Full face or MX helmet poll

[800renegaderider 2,393]

What do you prefer for a helmet?

Edited September 14, 2021 by 800renegaderider

[Legend 679]

I wear MX style when off trail.

I cant stand MX on trail so I wear full face. 

[mnstang 902]

MX.  Although I wore one if my old helmets last year when I was just testing from home I just grabbed a helmet in the garage.. but it was kind of nice too it was warmer and quieter.  I might keep doing that for testing but I don't think I'll be switching back for real riding

[Bontz 2,582]

Switched to the goggle setup a few years ago and have never looked back ... even in cold temps (talking -20F or so).  I can't stand having a faceshield frost up on me, and whether it's heated or not - seems like I always run into that issue at some point.  Goggles fixed that.  It's definitely a louder helmet vs. a full face, but everything has it's pluses & minuses and the MX style wins overall.

[mnstang 902]

2 hours ago, Bontz said:

Switched to the goggle setup a few years ago and have never looked back ... even in cold temps (talking -20F or so).  I can't stand having a faceshield frost up on me, and whether it's heated or not - seems like I always run into that issue at some point.  Goggles fixed that.  It's definitely a louder helmet vs. a full face, but everything has it's pluses & minuses and the MX style wins overall.

Give earplugs a try sometime.  It's so nice.  It really keeps you more fresh too. It's almost a whole different experience, I don't trail ride without them.

[Ziemann 367]

I'm fat. Sweat. And wear glasses.

MX with a OTG goggle is the only way I can keep my glasses clear.

[Zambroski 24,068]

MX for me also.  In the market for a new one and some nice goggles this year too.  

[SayatodaU.P.eh? 1,336]

5 minutes ago, Zambroski said:

MX for me also.  In the market for a new one and some nice goggles this year too.  

Super happy with my Klim helmet. I have the F3. I hear the F5 is even better. 
 

I still don’t have a need to run any but 509 goggles either. Love my heated set too. No more fogging when huffing and puffing while riding off trail where there’s no air moving. 
 

I have a full face but never wear it. Crazy how heavy those things are once you’re use to a light open/goggle combo. 

[Zambroski 24,068]

1 minute ago, SayatodaU.P.eh? said:

Super happy with my Klim helmet. I have the F3. I hear the F5 is even better. 
 

I still don’t have a need to run any but 509 goggles either. Love my heated set too. No more fogging when huffing and puffing while riding off trail where there’s no air moving. 
 

I have a full face but never wear it. Crazy how heavy those things are once you’re use to a light open/goggle combo. 

I e run with a 509 set up for 8 years. I’m gonna go something different this time.  Maybe FXR?  We’ll see.

[SayatodaU.P.eh? 1,336]

2 minutes ago, Zambroski said:

I e run with a 509 set up for 8 years. I’m gonna go something different this time.  Maybe FXR?  We’ll see.

Not a fan of the 509 MX style helmet. They don’t make one that fits my fat head. 

[Crnr2Crnr 1,948]

I'm in the market for a new lid as well.  Have been using a Cat TXI helmet which is very warm, ventilates ok, doesn't fog but it's rather heavy.  Prefer full faced with a shield but am considering trying a MX with goggles.  Big thing with me is I can't stand the tip of my nose getting cold and I'm on blood thinners and can't take the frigid temps like I used to.  $/price isn't an issue, but I don't want to buy something, have regrets and go straight back to the TXI.

help...

[Doug 1,401]

Last year a couple guys I ride with went with the Ski-Doo's Oxygen helmet.  I only plug the shield in when it's real cold and start having fogging issue on my helmet. Just don't like being tethered to the sled.  The guys that got the Oxygen helmet liked them for the increased visibility and don't fog up but you always had to have them plugged in regardless of the temperature.  Even if temps were in the 20's F you still had to have them plugged in or they would fog up in a short period of time.

[Bontz 2,582]

I've had several MX helmets ... started with a HJC, which I really liked but decided to try something different a couple seasons into having that one.  I tried a Polaris helmet, which I bought on a "too good of a deal to pass up" and ultimately that was decent too .. but I pretty much gave it to my buddy who got into snowmobiling later that season.  I then bought a 509 helmet which I still have.  It's OK ... there's better helmets out there, I'm sure of that but this one works.  I don't like how it feels like it shrinks when it's super cold out and it's noisy.  But I'm gonna give the ear plug thing a shot like @mnstang suggested.  The main thing is, it works well with my goggles (King Pin XL's) and doesn't get cold.  When the supply chain stuff gets back to normal, and hopefully price gouging gets eliminated, I think I'm gonna look at a Klim helmet and see what I can find.  Otherwise, I can hopefully find another HJC that works as well as my first helmet did.

[favoritos 196]

I choose full face on most occasions for trail riding.  I have a pretty wide variety of helmets and goggles.  (Some of the goggles are prototype jobbers from one of my wife's clients.  I wish some of that stuff would make it to the market.)

 I still prefer a good no frills full face.  I wear glasses and helmet noise is destroying my hearing.    There are a lot of riders with glasses and hearing is going to become a bigger deal as time passes.  It amazes me that we don't see helmets designed for that market.

It is a tough choice at times trying to pick a helmet.  Open face helmets can allow air to move well and they can be pretty light.  I throw on an open face for dinking around and short hauls.  The goggles work with glasses if you pick the right combo and manage the airflow.  It is too much airflow on the long haul stuff unless you have a super windshield.  Those tall windshields also make it hard to manage the airflow, so you go back to fogging issues.

The full face is actually less hassle for me most of the time.  I even run heated shields and it's not that big of a deal.  It's something that becomes part of the routine.  The heated shield is dang nice when riding freezing rain etc.  The main deal breakers on full face are weight and airflow for glasses.  The helmets with flip down sun visors contribute problems to both of those issues.

It's funny that the TXI helmet was mentioned.  The design worked pretty good with glasses and it was simple.  I'd love to find a new variation of that design.

Earplugs were also mentioned.  That is an ongoing deal for myself.  I have tried quite few different styles.  The custom stuff fits nice and is easy.  Their biggest downfall is the harder material they use.  A lot of the helmet noise ends up being bone transmitted with air turbulence and machine vibration.  Harder earplugs actually transmit vibration sound.  The work fantastic at reducing direct and ambient noise so it can be a tradeoff.  Custom plugs can work, but you also need a good helmet designed to reduce vibration.  The hard foam used for impact durability is not good at reducing vibration.

[800renegaderider 2,393]

Seems like the majority prefers MX style helmets 👌 

I switched last season it took some adjusting and getting use to but for riding with glasses like I do I’ll never go back. The helmet is also so much lighter than my old full face.

[Bontz 2,582]

For you guys with glasses ... how many of you have looked at those Pro-Vue goggles?  My buddy did that a few years ago and he was super impressed.

[800renegaderider 2,393]

4 minutes ago, Bontz said:

For you guys with glasses ... how many of you have looked at those Pro-Vue goggles?  My buddy did that a few years ago and he was super impressed.

Looked at them a little. I was gonna get them if the otg googles didn’t work but I had no fogging issues so don’t see the need. There kinda pricey too. I got my doo xp-3 helmet and doo otg googles as non-current for less than what the pro-vue cost. 

[Legend 679]

4 hours ago, Crnr2Crnr said:

I'm in the market for a new lid as well.  Have been using a Cat TXI helmet which is very warm, ventilates ok, doesn't fog but it's rather heavy.  Prefer full faced with a shield but am considering trying a MX with goggles.  Big thing with me is I can't stand the tip of my nose getting cold and I'm on blood thinners and can't take the frigid temps like I used to.  $/price isn't an issue, but I don't want to buy something, have regrets and go straight back to the TXI.

help...

Klim helmets are very ventilated. I have a F5 for mtn riding and its got vents everywhere. Great for working hard, bad for trail riding. 

Also have a 509 carbon and its warmer than the Klim, but not what I would call warm. 

 

I use Klim Glacier balaclavas and which have a beak for your nose and mouth. Works well but I wouldn't want trail ride far with it. I hate closed nose balaclavas. Cant get enough air when working hard. 

 

I switched to Abom heated goggles last year. So far so good. I had issues with every 509 goggle pushing down on my nose and cutting air. I've probably 20 different goggles and brands, and as far as fit, Smith and 100% works best for my face. Abom work really good. Oakley is not bad. 509 (pretty much all models), Dragon, Triple 9, Klim, just dont fit well. 

[mnstang 902]

The fly helmets are good.  I've had a few f2 carbons and have a formula.  You can buy cold air plug kits for them all.  They are actually safe helmets (formula) with industry leading technology for all helmets.  Also the lightest helmet out there.  It's a good quality helmet I switched to them because they fit my head the best, I also wouldn't buy another helmet without trying them all on.  There are some more economical versions of the formula now also.

For ear plugs I just use the cheap disposable spongey expanding ones from work, I have them in every pocket.  They work good I use them dirtbiking also that's where I got the idea.  I put them in mouth a few seconds to get some spit in them then I can slide them into my ears way better so they get a good tight seal.

[Bontz 2,582]

Funny story on the ear plugs like @mnstang mentions.  A buddy of ours threw a stud several years ago and it punctured his rear heat exchanger on his SkiDoo.  We towed it about 15 miles to Clam Lake, WI and were able to see where the issue was with the heat exchanger.  Long story short, the combination of an ear plug from one of the guys in our group and a screw from a guy who happened to be filling up with gas at the station ... screwing that into the heat exchanger and using the ear plug as a seal ... we not only made it back home that night, but our buddy was able to finish the entire weekend without any other issues.  In fact, he rode the entire next season without needing to do anything as far as repairing the heat exchanger goes.  We still laugh at that as we look back on it every time we go on our annual guy's trip.  

[SkisNH 1,394]

I tried an MX setup, it wasn't for me. I made it about 15 minutes before I ripped the helmet off. The Klim balaclava flap closed off my breathing.

I have a Motorfist Helmet 2 pairs of goggles and 4 lenses for short money if anyone is interested. 

I will be going with the ckx Mission this year. 

[Crnr2Crnr 1,948]

On 9/15/2021 at 10:04 AM, favoritos said:

 

It's funny that the TXI helmet was mentioned.  The design worked pretty good with glasses and it was simple.  I'd love to find a new variation of that design.

I've been satisfied overall with the TXI, never have fogging issues, like the integrated visor and have clear, amber and smoked shields to use depending on riding conditions.  But, it's heavy compared to modern helmets and the padding and fitment could be improved.  If they came out with a newer variant of it I'd buy it.

23 hours ago, Legend said:

Klim helmets are very ventilated. I have a F5 for mtn riding and its got vents everywhere. Great for working hard, bad for trail riding. 

Also have a 509 carbon and its warmer than the Klim, but not what I would call warm. 

 

When I try them on in shops I like them, just not sure I have the patience to spend an entire season trying to mix or match goggles with one. 

anyone have thoughts on this CKX? 

https://www.ckxgear.com/en-ca/products/snowmobile/helmets-goggles/backcountry-helmets/ckx-quest-rsv-backcountry-helmet-winter-ece-moosek

Edited September 16, 2021 by Crnr2Crnr

[poopooforme 1,049]

Bought the BRP oxygen helmet last year and the only complaint is the fucker is HOT.  I sweat like a stuck hog in the thing.  Last winter was way to warm for this guy.  Other than that i love love love the visibility and the guys behind me love the light on the back of the helmet.  If they could figure out how to only heat the bottom of the shield on high and shut the rest off I think that would be a clear winner in all situations.  Just need the shield on high to keep your breath from fogging but shit it gets so hot in there that I look like I just fucked the SI swimsuit calendar chicks one after another for atleast ten minutes when I pull my lid off after a hard ride.  Hopefully this year will be colder!!

[Sled_Hed 1,258]

Had the altitude/sinister combo a few years ago and didn't have any complaints. Bought a Doo mod 2 couple years ago and don't care for the fit so I'm looking to switch to something else this year.

Edited September 23, 2021 by Sled_Hed

[1995xcr600 33]

Older 509 Altitude carbon fiber here.  Amazingly light, but I did block off the mouth vent for trail riding, and I do have various Klim balaclavas.  I love the light sensitive goggles.