rear ventilation.
• A removable and washable lining.
• Speaker recesses for a motorcycle intercom.
• A micrometric ratchet fastening.
• Glasses-friendly interior shaping.
• Replacement clear, tinted or mirrored outer visors.

Not every open face helmet includes all these features. Some are deliberately simple, while others have nearly as many moving parts as a touring helmet. Check the individual specification and box contents before ordering.

Open Face Helmets with Masks and Removable Face Covers

Some open face helmets include a removable face mask, goggle assembly or lower cover. These can help keep wind, insects and road dirt away from the face, and they can produce a more aggressive custom appearance.

However, a face covering should not be confused with an approved protective chin bar. Unless the helmet's approval and documentation specifically identify the lower section as protective, treat it as weather or debris protection rather than impact protection.

Check how the mask attaches, whether it can be removed without tools and whether replacement lenses, goggles, filters or face-cover components remain available. A clever-looking detachable mask is less exciting when one broken plastic clip turns it into a shelf ornament.

How Should an Open Face Motorcycle Helmet Fit?

An open face helmet must fit just as securely as any other motorcycle helmet. The absence of a chin bar can make the helmet feel less restrictive, but it should not feel loose or rotate freely around your head.

Measure around the fullest part of your head, normally just above the eyebrows and ears. Use the measurement as a starting point, then compare suitable helmets from different manufacturers. Brands and models use different internal shapes, so the same labelled size can feel noticeably different.

A properly fitted open face helmet should:

• Feel evenly snug around the crown, sides and back of the head.
• Remain secure when moved forwards, backwards and from side to side.
• Move the skin and scalp slightly when the helmet is rotated.
• Have no large gaps between your head and the comfort lining.
• Have no sharp or painful pressure points across the forehead or temples.
• Sit level rather than dropping down over your eyes.
• Allow the chin strap to sit securely beneath the jaw.
• Remain difficult to roll forwards or backwards off the head when fastened.

Some open face helmets have substantial cheek pads, while traditional low-profile models may have much less padding around the face. Whichever design you choose, the main helmet must still grip the head properly rather than relying entirely on the chin strap.

Keep the helmet on for several minutes before deciding. The comfort lining will normally settle slightly with use, but that does not mean you should accept a painful pressure point and hope your skull eventually changes shape.

If you wear glasses, try them with the helmet. Check that the arms sit comfortably and that any outer visor closes without touching the frames.

Open Face Helmet Safety Standards

Motorcycle helmets worn on roads in Great Britain must meet an accepted safety standard. Most new open face helmets now entering the market are approved to UNECE Regulation 22.06. Properly approved ECE 22.05 helmets also remain legal to wear.

Check the individual product information and approval label because older clearance models may still use ECE 22.05, while newer helmets will generally carry ECE 22.06 approval.

The approval confirms that the helmet has met the requirements applying to its particular design and category. It does not mean that a Category J open face helmet provides the same facial or chin coverage as a full face helmet.

Shell material alone is not a safety rating. Polycarbonate, fibreglass composite and carbon-fibre helmets can all meet the relevant approval requirements. The complete helmet design matters, including the shell, energy-absorbing liner, retention system and how securely it fits the rider.

Do not choose entirely by price either. A more expensive open face helmet may provide lighter materials, additional shell sizes, a more refined lining, better visor operation, improved ventilation or easier access to replacement parts. Those can make it far nicer to own, but the price tag does not replace proper approval and fit.

Open Face Helmet Visors

Some open face helmets are supplied with no visor, some include a small peak or sun shield, and others have a full-length clear outer visor. Check exactly what comes with the helmet because photographs sometimes show optional accessories.

A full outer visor can provide useful protection from wind, rain, dust and insects. A short internal sun visor mainly helps with bright light and should not be treated as a replacement for a full clear outer visor when weather protection is required.

A peak can help shade the eyes from overhead sunlight, but it is not eye protection. It will do very little about a stone, insect or lump of road muck arriving horizontally.

When using a visor on the road, check that it carries the required approval marking and is suitable for the conditions. A visor marked for daytime use only should only be used during daylight.

Dark smoke and mirrored visors can be useful in bright conditions, but light levels can change quickly. Carrying a clear visor or suitable alternative is far more practical than riding home after sunset with the visor raised and your eyes watering like you have just watched the end of a sad film.

Replacement outer visors and internal sun visors must be made for the exact helmet model. Similar-looking helmets can use completely different mounting points and visor shapes.

Using Motorcycle Goggles with an Open Face Helmet

Traditional open face helmets without a full visor are often designed to be worn with suitable motorcycle goggles. Check that the goggle frame fits correctly inside the helmet opening and that it does not create painful pressure around the nose or temples.

The strap should sit securely around the helmet, ideally using the rear goggle-retaining loop where one is provided. It should not cover important vents, interfere with the helmet fastening or pull the goggles into an uncomfortable position.

Goggles used on the road should carry an accepted eye-protection approval. A pair that looks suitably vintage is not automatically suitable motorcycle eye protection.

Check the lens colour and light transmission as well. Clear lenses are the most versatile for changing conditions, while tinted lenses may be restricted to daylight use.

Internal Sun Visors

Many modern open face helmets include an internal drop-down sun visor. This can be useful when moving between bright sunlight and shade because it can be lowered or raised without stopping to change the main visor.

Check how far the sun visor drops, whether it interferes with your glasses and whether you can operate its control while wearing motorcycle gloves. Riders have different face shapes, so a visor that clears one person's nose perfectly can sit in a distracting position for somebody else.

An internal sun visor does not automatically mean the helmet also includes a full clear outer visor. Some retro helmets have a sun visor but leave the lower face completely open.

Weather Protection and Wind Noise

An open face helmet exposes more of the face to the weather than a full face design. This can feel pleasant during a slow summer ride, but less charming when the temperature drops, the rain starts and every insect in Lancashire appears to be flying in the opposite direction.

A long outer visor can make an open face helmet much more practical for commuting and faster road riding. Even then, air and rain may still enter around the lower edge because there is no fixed chin bar or sealed chin curtain.

A neck warmer or suitable face covering can improve comfort in colder weather, but make sure it does not interfere with the chin strap, visor or your ability to turn your head.

No motorcycle helmet is completely silent. Wind noise is affected by the helmet, its fit, your riding position, speed, motorcycle screen and the airflow around your head. Open face designs can expose the ears and lower face to more direct airflow, so suitable hearing protection is worth considering, particularly on longer or faster journeys.

Open Face Helmets and Bluetooth Intercoms

Some open face helmets include speaker recesses or preparation for a manufacturer-specific communication system. Many do not, so “Bluetooth ready” should never be assumed from the shape of the helmet alone.

An open face helmet will normally require a boom microphone rather than the small wired microphone commonly used inside a full face helmet. The boom needs to reach the mouth securely without obstructing the visor or becoming caught when the helmet is removed.

Before fitting an intercom, check:

• Whether the helmet has speaker recesses.
• The diameter and thickness of the speakers.
• Whether the control unit uses a clamp or adhesive mount.
• Whether the boom microphone interferes with the outer visor.
• Whether wind exposure will affect microphone performance.
• Whether the helmet is intended for a particular integrated system.

Do not drill the helmet shell or cut away the energy-absorbing liner to make an intercom fit. Browse our motorcycle intercom systems and follow the helmet and intercom manufacturers' fitting instructions.

Polycarbonate, Composite and Carbon Open Face Helmets

Open face helmet shells can be made from polycarbonate, thermoplastic, fibreglass composite, multi-composite materials or carbon fibre.

Carbon and composite construction may help reduce weight or shell thickness, but it does not mean every carbon helmet is automatically safer than every polycarbonate helmet. Compare the complete helmet, its approval, fit, comfort and intended use.

Open face helmets are often described as lightweight, but that is not universally true. A model with a large visor, sun visor, ventilation mechanism and substantial interior can weigh more than a very simple retro helmet.

Also look at how the weight is balanced. A slightly heavier helmet that sits naturally on your head may feel more comfortable than a lighter one that constantly pulls forwards.

Cleaning and Maintaining an Open Face Helmet

Clean the shell and visor using the method recommended by the helmet manufacturer. Avoid household solvents, abrasive cleaners and random workshop chemicals, as they can damage the shell, visor, seals, paint or plastic fittings.

Use water and a soft cloth on the visor, allowing dried insects and dirt to soften before wiping them away. Scrubbing a dry visor with kitchen roll is an effective method of turning a clear visor into a scratched one.

Where the lining is removable, wash it according to the manufacturer's instructions and allow it to dry naturally before refitting it. Do not place the lining or helmet directly on a radiator or other strong heat source.

Regularly check the chin strap, buckle, visor mounting points, press studs, peak fittings and goggle-retaining strap. Replace damaged parts using components made for the exact helmet model.

Browse our motorcycle helmet parts and accessories for replacement visors, internal sun visors, peaks, cheek pads, liners and model-specific fittings.

Open Face Helmet Brands at RaceLeathers

Our collection covers affordable everyday jet helmets through to premium carbon and composite designs. Depending on current availability, you will find open face helmets from Bell, Shoei, Scorpion, HJC, Airoh, MT, Merlin, Shark, VCan, Viper and other established manufacturers.

Bell is particularly well known for traditional custom and retro-style helmets, while brands such as Scorpion, HJC, Airoh and MT also offer modern jet designs with long visors, internal sun shields and touring-friendly features.

Do not let the badge persuade you to accept the wrong fit. Different brands and even different models from the same manufacturer can use noticeably different internal shapes. Try several suitable helmets and judge the actual fit rather than announcing that you have always been a Large.

Expert Open Face Helmet Fitting in Darwen

Visit RaceLeathers at Britannia Mill in Darwen, Lancashire, to compare open face motorcycle helmets properly. We can help check the size, internal shape, unwanted movement, helmet position and chin-strap adjustment.

Bring your glasses if you ride in them and tell us whether you need a full outer visor, internal sun visor, goggle compatibility or space for an intercom. It is much easier to find the right helmet when we know how you intend to use it.

Browse our open face motorcycle helmets online with free UK delivery on orders over £30, visit our Darwen shop for expert fitting, or call us on 01254 704000 if you need advice before ordering.

You can also compare our full face motorcycle helmets, flip front motorcycle helmets and complete motorcycle helmet range.

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