Helmet Visors- UV Protection?

Riding out in summer sun today I was curious about my tinted visor. I usually wear a Dark Smoke Tinted visor for an Arai helmet. Do you think that this shield blocks harmful UV Rays as well...not sure of exactly what UV rays are though? It just didnt have that little sticker like cheap sundglasses do saying 100% UV protected.

A couple of the other things that bother me about the dark visor is...if i come up on some shade I have a difficult time seeing the contours and potential hazards of the road surface. Also the scenery isnt as brilliant as it would be with the clear shield...it kind of dulls the experience. It is easy on my eyes though when its really bright.

And finally while I'm on the subject of visors... in the cold weather there is a "leak" of air that blows on my right eye and annoys the shit out of me. Any tricks to create a better seal for cold weather riding? I have tried the silicone that the helmet comes with but it didnt really help.

What do you use? Has anyone tried this from Fog City?

I think most shields have UV protection and you can add this linky.

To fix the leak, try adjusting where the mouting plates on the side are torqued down. On most helmets:

Remove visor, mark position of visor-attachment-plate with a pencil. If you've got a leak, try moving that side's mouting plate towards the back of the helmet slightly, up, or down, as you thing would best close the gap. Torque back down, ride, and note results. Move again if nessicary.

Most tinted visors I've seen ARE UV protective, but I'm not sure if all are. I would guess that Arai's are, wonder what their webpage says?

From Aria's Webstie for mirrored sheilds:

They give excellent UV protection...

Click to expand...

I would assume their others are the same.

Yeah- that shield is giving you good UV protection- Most of the plastics that allow good optics also block U.V. fortunately. Proof? Does your nose get sunburn on a long ride? Nope! Same concept for protecting your eyes.

That photochromic shield you posted has gotten SHIT reviews- save your coin. I'd try a brown shield if you can get one for that lid- it will give you a "warmer" color saturation than what you're getting now, plus add a little contrast by blocking some of the blue end of the spectrum. I've been using the "PinLock" system, mostly for rain- they make universal fit systems and offer several shades of insert. As for your "leak"- try tearing into the side plates that retain your shield- I never messed with an Arai before, but on the Shoeis you can adjust how the shield fits against the rubber gasket by how you tighten the screws in the shield stays. Should be able to do the same on an Arai I would think.

drew231506 said:

What do you use? Has anyone tried this from Fog City?

Click to expand...

I use the Fog City insert and like it ok. It's a bitch to install on an Arai shield and when installed catches the upper part of the rubber seal meant to seal the shield to the helmet. It can be a problem when opening the shield with one hand while riding with heavy gloves.

The tint could be a little darker but it does work. I’ve had it about 6 months and wonder if it hasn't "worn out" some by not getting as dark as it once did. It could be the fact that it's hot as s**t out side and the sun is bright I’m not sure. Defiantly beats changing shields while out for a ride.

Chris G

Heard same reports on the photochromatic shields,don't really get dark enough.Went with the light smoke on my Arai and added the sunblocker strip-removable,reusable,very dark.Best of both worlds,never have to change it.

They also make gradiant visors for some helmets. These are handy if caught out late and the sun goes down. You just ride with your head back a bit or the shield open a bit and you can see through the clear bottom.

I have one of those overpriced Spectra Blue shields on my RF-1000. I know it is supposed to block out almost 100% UV rays..but if I remember correctly, even "cheap" tinted shields will too. I'm not completely sure about this, but I think ANY plastic visor will block UV rays to some extent, even a clear one.

KM

I have been riding with Arai helmets for years, and one of the reasons I liked them is the excellent UV protection of their shields. I never got sunburned as long as I had the visor down.

I recently upgraded from a Signet GT to a Signet GTR and I noticed on this last trip I got pretty severely burned on my face even with the shield down. I looked closely at the shield and noticed it has a new number on it (GT-3 vs GT-4), and is tinted slightly differently (both are clear shields).

I called Arai and asked them about the UV protection on their new shields and was told that it will depend on the strength of the sun I ride in, and that they only provide UVA protection, and not UVB so you may get a burn with them if you don't use sunscreen.

The interesting thing is, I NEVER got burned on their older shields, so I think the new ones don't give as good protection.

Well, isn't that some pleasant news!?! Even worse is the fact that UVB is most harmful to the eyes. Time for a pinlock attachment to that sucker- or a switch of helmet brands. They'd have to be using some seriously cheap materials for that to be the case- I'm surprised, and view this as a slide backward in quality for Arai.

Knifemaker said:

I have one of those overpriced Spectra Blue shields on my RF-1000. I know it is supposed to block out almost 100% UV rays..but if I remember correctly, even "cheap" tinted shields will too. I'm not completely sure about this, but I think ANY plastic visor will block UV rays to some extent, even a clear one.
KM

Click to expand...

I think Knifemaker is right on the money here. My optician told me that any sheild that is made out of Lexan, which I think most are, will block UV rays which is why gradiant lenses on eyeglasses don't turn darker when the shield is closed....No UV rays, no tint on the glasses. He told me that even the cheapest sunglasses you buy on the street block out UV rays because they are made from Lexan. Of course the optician works for Pearl Vision Centers so take it for what its worth.

TheAxeman said:

Knifemaker said:

I have one of those overpriced Spectra Blue shields on my RF-1000. I know it is supposed to block out almost 100% UV rays..but if I remember correctly, even "cheap" tinted shields will too. I'm not completely sure about this, but I think ANY plastic visor will block UV rays to some extent, even a clear one.

KM

Click to expand...

I think Knifemaker is right on the money here. My optician told me that any sheild that is made out of Lexan, which I think most are, will block UV rays which is why gradiant lenses on eyeglasses don't turn darker when the shield is closed....No UV rays, no tint on the glasses. He told me that even the cheapest sunglasses you buy on the street block out UV rays because they are made from Lexan. Of course the optician works for Pearl Vision Centers so take it for what its worth.

Click to expand...

He's right- but not just the brand "lexan"- it's true of darned near all plastic lens materials... see post #4

Jabba said:

Well, isn't that some pleasant news!?! Even worse is the fact that UVB is most harmful to the eyes. Time for a pinlock attachment to that sucker- or a switch of helmet brands. They'd have to be using some seriously cheap materials for that to be the case- I'm surprised, and view this as a slide backward in quality for Arai.

Click to expand...

Hmmm I hope this isnt true...I'm going to have to do more research on the shields...maybe I'll get one of those mirrored shields.

"UVB rays however can be very dangerous. UVB rays are the ones that burn the skin and damage the eyes, it is UVB that causes snow blindness - a temporary but very painful affliction that can last up to two days. Daily exposure to UVB is also thought to be a primary cause of cataracts, which causes a clouding of the lens and significantly hampers vision. Many experts also suspect that UVB rays are responsible for eye growths such as pingueculae or pterygia."

I think this should be a concern for those of is that ride often...especially it seems with a darker tinted visor in which your eyes are more dilated letting MORE harmful rays in.

I am going to check back with Arai and see if they meant that they block UVB and not UVA. I was told by them today that there is no real UV coating, and that the UV blocking is from the plastic itself, so maybe it was UVB they meant to say. They did tell me today that they block 99% of UV, but didn't say if that was UVA or UVB.

I'll get back to you when I find out more.

If you ride with good quality polarized sunglesses under your screen, you'll get the reduced fatigue on your eys because polarized light is easier on them (and improves subsequent night vision) and you won't have to worry about UV getting to your eyes

kindofblue said:

If you ride with good quality polarized sunglesses under your screen, you'll get the reduced fatigue on your eys because polarized light is easier on them (and improves subsequent night vision) and you won't have to worry about UV getting to your eyes

Click to expand...

I originally tried sunglasses but looking through sunglasses AND the shield distorted my vision a little. I prefer just looking through the shield.

Here is Arai's latest answer:

Comment: I would like to know the UVA/UVB protection level with one of your dark smoke superAdsis shields?

Resolution: ____________________________

Update by KO - Thursday, August 3, 2006

99% OF UVA PROTECTECTED

No mention of UVB...I did send another inquiry for specific UVB protection.

Yes, that is what I got told too. Only blocks UVA, not UVB.

I always wear sunglasses when I ride, but that doesn't protect the rest of my face from sunburn. I have a very expensive pair of Mai Jim sunglasses with polarized lenses that I can't wear with my Arai, because something in the coating on the Arai sheild causes a very distracting "rainbow effect" when wearing polarized sun glasses. It is a shame too, cause the polarized sun glasses really cut down on glare, but they just can't be used with an Arai.

Just thinkin out loud here...

I wonder why you couldn't just go buy some Scotch Tint film and apply it to your faceshield. They claim it blocks all UVA and UVB light and you would only need about foot or so to do a helmet. Many places that sell this for application to windows on homes ought to have some leftover laying around that they would let you have for free.

Ya know what I find interesting? If I go to the Nolan site, their new flip face helmet claims to block all UV and costs about 2/3 less than an Arai.

What's wrong with this picture? Why can't a $600 Arai helmet block UVA and UVB when much cheaper helmets do?

Fred H. said:

Ya know what I find interesting? If I go to the Nolan site, their new flip face helmet claims to block all UV and costs about 2/3 less than an Arai.
What's wrong with this picture? Why can't a $600 Arai helmet block UVA and UVB when much cheaper helmets do?

Click to expand...

While i doubt its a big deal since in doing my research online there seems to be some debate as to whether or not UVB ray cause cataracts and cancer it still is little disconcerning.

This is the answer I received now:

Update by KO - Thursday, August 3, 2006

this is the message we got from arai japan.

regarding our face shields,uv has 2 types of rays ("A" rays give the influence of skin cancer and "B" rays make the sunburn.

all of them cant protect type "B". however they can cut about 99% of type "A" thanks to the nature of polycarbonate.

so consumers can use our helmet without anxious of serious cancers.

Again the question was deflected. It is true...not only an expensive helmet but now I have the autocom installed in them...which adds to the price. (i got them installed...didnt do it myself) Sooooo Im NOT getting a new helmet...I'll either go blind or as you said Fred...find some insert or film.

This would be perfect...wonder if I could get a small piece for the shield.

UV Shield