What’s the deal with flip-front helmets?
Posted by Admin on 18th Feb 2021
25 April, 12:00
What’s the deal with
flip-front helmets?
Published by Admin in Blog
The traditional full-face helmet has been the go-to head protection for decades, and offers excellent impact and abrasion resistance relatively cheaply, usually accommodating with a clear visor and a fixed chinbar, but they can come with some drawbacks. Practicality can be increased with a chinbar that instead of being fixed as part of the main shell, uses a locking hinged mechanism to allow the chinbar to be raised past the eyeport, and out of the way.
There are upsides and downsides to flip-front helmets, and here are a few pointers to help if you’re not sure which is best for your needs.
- Weight- Due to extra support and locking mechanisms, flip-front helmet can be slightly heavier depending on the materials used, and the complexity of the locking mechanisms.
- Noise- With more parts you can find more gaps for wind to entre the helmet, which can lead to a noisier helmet, a good design will combat these.
- Price - Due to a moving chinbar manufacturers will re-engineer helmet designs, which can mean a like-for-like fullface could be slightly cheaper.
- Style- Usually designed for touring and commuting, you’ll usually find kit in flip fronts as standard like sunvisors and anti-fog inserts. Bluetooth kits are commonly fitted so space tends to be reserved for this in mind too.
- Size- to accommodate the hinge mechanism, the shell will be larger than it’s full-face counterpart, so you may find it looks bigger.
- Freedom- With the chinbar out the way, you might get a bigger sense of freedom when on and off the bike, but you must check if the helmet is rated for flip up use on the bike!
"Flip-front or modular helmets can give extra vision on and off the bike, which allows for easier communication, increased airflow, and a higher sense of freedom"
— A Biker
In Conclusion
Ideally helmet choice will always vary due to fit and budget, but if you have the choice and it’s suitable, then a flip front might be for you, on the other hand if you’re more interested in doing trackdays and sporty riding, you might find a full-face is better value for money and more focussed on the riding you’ll be doing.
(Only P/J ECE rated flip-front helmet can be used whilst in the upright position, check before purchasing)