Any all-weather biker is familiar with the annoying fog buildup inside their helmet visor when it is either really cold or raining. Often, the only way to clear the visor is to crack it open and let some cold air in. Nobody likes having their face frozen, so what is a biker to do?
Related: Helmet safety standards - What is ECE and DOT certification?
Fortunately, there is a simple and easy-to-install solution. Like many products on sale, the brand name has become the catch-all phrase used to describe this solution: Pinlock. The theme has many variations, but generically, all these products are referred to as Pinlocks, even if they aren't the brand name.
Select the perfect helmet
What is a Pinlock?
Pinlock is the name-brand solution to foggy visors. A Pinlock is a popular and effective anti-fog system for motorcycle helmet visors, essentially a flexible, transparent plastic insert fitted to the inside of a helmet's main visor. It's an inner lens made of an organic, transparent plastic with moisture-absorbing properties, featuring a silicone bead seal running around the edge of the insert. It gets its name because it locks into place using two small, adjustable pins or posts attached to the inside of the main helmet visor (a "Pinlock-ready" visor).
How does it work?
The Pinlock system works based on two key principles, often called the double-glazing effect. The system essentially creates a thermal barrier. When the Pinlock insert is installed, the silicone seal creates an airtight chamber or pocket of air between the main helmet visor and the insert. This layer of trapped air acts as a thermal barrier, similar to double-paned windows in a house. It insulates the warm, moist air inside the helmet from your breath and the colder temperature on the outer visor.
Reducing the temperature difference across the inner surface prevents the water vapour in your breath from condensing into fog. The material of the Pinlock insert itself is hydrophilic (water-attracting). This surface actively attracts and absorbs moisture molecules from the air inside the helmet, effectively stopping them from forming visible condensation (fogging) on the insert's surface.
Can I fit a Pinlock to my helmet?
Some of the most prominent helmet manufacturers that use or are compatible with the Pinlock system include:
Shoei
Arai
AGV
Schuberth
HJC
Nolan
Shark
Scorpion
LS2
MT Helmets
Most new full-face and modular helmets today are sold as "Pinlock-ready", meaning the visor has the pins and you buy the insert separately, or come with a Pinlock insert included in the box. Your specific helmet may not have a Pinlock-ready visor, so you may have to purchase a separate visor. Check with your helmet manufacturer. The easiest way to know is to check the visor for the two telltale nubs at either end of the visor element.
In Closing
The combination of this insulating air layer and the moisture-absorbing properties of the insert makes the Pinlock system highly effective at keeping your field of vision clear, even in cold or humid conditions, which means no more cracking your visor on cold days to demist the inside and keeping your field of vision clear when it rains.
