Full face or modular helmet: how to choose which one is right for you

Undecided between full face or modular helmet? Let’s take a closer look at the features you need to choose the perfect helmet for you.

Is it time to change your beloved helmet, which has accompanied you on all your motorcycle adventures? Or have you finally decided to buy that bike you’ve wanted for a long time and now you need the right helmet to start discovering new roads? So, you may be wondering if it’s better to focus on a full-face model or a modular one.

As you can imagine, there is no valid answer for every occasion and every rider.

In the case of approved and quality helmets, both full face and modular helmets can be used safely on the road. It is best to evaluate their specific features to help you decide whether to opt for one or the other type of helmet. This will let you choose which helmet best meets your needs and habits in terms of motorcycle riding.

Full face or modular helmet: what they mean

First of all, it is best to clarify exactly what is meant by a full-face helmet and what is meant by a modular helmet.

A full-face helmet is a helmet made with a monocoque shell that always guarantees protection to both the head and the chin.

A modular helmet, also called a flip-up helmet, is a helmet with a shell separated from the chin guard. The chin guard can be detached from the shell when desired, using a release button on the front. A modular helmet guarantees, therefore, the safety of both the head and the chin when the chin guard is lowered (exactly like an integral helmet), while when the chin guard is raised the protection will only be for the head.

CAUTION: Flip-up helmets can be approved as full-face helmets, as jet helmets and as full-face helmets + jet. Let’s take a look at the differences.

• Flip-up helmet approved as a jet helmet: the approval label on the strap will bear the letter J (“JET”). This is the typical approval of jet helmets (open) so the chin guard is never protective for the chin and face. Caberg has never produced flip-up helmets with only J approval!
• Flip-up helmet approved as a full-face helmet: the approval label on the strap will bear the letter P (“protective”). This is the typical approval of full-face helmets and some flip-up helmets, guaranteeing protection both to the head and to the chin. In this case the user must always have the chin guard lowered/closed with the vehicle in motion and will open the chin guard only when it is stopped.
• Flip-up helmet simultaneously approved as a full face and jet helmet: the approval label on the strap will bear the letter P/J (“Protective/Jet”). With this approval, the helmet is tested and approved with the chin guard completely closed (as a full-face helmet) and then with the chin guard completely raised (as a jet helmet). In this case, the user can drive safely both with the chin guard lowered and raised.

All our flip-up models are P/J approved to offer our motorcyclists maximum safety and the best usability.  

Full face helmet features

As already mentioned, a full face helmet offers complete head protection. However, this result can also be achieved using a modular “P” approved and “P/J” approved helmet.

Typical full face helmet features:

• lighter than a modular helmet,
• quieter

The benefits of modular helmets

Modular helmets offer the possibility of lifting the chin guard.

WARNING: always remember to check the approval label on the helmet strap, because if P approved, you can lift the chin guard only when the vehicle is stationary, while if P/J approved you can use your flip-up helmet with the chin guard raised even when the vehicle is moving!

This makes a P/J approved modular helmet:

• perfect for use in jet configuration in urban contexts or, in any case, in sections with reduced speed (travel in the city, tourist resorts, etc.);
• practical to use in all weather conditions (just raise the chin guard to find some relief on a hot summer day. Just close the chin guard for greater protection in case of wind or rain);
• comfortable to wear in any situation (possibility of lifting the chin guard to increase the field of vision or to communicate with fellow travellers).

 

Whether you are interested in full face or modular helmets, Caberg has numerous models that will meet all your needs and meet your aesthetic taste.

View all Caberg modular helmets: https://www.caberg.it/en/helmets/flip-up

Check out our full-face helmets: https://www.caberg.it/en/helmets/full-face