Photochromic helmet visors: one visor as the daylight

The cloud breaks halfway through a run and you spend the rest of it squinting, with the dark visor sitting at home in the garage. Or the sun drops behind a hedge line and comes back out two miles later, and you are riding round it either way.

A photochromic visor — also sold as light-reactive — is one visor that darkens in bright light and moves back towards clear as the light drops. Nothing to swap in a lay-by. It is not a stand-in for a clear visor at night: these visors keep some tint at their lightest, and many carry a DAYTIME USE ONLY marking.

Marking is the word to hold on to, because it is the thing the law actually looks at. Whether any visor is a prescribed type for road use in Great Britain is decided by the approval marking on that individual visor — not by its tint, not by its colour, and not by the name of the category it was sold under. ClearLine sells unbranded aftermarket visors made to fit named helmet models. We do not verify markings item by item, so we do not present any visor on this site as authorised for road use. The section below sets out what to look for instead, so you can check for yourself.

UK road use: the marking decides it, not the tint

Wearing eye protection is not compulsory in Great Britain — helmets are, visors are not. If you do wear one, it has to be a type prescribed by the Motor Cycles (Eye Protectors) Regulations 1999, made under section 18 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. For a visor, that means a marking on the visor itself, by one of two routes (the Regulations also cover goggles and a pre-1989 legacy category, which are not relevant here):

BS 4110, with the grade marking and an approved certification mark such as the BSI Kitemark or an approved EEA equivalent; or
a UNECE Regulation 22 approval mark. The Regulations as made refer to ECE 22.05. You will see 22.06 markings on newer equipment, and we have not been able to verify from the primary text how the Regulations treat 22.06, so we are not going to tell you either way. If it matters to you, look for 22.05 or check the position yourself.

BS 4110 is the visor standard. BS 6658 is a helmet standard, not a visor standard — where you see it quoted for a visor, it tells you nothing about that visor.

No marking means no approval. A clear visor with no approval marking is not a prescribed type. Being clear does not rescue it, and neither does a listing that says otherwise.

Light transmission, and why the darkest figure is the one that counts. There is no standalone “50% law”. The 50% figure comes out of ECE Regulation 22, the standard the Regulations point to, which is why it gets repeated as though it were the statute. For a photochromic visor the relevant figure is the darkest state, not the range as a whole: a visor that is nearly clear at its lightest can sit a long way below 50% in full sun. Go by the manufacturer’s stated minimum transmittance for the exact part number, not by the category and not by how it looks in your hand indoors.

Two things that are commonly confused, and should not be:

Approval is not the same as road legality. Approval marks exist for daytime-only tints too. An E-mark tells you the visor was approved to a standard; it does not by itself settle whether it is legal for the way you intend to use it on a UK road.
“DAYTIME USE ONLY” is a genuine marking, not marketing softening. If a visor carries it, that is what it is marked for, and it should not be used at night.

The two offences. A rider using an eye protector that is not a prescribed type commits a summary offence with a fine of up to £500. Separately, a shop that sells or offers an eye protector as authorised for use when it is not a prescribed type commits its own offence, with a fine of up to £1,000. Neither carries penalty points — the “three points for a tinted visor” line that circulates on forums is not right. That second offence is the plain reason for the position we take: these are unbranded aftermarket visors, we cannot confirm the marking on any individual item, so we do not offer any of them as authorised for road use.

Where the catalogue stands. Whether any visor is a prescribed type for UK road use depends on the approval marking on that individual visor, not on its tint band or its colour. We do not verify markings item by item and we make no road-legality claim about any visor we sell, clear ones included. Mirrored, iridium, spectra and dark-smoke finishes transmit too little light to be legal for road use in the UK, day or night — treat those as off-road, track and closed-course daytime choices. Photochromic is governed the same way as everything else here: the marking on the individual visor, plus the manufacturer’s stated transmission range for that part number.

Scope: the above is Great Britain. Northern Ireland has separate legislation which we have not set out here. Across the EU the framework is UN Regulation 22, but national rules and enforcement vary by country — check the position where you actually ride. None of this is legal advice; for anything that matters, read the Regulations and the manufacturer’s documentation.

What a light-reactive visor actually does

The coating reacts to ultraviolet light, not to how bright the scene looks to you. In direct sun it darkens; as UV drops, it moves back towards clear. That is also why a bright but overcast day can produce less darkening than you would expect.

The change takes time, both ways. It is not a switch, and the return to clear is generally the slower direction. The situation to think about is entering a tunnel or heavy tree cover. We have not measured this and we do not publish figures for it.
Temperature affects the behaviour. Photochromic chemistry is temperature-sensitive as well as UV-driven; the general pattern is more darkening and slower clearing when cold, less darkening when hot. Treat that as background, not a specification — where a manufacturer publishes figures for a part number, those are the figures.
The clear state is generally not a clear visor. Photochromic visors typically retain some tint at their lightest. Check the manufacturer’s stated light-transmission range for the specific part number.
The dark state is generally not a fixed dark visor either. Again, go on the manufacturer’s stated range for that part number rather than on the category.

We do not publish transition times or a lifespan figure for these visors, because we have not measured them and we are not going to estimate. Where a manufacturer publishes its own figures, treat those as the figures.

One thing a photochromic does not do is stop your visor fogging. If fog is the real problem, that is a separate fix — ventilation and an anti-fog insert — not a tint.

What to check before you ride in one

Four checks, in this order. They take a minute, and they are the difference between a visor you can use on the road and one you cannot.

The marking on the visor itself. BS 4110 with its grade and an approved certification mark, or a UNECE Regulation 22 approval mark with its approval number. No marking, no approval, whatever the listing said.
The stated light-transmission range — specifically the darkest number. If only one figure is given, find out which state it refers to.
Whether it carries DAYTIME USE ONLY. If it does, that is what it is marked for, and you will want a clear visor for night and poor visibility.
A statement from the manufacturer for that exact part number. Not from a retailer, not from a marketplace listing, and not from us.

Being straight about the limits of that: we do not verify markings item by item, we do not repeat supplier approval claims, and we make no road-legality claim about any visor here. The practical consequence is that you may not be able to establish the approval status of an item until it is in your hands. If a documented approval marking is essential to how you ride, ask us before you order and we will tell you what we do and do not know about that specific item — and if the honest answer is that we do not know, buy from a source that documents the marking before you commit.

Photochromic, or a clear visor and a dark one?

This is the honest comparison, and it does not always come out in the photochromic’s favour.

A photochromic makes sense if your daytime riding crosses changeable light — the all-day summer ride, sun in and out of cloud, the run that starts overcast and clears by eleven. You carry one visor and you stop pulling into a lay-by to swap with cold hands. What it does not do is take you into darkness: if the visor is marked DAYTIME USE ONLY, that is what it is marked for, and you will still want a clear visor for night and poor visibility.

Two visors make more sense if you ride mostly in one light condition, or if you want the extremes: a deeper tint for a bright summer run, and a proper clear one for night and rain. A clear visor is also the only one of the two with any prospect of being a prescribed type for road use — but only if that individual visor carries a BS 4110 grade marking with a certification mark, or a UNECE Regulation 22 approval mark. The marking is the minimum requirement, not a guarantee in itself, and we make no road-legality claim about any visor we sell, clear ones included. Check the marking on whatever you buy, from us or from anyone else.

On money, do the arithmetic yourself rather than taking a slogan: compare the price of the photochromic on its product page against the two visors it would replace for your helmet. It comes out differently on different models.

Fitment: match the visor to your exact helmet

Visors are model-specific. The shell shape and the mechanism differ between models, and often between generations of the same model, so “it’s an AGV” or “it’s an HJC” is not enough to order on.

Match the model name and the generation or year, not just the brand. Manufacturers revise helmets and the visor mechanism changes with them.
Check the model printed inside the helmet, or the part marking on the visor you are replacing.
Some visors fit more than one helmet model. Each product page lists the models that visor is made to fit — go by that list rather than by eye.
These are aftermarket visors made to fit those helmets. They are not made by, supplied by, or endorsed by the helmet manufacturers.
If you run an anti-fog insert (Pinlock or similar), treat that as a separate check: the insert needs pin posts on the visor, and not every visor has them. Pinlock is a trademark of its owner and we are not connected with it. We make no claim about how fitting an insert affects a visor’s approval status.

If you are not certain which visor your helmet takes, ask before you order rather than after.

Ordering and delivery

Delivery is free to the UK, the US and Europe.

It is not a next-day service, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The delivery estimate for your address is shown at checkout, so you see it before you commit. The practical advice: if you want a photochromic visor for a particular trip or for the change of season, order ahead of when you need it rather than in the week you need it. A visor that arrives after the ride is no use to you.

What we will not do: claim road legality for a visor, repeat a supplier’s approval claim we have not verified, or publish performance figures we have not got. If the approval marking on a specific item matters to you, ask us before you order.

Visors in this finish

Every listing below is an aftermarket replacement visor. Check the fitment on the product page against your exact helmet model and generation before ordering.

Common questions

Are photochromic visors legal for road use in the UK?

It depends on the individual visor, and we cannot answer it for you. Whether a visor is a prescribed type under the Motor Cycles (Eye Protectors) Regulations 1999 depends on the approval marking it carries — BS 4110 with its grade and an approved certification mark, or a UNECE Regulation 22 approval mark — not on its tint or colour. On top of that there is the light-transmission point, and for a photochromic the figure that counts is the darkest state, not the range as a whole; the 50% figure people quote comes out of ECE Regulation 22 rather than being a standalone law. Approval is also not the same thing as road legality: approval marks exist for daytime-only tints too. We do not verify markings item by item and we make no road-legality claim about any visor we sell. This is not legal advice.

What exactly should I look for on the visor itself?

Four things. First, the approval marking: BS 4110 with its grade and an approved certification mark such as the BSI Kitemark, or a UNECE Regulation 22 approval mark with its number. The Regulations as made refer to ECE 22.05; you will see 22.06 markings on newer equipment and we have not been able to verify how the Regulations treat those, so if it matters to you, look for 22.05 or check the position yourself. Second, the stated light-transmission range, in particular the darkest figure. Third, whether it carries a DAYTIME USE ONLY marking. Fourth, a statement from the manufacturer covering that specific part number, rather than a retailer’s or a marketplace listing’s. Note that BS 6658 is a helmet standard, not a visor standard, so it tells you nothing about a visor.

Why won't ClearLine just tell me whether a visor is road legal?

Because we would be guessing, and the law puts a specific offence on a seller who offers an eye protector as authorised for use when it is not a prescribed type — a fine of up to £1,000. These are unbranded aftermarket visors and we do not verify the marking on individual items, so we cannot confirm what any one visor carries. Rather than repeat a supplier claim we have not checked, we tell you what the test is and leave the check with you. If the approval marking is essential to you, ask us before you order and we will tell you what we do and do not know about that item.

Can I ride at night in a photochromic visor?

If the visor carries a DAYTIME USE ONLY marking, that is what it is marked for and it should not be used at night. Separately, even at its lightest a photochromic visor typically keeps some tint, so it is not the equal of a plain clear visor at night or in poor visibility. If a lot of your riding is after dark, plan on a clear visor for it rather than expecting a photochromic to cover both ends.

How do photochromic visors behave in cold weather?

They still react, because they run off UV rather than temperature — but photochromic chemistry is temperature-sensitive as well, and the general pattern is more darkening and slower clearing when it is cold, less darkening when it is hot. Treat that as background rather than a specification; where a manufacturer publishes figures for a part number, those are the figures. We do not publish transition times because we have not measured them.

Photochromic, or should I just buy a clear visor and a dark one?

Two visors give you a clearer clear and a deeper tint, and a clear visor is the one with any prospect of being a prescribed type for road use — but only if that individual visor carries a BS 4110 grade marking with a certification mark, or a UNECE Regulation 22 approval mark. The marking is the minimum requirement rather than a guarantee, and we make no road-legality claim about any visor we sell, clear ones included. A photochromic gives you one visor and no swapping when the daytime light keeps changing. If you ride mostly in one light condition, two visors are usually the better buy. Compare the actual prices on the product pages for your helmet before deciding.

How do I know it will fit my helmet?

Match the exact helmet model and its generation or year, not just the brand — manufacturers revise helmets and the visor mechanism changes with them. Each product page lists the models that visor is made to fit. Check the model printed inside your helmet, or the marking on the visor you are replacing. These are aftermarket visors made to fit those helmets; they are not made, supplied or endorsed by the helmet manufacturers. If you are unsure, ask before ordering.

How much is delivery, and how long does it take?

Delivery is free to the UK, the US and Europe. It is not a next-day service — the estimate for your address is shown at checkout before you commit. If you want the visor for a particular trip, order ahead of time rather than in the week you need it.