Cold Weather Is Coming: Do You Need A Heated Helmet Faceshield?

We are in August now; the days are getting shorter, evenings and mornings can even be on the cool side. Yes, those muggy days still exist, and there are plenty ahead, but September is only three weeks away, and frost follows after…

And, so do fogged-up motorcycle helmets. Actually, it’s something many of us deal with year-round anyway, particularly on the east and west coasts, where wet, soggy weather dominates our summers. And you know, it’s also like that in the UK—which is why VISIN, a start-up based there, has come out with a new add-on for your motorcycle helmet that is designed to prevent visor fogging.

The design is quite simple, and it’s surprising nobody has come up with this before. The VISIN Heated Visor is just a stick-on accessory that sits on the inside of your helmet’s faceshield, similar to a Pinlock insert. However, a Pinlock insert is only compatible with visors that have the locking mechanism built-in. The VISIN design is a one-size-fits-most universal solution. See the installation procedure below:

Once installed, the stick-on insert connects to a battery. Electricity passes through the transparent conductive material and heats it up, burning off condensation (there’s a 40-second boost mode, where the visor heats up 2.5 hotter than normal, if you’re really fogged up). That battery is supposed to last for eight hours, so good enough for most people’s riding in a day.

It’s a cool idea, and you can find out more about the system at VISIN’s website here. However, most Canadians will know that we already have somewhat similar systems available here in Canada, built for snowmobile helmets. Some of them will also fit motorcycle helmets. Is that a safe solution? Depends on whether or not the optical clarity is good enough for you on public roads. You can ask at your local dealership parts counter if you have more questions, but they’ll probably look at you funny if you do, since most people find the Pinlock system is good enough for them, as long as you find one compatible with your helmet.