Wearing my glasses is second nature, I can’t see without them so it is just a part of my everyday attire, it has never been an issue, until that time several years ago I decided I was going to buy my first motorcycle helmet.
Suddenly I was thrown into a situation where my glasses caused nothing but problems. How could I wear them without hurting my temples and ears? How do I even get my glasses on while wearing a helmet?
Fortunately helmet manufacturers have cottoned on to this problem and have started to cater for those of us who wear glasses.
We have gathered the best helmets for riders who wear glasses and laid them all out here for you.
Our favorite helmets for glasses wearers are:
- Shoei GT Air II
- HJC C91
- Bell Star DLX
- Schuberth C4 Pro
- Nolan N80-8
- Scorpion Exo-520 Air
- LS2 Thunder
Let’s get into the nitty gritty of these helmets and we will follow up with a short buying guide to ensure you know what to look out for when buying a helmet to work with your glasses.
Best Sportbike Motorcycle Helmets For Riders Who Wear Glasses
Shoei GT Air II
Shoei’s GT Air II is now even better, the ultimate all-rounder helmet that is loaded with useful riding features to make your life easier including an eyeglass compatible interior.
The interior lining of the GT Air II has slits for glasses to fit in seamlessly, having a dedicated space means there is no pressure on your temples or ears even after many riding miles.
Additionally you get a drop down sun-visor that gives an increased 5 mm of coverage, the best bit about the sun visor is that even wearing glasses there is enough space for it to function comfortably.
The main visor is distortion free for excellent clarity and 99% UV protection.
Other features include: Speaker pockets and Sena kit integration, air spoiler, high performing mixed-composite shell, technical ventilation system, quick release interior and wide visor.
Pros
- Specific glasses slits in the interior lining
- Internal sun visor
- Distortion free shield and with UV protection
- Lightweight protective construction
- Possible to integrate Sena bluetooth comms kit
Cons
- Pricey
HJC i10
This HJC helmet offers a lot of bang for the buck, with glasses grooves, speaker pockets and internal sun visor.
For those on a budget the i10 is an excellent choice, it comes with features that are often seen on helmets that exceed its price point.
Most importantly this lid comes with grooves for your glasses to fit in seamlessly.
The polycarbonate shell is relatively lightweight, it has a great ventilation system and is ready for you to fit a bluetooth kit.
Having cut out speaker pockets paired with grooves for your glasses means there will be no additional pressure when you do fit speakers.
Pros
- Glasses grooves
- Easy to get on and off with glasses
- Loaded with features
- Great value
Cons
- Quite loud
Bell Star DLX
Derived from the track, the Star is now ready to do it all, from aggressive street riding to full on touring, and with an eyewear compatible interior, glasses aren’t left out from owning the latest reincarnation of a legend from Bell.
The Bell Star combines comfort and features found in touring helmets with race-derived design, aerodynamics and performance.
Eyeglass grooves are found in the interior liner and the large Panovision viewport ensures maximum visibility from all important angles.
A Photochromatic visor is also included which tints dark in the sun and then goes clear again, so don’t worry about also having to carry your sunglasses as Bell has that covered.
The shell is constructed of Aramid, Carbon Fiber, and fiberglass which culminates in a lightweight helmet that has excellent protective properties.
The moisture-wicking woven fabric liner ensures comfort and the glasses arm pockets keep your glasses in place isolated from any potential pressure points.
Pros
- Eyeglass grooves in the liner
- Panovision viewport
- Photochromatic visor included
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
- Race-derived technology and design
Cons
- Expensive
Arai Regent-X
Arai helmets hold a level of prestige as being some of the best on the market; the Regent-X is no exception to that rule with an advanced shell construction, and premium comfort features including channels for your glasses.
Arai’s are notorious for the level of comfort and the Regent-X comes with the Facial Contour System which means you can adjust and get the best level of fit to suit your head.
Channels are provided in the liner for your glasses and the helmet has several front vents to keep the air flowing.
A nice little touch that if you are getting a bit stuffy in the helmet you can open the shield slightly and it latches.
The benefit of the extra air coming through the front will help keep both your visor and glasses clear.
Pros
- Integrated glasses grooves
- Advanced shell construction
- Refined ventilation system
- Pinlock ready
- Adjustable inner liner with the Facial Contour System
Cons
- Visor is not as wide as other helmets
- No internal sun visor
Nolan N87
The Nolan N87 is an excellent middleweight helmet that has a sporty design, an airbooster ventilation system and is eyewear compatible.
The N87 is well suited to those with a decent budget but don’t want or need something off the top shelf.
Nolan is renowned for quality helmets and the N87 has become a staple in the line up, the accommodation for glasses paired with the excellent ventilation system, sun visor and Pinlock make this an awesome all round helmet for those who wear glasses.
Pros
- Airbooster ventilation system
- Glasses grooves
- Internal sun visor
- Pinlock visor included
- Clima comfort liner
Cons
- Quite loud
Scorpion Exo-520
A Snell approved sports helmet that offers excellent value for money and accommodates the most common types of eyeglasses.
This protective sports helmet caters to those with a lower budget yet it doesn’t sacrifice on features that modern riders have become accustomed too.
This includes a liner that accommodates for the most common types of glasses, a progressive ventilation system and moisture-wicking liner to keep you cool, dry and mist-free.
The helmet has speaker pockets to fit a bluetooth comms kit which means that there will be no pressure on the ears if you decide to kit your helmet out.
Pros
- Snell approved
- Accommodates the most common types of glasses
- Excellent value for money
- Comfortable
- Quality ventilation system and KwikWick II liner
Cons
- Just two shell sizes with the internal padding making up the rest of the size range
LS2 Thunder Carbon
With a 3D optically correct visor, lightweight construction, glasses pockets, and advanced ventilation the LS2 Thunder Carbon is a helmet for those accustomed to the very best.
The LS2 is another premium addition to the list that is a brilliant helmet, ready for glasses wearers in more ways than one.
The glasses arm grooves are the first step, the Carbon construction makes the helmet super light and the vents are set up for excellent airflow which will help keep you mist-free.
For those who want to hit the track and maybe do some amateur racing the good news is that the LS2 is also FIM certified.
Pros
- Glasses pockets
- FIM certified
- Lightweight construction
- Optically correct visor
- Good ventilation
Cons
- Expensive
Helmet Buying Guide For Glasses Wearers
There are a few things you can keep an eye out for to ensure you get a helmet that is going to work with your glasses.
Integrated Glasses Pockets
There are plenty of helmets currently on the market that have integrated glasses pockets in the inner liner for your glasses to fit.
If there aren’t full pockets there are often slits in the lining or grooves for the glasses to slide into while still being tucked behind your ears.
Having pockets/grooves means there is a dedicated space for your glasses and there won’t be any undue pressure on your temples or ears.
A helmet needs to fit snugly so it can be uncomfortable wearing glasses when there is limited space for them.
Lightweight
A lightweight helmet will help riders who wear glasses as there is less weight bearing down on the glasses arms from all angles and therefore no pressure to cause pain to the rider.
Shield and Sun Visor
Ideally you want a face shield that gives you maximum visibility and isn’t too close to your face so that you don’t get too claustrophobic with your glasses inside your helmet as well.
The same goes for any internal sun visor. You need it to be able to function while you’re wearing glasses, so make sure you test it with your glasses on and that it doesn’t knock them off when you flip the mechanism.
Ventilation
Many helmets now come with a Pinlock ready visor and some include the insert, the job of this is to prevent your visor from misting up from the moisture in the helmet.
Having a Pinlock in your helmet will help keep your glasses clear also as it absorbs the moisture from your breath.
However, in particularly adverse weather it may not prevent your glasses from being affected, so it is best to ensure you go for a helmet that has good ventilation.
Cool air at the front of your helmet and good exhaust vents for warm air and moisture will keep you fog free and clear to ride.
| Helmet | Glasses Accommodation | Comfort | Features | Value for Money | Overall Rating |
| Shoei GT Air II | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★ |
| HJC i10 | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Bell Star DLX | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★ |
| Arai Regent-X | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★ | ★★★★ |
| Nolan N87 | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ |
| Scorpion Exo-520 Air | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| LS2 Thunder | ★★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★ | ★★★★ |
FAQ
How do I get my glasses on with my helmet?
A neat trick to getting your glasses on with your full face helmet is to follow this process:
- Remove glasses
- Put helmet on but don’t do it up yet
- Open the visor, pull the chin bar down an inch or two
- Slide glasses into position
- Push chin bar back up so the helmet sits as it should
- Do helmet up
By pulling the helmet down a little there is more room for your glasses to slide into place before you set your helmet right.
Can I cut the liner myself to fit my glasses in?
You should never cut the interior liners of the helmet under any circumstance. Doing so could result in you damaging the integrity of the helmet and it may not function as it should to protect your head properly in the event of an accident.
Furthermore, the key to a good helmet is making sure it fits properly. It can be a $50 or $500 lid, if it fits properly then it will protect your head. Cutting away at the interior will change the fit.
Final Thoughts
There it is a comprehensive list of the best full face helmets for riders who wear glasses.
While I love the Shoei GT-Air and think it sports some of the best features in a helmet, it shouldn’t be overlooked that HJC offers a really solid full face helmet that shares some of the same features at a fraction of the cost.
