Lots of new players have no idea what they should be wearing for their first airsoft games because they are worried about being hit and the pain the BBs cause. Many often wonder if wearing a motorcycle helmet is a good choice for airsoft as, in theory, it should offer plenty of head protection. You might have even wondered this yourself if you already own a bike helmet or you can at least borrow one easily.
You can wear a motorcycle helmet for airsoft games as most fields don’t have rules against it. However, a bike helmet is not the optimal choice when it comes to protective gear for airsoft.
While I can’t argue that motorcycle helmets are great for protecting your head from injuries, depending on their design, they might not offer the same advantages on the airsoft field as they do on the road. If you really are concerned about getting hit in the head while playing airsoft, there are better options available, both in terms of protection and convenience.
Another thing to consider is that motorcycle helmets come in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with its own intended use and level of head and eye protection. To get an idea about what to expect, let’s first look at the most common types of motorcycle helmets and their advantages and drawbacks on the airsoft field.
Types of Motorcycle Helmets That Can Be Used in Airsoft
In theory, all motorcycle helmets could be used while playing, but some would work better than others. In addition, for some models, you would still need to buy or rent eye protective equipment such as goggles or impact glasses. This is the most important part of airsoft safety gear and you won’t be allowed to play without adequate protection for your eyes. Another thing to consider is that there could be airsoft venues that do not allow the use of motorcycle helmets and that you should always read the rules of the field before going. Some airsoft events, like military simulations, have strict rules regarding the equipment the players are allowed to use and they might ban motorcycle helmets. With that being said, let’s look at what you can expect if you’re considering wearing a bike helmet, depending on the model.
Full face helmets
These are excellent for cruising on your motorbike and are designed to offer great protection in case of an accident. The visor for most models is strong enough to protect your face against pebbles and other debris that might hit you while on the road so it should be able to withstand getting hit by plastic BBs. This is not a guarantee however and you should always check the impact rating of the shield. Even if it can handle a BB hit, it might crack or scratch and you probably won’t like that when you’re using the helmet for riding.
Drawbacks of full-face helmets:
- Larger form factor. These helmets need to be able to protect the rider in case of accidents that take place at normal cruising speeds. Because of this, the helmets need to have thick padding that covers most of the head. This extra layer of protection makes the shell larger and this isn’t great for airsoft as it means you are easier to hit.
- Poor target acquisition. Because the helmet is bulky, you will have a hard time shouldering your airsoft replica and aiming down the sights. This means poor accuracy for your shots. You could get around this by using a pistol or using some sort of optical aiming device mounted on a riser. However, there are some disadvantages to these solutions. First of all, using just a pistol is ok for indoor fields, but as soon as you decide to play outdoors, you might find yourself overmatched by players using rifles. The second option, which is to use something like a red dot could help, but if you’re just starting out in airsoft, buying an optic and a riser mount for it might be out of your budget. The whole point of using a motorcycle helmet is to avoid buying a regular airsoft helmet and using that money for something else.
- Poor ventilation. The extra-thick padding combined with the face shield is great to have while riding, but when you are running around obstacles and dodging BBs, you will certainly get very hot very fast. While bike helmets are to offer ventilation at high speeds, you won’t be moving as fast on the airsoft field and there is certainly more physical effort involved. If you’re like me and you sweat a lot, having your head enclosed in a protective bubble won’t feel great and might even cause heatstroke. Let’s not forget, you will need to keep the visor down at all times if that is your only means of eye protection, even in the staging area.
- Poor visibility. The visor is adequate for riding, but for spotting enemies it sucks. This is because it will restrict your field of view to some degree. In addition, if the face shield does not have some sort of anti-fogging protection, you will soon find that you won’t be able to see much. Just a small burst of running or dodging can accelerate your breath and it will begin to fog up your visor.
- Poor situational awareness. Full-face helmets are designed to limit the amount of noise you experience while riding through the materials used for insulation. While this is great on the road, it isn’t ideal while playing airsoft. You won’t be able to hear enemy movements and even communicate with your teammates. This will limit your effectiveness on the field.
- Can cause neck fatigue and aches. Being heavier than standard airsoft helmets, full-face models, if worn for many hours, can cause neck fatigue. This is because they are not designed for physical exercise, which airsoft surely is.
Modular Helmets
These closely resemble full-face helmets but offer a bit more convenience for the rider. Most models in this range have the ability to pivot the front part of the helmet, which covers your face from chin to forehead. Some variants have an extra eye shield on the inside should you wish to ride with the lower part of your face exposed. Keep in mind that this extra visor might not provide the same amount of protection as the exterior one
The level of protection in terms of airsoft is superb, but the drawbacks are the same as with the full-face helmets. You will get hot and humid, with a limited field of view. Also, you might find that raising the front panel will make it easier to spot you when you’re crouching behind low obstacles.
Open Face Helmets and Half Helmets
As the name suggests, these models will only cover part of your head. There is a variety of models, some of which include a drop-down visor and some without one. The part of your head which is covered will be very well protected against BBs, but your face will be exposed. This is great for ventilation and an adequate field of view, but you will need some other forms of protection for your face. This means wearing safety goggles or glasses and a mesh mask if you want to avoid hits.
The main advantage over full-face and modular helmets is that, because your face is not covered, it is easier to aim your airsoft gun. Getting a good cheek rest and aiming with basic iron sights is possible with a half helmet.
Here are some of the drawbacks of the open face helmets:
- You will still need to buy eye and face protection. If you plan to save money by not buying an airsoft helmet, you will still need to invest in goggles or glasses. You may find that some fields also impose the use of full-face protection, so you will need to buy or rent a mesh mask.
- Fitting eye and face protection can be difficult. While airsoft and military helmets have various ways of attaching goggles and masks, most motorcycle helmets don’t have this feature. You will need to be creative with how you put together your protective equipment so it works well with your helmet and this might involve modifying it.
- Larger form factor. As is the case with full-face helmets, open face variants are larger than airsoft helmets because they need to have room for extra padding.
- Poor ventilation. While you will be able to breathe better, the top of your head will still get hot faster because most models don’t feature vents. The vents would compromise the rigidity of the helmet and lower its impact protection.
- Less protection for your head. Depending on the model you want to use you may find that the back of your head is exposed. While you may think that getting hit there is a rare occurrence, I can tell you that it happens more often than you imagine. Consider this, if you are running away from a group of attacking enemies, you can get hit. Another thing that might happen is friendly fire – that is when you get hit by teammates that are standing behind you. This, of course, is not intentional, but you might raise your head to peak just as your team is opening fire.
Off-Road Helmets
If you own a dirtbike, a mountain bike, or something like a BMX, chances are that you already have an off-road helmet. These are great for protecting your head against serious impacts and therefore should be great against BBs as well. Another advantage is that most of these helmets cover most of your face and usually have ways to attach goggles.
Most off-road helmets feature a larger chin protector and sometimes a sun visor. These structural elements are useful in the case of a motorcycle accident, but their usefulness is limited in airsoft. Here are the main drawbacks:
- The increased form factor limits visibility. As mentioned, the added safety elements will restrict your field of view.
- The enlarged chin protector makes it difficult to aim. Obviously, the chin protector won’t allow you to shoulder a rifle correctly and rest your cheek on the stock of the weapon. Aiming is difficult when you can’t assume a correct firing position.
- Impaired hearing. Motorcycle helmets tend to have some sort of hearing protection because dirt bikes are generally quite loud. This doesn’t help in airsoft as it makes communicating with teammates difficult and you also won’t be able to hear enemy movements clearly.
Final Thoughts on Motorcycle Helmets in Airsoft
Wearing a motorcycle helmet while playing airsoft isn’t the best idea. You can do it if you’re overly concerned about getting hit in the head, but in my opinion, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages of the increased protection. Once you get a few games under your belt you will notice that airsoft isn’t as painful as might have thought and that simply wearing a baseball cap or a Boonie hat should offer enough protection. Both of these will lessen the impact of the BBs and when combined with a good face mask and a nice pair of goggles they offer the best compromise in terms of protection and comfort.
If you do feel the need for a helmet, your best bet would be to invest in a proper airsoft helmet. A good model isn’t very expensive, and it allows you to look cool while staying safe. In addition, you can attach lots of accessories to it, like cameras, lights, radio sets, face masks and goggles. If you’d like to find out more, check out my complete guide about airsoft helmets. It will tell you everything you need to know about using a helmet and which models are best for your equipment. You can also read about using a helmet to pull off an impression, which is putting together matching gear so you look like a member of a military force.