Best Visor Setup for Winter Riding: 12 Compared

The short answer: the best visor setup for winter riding is a clear visor with an anti-fog insert, both made for your exact helmet. Winter riding is mostly dark, cold and wet, so the visor has to be clear and the inside has to stay free of mist. Our overall pick is the ClearLineMoto pairing of a clear replacement visor and an anti-fog insert for the same helmet, for example the anti-fog insert for the Shoei RF-1400, NXR2 and Z-8 with the clear visor for the same helmet. Both were in stock on the day we checked, both have their price on the page, and both are covered by a fit guarantee.

The helmet makers’ own clear visors with a Pinlock lens do the same job, and they are ranked second to fifth below. A breath guard is the option for a visor that takes no insert.

Our overall pick: a clear visor and an anti-fog insert matched to your helmet. See the anti-fog insert for your helmet and the clear visors we stock, with free tracked shipping and 30-day returns.

Who wrote this and why it matters: we sell the six ClearLineMoto products in this comparison, and we rank our own range first. The other six products are made by AGV, Shoei, Pinlock and Respro. Details of their products come from their makers’ own published pages, checked on 10 November 2026. We have not handled or tried them, and we say below where each of them is the better buy.

Every product of ours on this page is an aftermarket part. ClearLineMoto is not connected with any helmet maker or with Pinlock, and those names appear here only to say what a part fits.

Best visor setup for winter riding: the 12 compared

Twelve products, ranked in seven places. Our own six share first place as one range, because they are three pairs for three different helmets and they do not compete with each other. Places two to seven are other makers’ products.

Every price was checked on 10 November 2026 and is shown in the currency its page used, so nothing has been converted.

The twelve side by side

The table compares like with like on the points that decide the purchase: who makes it, what it fits and what it costs today. It has no star ratings and no scores, because we have none that we could stand behind.

How we ranked them

We used four tests, in this order. First, does the setup do both winter jobs: stay clear enough for the dark, and stop the inside misting. Second, is it listed for your exact helmet.

Third, is the price shown, can you order it today, and what happens if it does not fit. Fourth, how much the maker tells you about it.

Our own pairs lead on the first three. Each is a clear visor and an insert listed for the same helmet, each has its price on the page and was in stock on the day, and every purchase is covered by free 30-day returns for any reason, plus a fit guarantee on every listed helmet. The helmet makers’ own visors and Pinlock’s lenses lead on the fourth test, and we say so in their entries.

What we did not do matters as much. We did not fit the other makers’ products to a helmet, we did not measure how long anything stays clear, and we did not use customer reviews to rank anything. Our six products are ranked together as one entry and not as six, so that the list is not simply a catalogue of our own range.

Why a visor mists up on a winter commute

Misting is plain physics. Your breath is warm and full of moisture, and the visor has been cooled by the winter air rushing over it. The Met Office explains fog in the same terms: warm, moist air meets something colder, and the water in it condenses.

That is why the problem is at its most severe when you stop. At speed, air moves through the helmet and carries the moisture away. At a red light it stays where it is, which our guide to a visor that fogs when you stop covers in detail.

1. ClearLineMoto clear visors and anti-fog inserts, paired by helmet

• Made by: ClearLineMoto, as aftermarket parts
• Fits: one helmet or one helmet family per product, in three pairs compared here
• Price: inserts from 23.99 to 39.99 US dollars and visors from 24.99 US dollars, checked on 10 November 2026
• Returns: free for any reason within 30 days, with free tracked shipping

This is our pick, and it is our own product, so here is the argument in full. A winter setup has two parts. The visor has to be clear, because most winter miles are ridden in the dark, and the inside has to stay free of mist. We stock both parts for the same helmet, each listed for that helmet and nothing else, with the price on the page.

What you give up is just as plain. These are aftermarket parts. They are not made by the helmet makers, our inserts are not Pinlock lenses and carry no fog-resistance grade, and we publish no performance figures. If a graded lens and the maker’s own visor matter to you, entries 2 to 5 are the ones to buy.

How an insert is fitted varies from product to product, so read the fitting section on the product page before you order. Our product pages say most of our inserts fit between two small pins on the inside of the visor, so check that your visor has the pins, or the two small holes they fit into, before you order.

For the Shoei RF-1400, NXR2 and Z-8

These three names are one helmet, sold as the RF-1400 in North America, the NXR2 in Europe and the Z-8 in Japan. Our RF-1400 anti-fog insert costs 34.99 US dollars, and our RF-1400 replacement visor starts at 24.99 US dollars. Choose the clear option for winter.

This is the helmet where the original runs us closest. Shoei’s European shop listed its own clear visor at 69.95 euros and the Pinlock EVO lens at 29.95 euros on the day we checked. See everything we stock for this helmet on the Shoei NXR2 visors page, including a second anti-fog insert listing for the NXR2.

For the AGV K6

Our K6 anti-fog insert costs 23.99 US dollars, and our K6 replacement visor starts at 27.99 US dollars and tops out at 43.99. Choose the clear option for winter.

This is the helmet where the price argument is plainest, because AGV’s site uses the same currency. On the day we checked, AGV’s own clear visor was 93 US dollars and the Pinlock lens for it was 53. Even at the top of our price range, our visor and insert together cost less than half of that pair. More for this helmet is on the AGV K6 visors page.

Riding something else this winter? We stock anti-fog inserts for helmets from 19 makers. Pick your brand and model in the visor finder and it shows only the visors and inserts listed for your helmet.

For the Arai Tour-X5

An adventure helmet meets the conditions that fog a visor fastest: a cold start, a climb into cloud and a slow section where no air moves. Our Tour-X5 anti-fog insert costs 39.99 US dollars, and our Tour-X5 replacement visor starts at 48.99 US dollars.

Arai sells this helmet under different names in different markets, so read the label inside yours and check it against the list on the product page. More for this helmet is on the Arai Tour-X5 visors page.

Best for: riders who want a clear visor and an insert listed for their helmet, with the prices shown and free 30-day returns for any reason. Not for: riders who want the helmet maker’s own visor, a graded Pinlock lens or a published performance figure.

2. AGV’s clear visor for the K6 S and K6

• Made by: AGV, for its own helmets
• Fits: K6 S and K6, as listed on AGV’s US site
• Price: 93 US dollars, checked on 10 November 2026
• Anti-fog: ready for the Max Pinlock 120 lens, which is not included, according to the same page

This is the helmet maker’s own clear visor, and it is half of the setup that AGV itself intends for winter. AGV’s page describes it as optic class 1 and ready for the Max Pinlock 120 lens.

It has two real advantages over our K6 visor. It is AGV’s own part, so there is no question about the fit, and AGV states an optical class for it, where we publish none for ours. It is also made ready for a graded Pinlock lens.

It ranks below our pair on price. At 93 US dollars it cost more than three times as much as our K6 visor at its starting price, in the same currency, and the lens is extra. The page showed an order button and did not state a stock level.

Best for: K6 S and K6 owners who want AGV’s own visor with a stated optical class. Not for: riders on other helmets, or anyone whose first concern is the price.

3. Pinlock 120XLT MaxVision lens for the AGV K6 S and K6

• Made by: Pinlock, and sold by AGV for its own helmets
• Fits: K6 S and K6, as listed on AGV’s US site
• Price: 53 US dollars, checked on 10 November 2026
• Stock: the page had an order button and did not state a stock level

This is the other half of AGV’s own winter setup: the original anti-fog lens in one of its higher grades. AGV’s page describes it as a fog-resistant Pinlock 120XLT MaxVision lens for the K6 S and the K6, and Pinlock’s own page describes the 120 grade as built for demanding roads and unpredictable weather.

Its advantage over our K6 insert is the grade. Pinlock puts a fog-resistance level in the name of each lens, so you know where this one sits in its range. We publish nothing comparable for our own insert.

It ranks third because it cost more than twice as much as our K6 insert on the day, in the same currency, and because it exists for AGV helmets only.

Best for: K6 owners who ride in the hardest weather and want a graded lens from AGV itself. Not for: riders on other helmets.

4. Shoei’s clear CWR-F2PN visor

• Made by: Shoei, sold on its European shop
• Fits: listed on Shoei’s page for the NXR2
• Price: 69.95 euros including VAT, plus shipping, checked on 10 November 2026
• Anti-fog: the same page lists the Pinlock EVO lens for this visor separately

This is Shoei’s own clear visor for the NXR2. It comes from the company that made the helmet, and for many owners that settles the question.

Its strength is the plain one: it is Shoei’s own visor for Shoei’s own mechanism, and it is sold with the Pinlock lens for it on the same page. Shoei’s shop also lists the same visor in several tints, so you can see the whole range in one place.

It ranks fourth for price and reach. At 69.95 euros it costs more than our visor for the same helmet in plain numbers, before any currency difference, and it is sold from a European shop with shipping added.

Best for: NXR2 owners in Europe who want Shoei’s own clear visor. Not for: riders who cannot order from Shoei’s European shop, or owners of other helmets.

5. Pinlock EVO lens for Shoei’s CWR-F2 and CWR-F2R visors

• Made by: Pinlock, and sold by Shoei for its own visors
• Fits: the CWR-F2 and CWR-F2R visors, as named on Shoei’s European shop
• Price: 29.95 euros including VAT, plus shipping, checked on 10 November 2026
• Stock: not stated on the page we read

This is the entry that keeps the comparison honest. The original lens for the NXR2 visor is priced in euros at a figure close to the price of our own insert in dollars. We do not convert currencies here, so we will only say that ours is not clearly the cheaper one.

Its strengths are the ones you would expect. It is the original lens, it is sold by the helmet’s maker, and Shoei’s visor is made with the pins that hold it. For an NXR2 owner in Europe it is the natural first choice for the insert half of the setup.

We rank it fifth because it is listed for two visor types only, and because it is sold from a European shop with shipping added, which leaves riders elsewhere to find a dealer.

Best for: NXR2 owners in Europe who want the original anti-fog lens. Not for: owners of other makes, or riders outside Europe.

6. Pinlock 70 lens

• Made by: Pinlock
• Fits: Pinlock-ready visors, in a design made for each visor shape
• Price: Pinlock’s page showed no price when we checked on 10 November 2026
• Grade: 70, the step below the 120 in Pinlock’s range

The Pinlock 70 is the lens that most riders mean when they say Pinlock. Pinlock’s own page calls it the ideal lens for consistent, reliable anti-fog performance on every ride, and says it is made in a design specific to the visor.

What it does better than our range is choice. Pinlock makes this lens in a design for each visor and offers four grades. If our list does not include your helmet, Pinlock’s range is the place to look. Our guide to fitting a Pinlock insert covers the step where most first attempts go wrong.

It ranks sixth because of how it is sold and what it needs. Pinlock’s page showed no price, and we found no way to order from it, so the purchase happens through a dealer. And the lens needs a visor with pins.

Best for: riders whose visor already has the pins and whose helmet is not on our list. Not for: riders whose visor has no pins, or anyone who wants to see the price before choosing.

7. Respro Foggy breath guard

• Made by: Respro
• What it is: a neoprene guard worn inside the helmet, not an insert and not a visor
• Fits: full-face helmets, in one size, according to Respro’s page
• Price: 29.99 to 35.99 pounds on Respro’s own site, checked on 10 November 2026, and in stock there

The Foggy works on a different idea. An insert keeps the inner face of the visor warm enough to resist your breath, and a breath guard steers the breath downward so that it does not reach the visor at all. Respro describes the Foggy as a neoprene guard that prevents the visor from fogging up.

That gives it one advantage that no insert has. It does not depend on the visor, so it needs no pins and no particular visor shape, and it moves with you if you change helmets.

It ranks last because it is one half of a winter setup and not the whole of it. It does nothing for a scratched visor, and Respro’s page explains that some helmets need extra fastening strips on the cheek pads, bought separately.

Best for: riders whose visor cannot take an insert, and riders who swap between helmets. Not for: anyone whose real problem is a scratched or hazed visor.

Ready to set up for winter? Start with your helmet. Browse all our anti-fog inserts by helmet, each covered by the fit guarantee on the helmets listed on its product page.

Winter fixes that cost nothing

Three free changes are worth making before you buy anything, and they work with every setup above. Open the visor to its first notch when you stop, and close it as you pull away. Open the chin vent, which our guide to helmet vents in winter explains. And keep your breath away from the visor, which is harder under a balaclava or with glasses on.

Two of our guides cover those last cases: a balaclava that makes the visor fog and glasses fogging inside a helmet. Home remedies are compared in DIY anti-fog remedies.

Look after the visor through the season as well. Road salt dries into a film that scratches when it is wiped off dry, which our guide to winter salt on a visor covers, and rain on the outside is a separate problem with its own fixes. An insert needs only a gentle rinse now and then, as cleaning an insert explains.

Setups we left off the list

Tinted, iridium and mirrored visors

A winter commute starts or ends in the dark, and a tint cuts the light you need to see by. Iridium, mirrored and dark-smoke visors are not road legal in Great Britain, day or night, and our guide to iridium and mirrored visors sets out why. For low winter sun, see sun glare fixes, and note that a drop-down sun shield can mist too, which internal sun visor fogging covers.

Photochromic visors

A photochromic visor usually keeps a little tint at its lightest, so it is not the equal of a plain clear visor after dark. It is a fine summer upgrade and a poor winter one. Our photochromic visors page and our guide to photochromic visors and night riding explain the limit.

Coatings and sprays

A coating is a real alternative to an insert, with one plain limit: it is used up and has to be applied again. We could not read a spray maker’s own page on the day, so no spray is ranked here. Our guides to anti-fog coatings, to inserts versus coatings and to why anti-fog spray stops working cover them.

How to choose in two minutes

1. Hold your visor up to a light. If it is scratched or hazed, replace it first, because nothing fitted inside it will make it clear.
2. Read the model name on the label inside your helmet, then look for it in the table above or in the visor finder.
3. Check the inside of the visor for two small pins. If they are there, a Pinlock lens is an option. If they are not, read the fitting section of any insert before you order it.
4. Decide whether you want the helmet maker’s own parts. If you do, buy the maker’s clear visor and the Pinlock lens it sells for it.
5. Make the free changes as well: the first notch, the chin vent and a clean seal.

If you own a Shoei GT-Air II, the range for that helmet is on the Shoei GT-Air II visors page.

A note on the law

In Great Britain the legal test is the approval marking on the individual visor and not its colour. We do not check the markings on individual items, so we make no claim about road use for any product in this comparison, ours included. The Highway Code rules for motorcyclists also tell riders to check before each journey that the visor is clean and in good condition, and a visor that mists over fails that test as surely as a dirty one.

Common questions

What is the best visor setup for winter riding?

A clear visor with an anti-fog insert, both listed for your helmet. The clear visor lets you see in the dark, and the insert stops the inside misting when you stop. Add an open chin vent and you have dealt with most of what winter does to a visor.

Why does my visor fog up more in winter?

Because the visor is colder. Your breath is as warm and damp as it is in summer, but the visor has been chilled by the air outside, so the moisture condenses on it faster. It is most noticeable at a standstill, when no air moves through the helmet.

Can I use a tinted visor for my winter commute?

Not if any of it is in the dark. A tint cuts the light you need to see by at dusk and at night. Iridium, mirrored and dark-smoke visors are not road legal in Great Britain, day or night.

Does an anti-fog insert help with rain on the outside of the visor?

No. An insert works on the inside face only. Rain on the outside is a separate problem, and the fixes for it are different.

Will an anti-fog insert fit my visor?

Only the one listed for your helmet. Inserts are made to the shape of one visor, so choose by helmet model and read the fitting section on the product page. A Pinlock lens also needs a visor with pins.

The verdict

For most riders the best visor setup for winter riding is a ClearLineMoto clear visor and anti-fog insert matched to their helmet, because both parts are listed for the helmet, the prices are on the page and the fit is covered. That is our own product and our own ranking, which is why the disclosure sits at the top of this page.

• You own an RF-1400, NXR2 or Z-8: our pair in entry 1, or entries 4 and 5 if you are in Europe and want Shoei’s own.
• You ride a K6: our pair in entry 1, or entries 2 and 3 if you want AGV’s own visor and a graded lens.
• You ride a Tour-X5: our pair in entry 1.
• Your visor has the pins and your helmet is not on our list: entry 6, through a dealer.
• Your visor takes no insert: entry 7.

Products mentioned and sources

• ClearLineMoto anti-fog insert for the Shoei RF-1400, NXR2 and Z-8
• ClearLineMoto replacement visor for the Shoei RF-1400, NXR2 and Z-8
• ClearLineMoto anti-fog insert for the AGV K6
• ClearLineMoto replacement visor for the AGV K6
• ClearLineMoto anti-fog insert for the Arai Tour-X5
• ClearLineMoto replacement visor for the Arai Tour-X5

Sources for other makers’ products, read as plain public pages and checked on 10 November 2026: agv.com, the US product pages for the clear K6 S and K6 visor and for the Pinlock 120XLT MaxVision lens; shoei-europe.com, the NXR2 visor list and the NXR2 spare parts page; pinlock.com, the products page; respro.com, the Foggy mask product page. Our own prices come from our product pages on that date.

Free 30-day returns for any reason: full refund, and we refund your return postage.