If you prefer to wear a visor, you need to make sure that you are using the best hockey visor possible.
Visor preferences vary from player to player, however. There are many considerations to take into account before you can settle on one type of visor over another.
From the fit of the visor to the color of the visor, you need one that meets your specific needs. A hockey helmet visor is a great tool to allow you to have a clear field of vision while giving yourself some extra protection.
Why Wear a Hockey Visor or Cage?
Since not all hockey helmets come with visors or cages and you don’t see many pros wearing them, you might be wondering why you need one at all. Depending on the league that you are in, a visor or cage might be required to give you added protection to the face.
Visors primarily protect your eyes and nose while cages can keep pucks from hitting you even in the mouth. This level of protection does need to fit well in order to be effective.
How Should a Visor Fit?
Ideally, your visor should be as far from your face as is possible to keep any fogging down to minimum. Having extra room will also protect you from injury if you get a direct hit to the visor, keeping it away from your face.
The top part of the visor should be in line with the bottom part of the helmet, giving you room for airflow, but still not leaving you with spaces that are not big enough for sticks to get through.
10 Best Hockey Visors (2023)
Brand | Skill Level | Type | Rating | Check Now |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. Bauer Pro Clip Editor's Choice | Intermediate/ | Clear | 100% | |
2. Under Armour Storm Runner-Up | Intermediate/ | Clear | 99% | |
3. CCM VR Pro Visor Budget Friendly | Beginner | Clear | 97% | |
4. Bauer RE-AKT Cage Cage | Beginner/ | Cage | 98% | |
5. Bauer Concept III Full Face Shield | Intermediate/ | Face Shield | 99% | |
6. CCM Revision VR24 | Intermediate | Clear | 95% | |
7. Bauer Pro Straight | Beginner | Clear | 96% | |
8. CCM VR25 Visor | Beginner/ | Clear | 95% | |
9. Oakley Aviator Pro | Intermediate/ | Clear | 97% | |
10. Bauer HDO Pro Clip Best Tinted Visor | Intermediate/ | Tinted | 99% |
1. Bauer Pro Clip Straight Visor
Best Hockey Visor (Editor's Choice)
Our choice for the best hockey visor is the Bauer Pro Clip. This is the newest advancement from Bauer for replaceable half visors.
The Pro Clip has Bauer’s Quick-Click technology, allowing you to replace the visor with an easy, one-step process. Because of its simplicity, you can also take the visor off to store it without trouble. Keeping the visor off of your helmet when you aren’t wearing it will help prevent the visor from scratching.
The lens of the visor has been mechanically polished, leaving you with a superior field of vision. Plus, with the anti-scratch and anti-fog coating, the visor should keep you seeing as well as possible on the ice. The straight-cut lens on the visor has been made for maximum visible, using a low-profile design. All in all, this visor is easy to use, durable, and will keep you as safe as possible.
2. Under Armour Storm Straight Visor
High Performance
If you are looking for a high performance visor, then the Under Armour Storm is the perfect choice for you.
The Storm is a half-shield visor that is made up of impact resistant polycarbonate material. This means that it will be able to protect you well from injury during a game. The goal of this visor is to keep your vision as clear as possible while still giving you a high amount of protection, which is ideal for players who really find themselves in rough contact situations.
You also will get a lens coating on the Storm, which is scratch resistant, fog resistant, and smudge resistant, all of which you need when you are using a visor on the ice. An added perk of the Storm is that it comes with all of the mounting hardware, a cleaning cloth, and even a sheet of stickers for customization.
3. CCM VR Straight Visor
Budget Friendly
The CCM Straight Visor is constructed using durable and strong polycarbonate. This visor is produced and designed by Revision Military, who is a leader in facial protection and military visors.
Using the military tech in designing the CCM visor makes it super strong and free from distortion so that the players can see clearly from edge to edge.
This visor also uses scratch-resistant and anti-fog coatings to ensure great vision throughout the game.
The anti-fog coating reduces the surface tension to stop the fog from collecting and prevents the build-up of moisture. On the other hand, the scratch-resistant coating stops marks and scratches from distorting vision and acts as a barrier against impact.
It has a two-point mount system that includes 4 visor screws, 2 spacers, and 2 metal brackets. It can be added to any helmet of your choice as the new installation system saves time.
You can also customize this visor to your liking by adding the logo stickers that come in the package.
4. Bauer RE-AKT Facemask
Best Hockey Cage
The RE-AKT face mask is 46% lighter than the traditional carbon steel and stainless-steel face masks because of the titanium construction.
It has an oval wire which is a premium design that allows players to see clearly with minimum obstruction.
The free-floating chin cup has a triple density foam that ensures there is maximum comfort for players when strapped in.
The chin cup is treated with MICROBAN which is an antimicrobial technology that offers protection from odors.
5. Bauer Concept III Full Face Shield
Hockey Full Face Shield
If you are looking for the best full face shield, take a look at the Bauer Concept II Full Face Shield. A full face shield provides you a high level of protection, much like a cage, but it does not have the visual impairment of bars that you will get with a cage.
The Concept III is a high-impact polycarbonate shield. It really was meant to take any kind of beating that you throw at it. It has been equipped with an anti-scratch coating, keeping the shield protected from any kind of accidental damage that might occur.
There is also an expanded visual area, which includes a wide screen view with an anti-fog coating. The bigger visual area means that there will not be any kind of disturbances to your vision. Finally, the shield has strategic vent locations to further prevent any fogging that might happen.
6. CCM Revision VR24 Visor
The CCM Revision VR24 is a good quality, affordable clear visor. Built to give you both protection and superior vision, this visor is a reliable choice, especially if you use a CCM helmet.
CCM uses an integrated coating system for the Revision visor, which is a high-quality type of anti-fog process. This also increases the optical accuracy of the visor, allowing you to see on the ice without really seeing the visor itself.
The anti-scratch coating is state-of-the-art, offering protection that you really won’t get from many other visors. Scratches can entirely distort your vision, which is not what you need when you need to keep your eye on the puck. The anti-scratch coating is made to hold up against any type of environment, so if you enjoy playing outdoor hockey, this will also hold up against those elements.
7. Bauer Pro Straight Visor
The final visor that we are going to take a look at is the Bauer Pro. This is a straight, clear visor, offering you a high level of clarity. It is made out of a high quality polycarbonate, giving you durability.
With its two-point attachment, you should be able to get the visor on and off easily, making it easier to store and transport when you are not wearing it. Keeping the visor protected off of the ice will increase its longevity as well as preventing unnecessary scratches and damage. It also has a streamlined design, which is popular among players of every skill level, from beginners on up.
Bauer Pro uses True Optics technology, which means that it has gone through a precise, mechanical polishing process, leaving you with a pristine field of vision. Each visor has an anti-fog and anti-scratch coating, keeping the visor as clear and easy to see through as possible.
8. CCM VR25 Straight Visor
This visor is used all around the NHL, because its design is simple, but still gets the job done well. It is a half shield that uses Revision military technology, which is used in ballistic eyewear as well. The visor is 3.5” at its tallest point.
Even though this is not a certified visor, it should work for any kind of league player who would like to still look like a pro. The visor itself is scratch resistant, so it should handle the wear and tear that you put on it.
It is a clear visor with enhanced vision as well as optical accuracy without any kind of distortion that might affect how well you are able to see through it. With the Revision integrated coating system, it will stay dry and fog-free as well.
9. Oakley Aviator Pro Cut Hockey Visor
Another great hockey helmet visor to consider is the Oakley Aviator. Oakley hockey visors bring all of the quality that you would really expect from the Oakley brand.
The Aviator is impact resistant with a great amount of optical clarity, allowing you to see all that you need to. It also comes with a scratch-resistant plutonite material, giving the visor a longer life while decreasing the risk of you getting hurt if it does break. You should be able to enjoy the durability as well, with the shield being protective enough to not harm you itself.
This Oakley hockey visor also has an F3 anti-fog coating, so you should not get too much condensation collecting on the inside while you are wearing it. The visor itself is easy to attach to a helmet, so it should just click on when you are ready for it.
10. Bauer HDO Pro-Clip Wave
Tinted Hockey Visor
For a tinted half shield, you should check out the Bauer HDO Pro-Clip. This has an amber coloring, keeping glare out of your eyes.
With high definition optics, you will have no trouble seeing your opponents on the ice. This visor also has an interior anti-fog coating, so you shouldn’t suffer from any condensation inside of your visor. It also has an anti-scratch coating so you will not have to deal with scratches either.
This Bauer visor is made up of a high-impact polycarbonate, so it shouldn’t break or shatter on you if you do get hit in the face during a game. The Quick-Click feature of the visor means that you can put it on and off with a simple motion. This will also make it easy to take it off when you aren’t playing, keeping it safe from damage.
Popular Brands Of Hockey Visors
The most popular visors include:
- Bauer
- Oakley
- CCM
- Warrior
If you have found a visor that you like that does not seem to be from a name-brand, you just need to confirm its quality. Not every visor will work with every helmet, so just stick with what will work for your needs and your budget.
How To Keep Visor From Fogging Up?
The best way to prevent your visor from fogging up is to get a visor that fits properly. Your visor should not be sitting too close to your face. The more space that is between your face and the visor, the better airflow that you will get, preventing condensation. Plus, with extra room, the visor is less likely to cut you if it gets too close to your face. Keeping it clean can also help prevent fog.
How To Size A Hockey Visor?
Visors are normally a one-size-fits all sort of device, but you do have some choice as far as how big the visor is. Some half visors will shield your eyes while others can come further down your face. Ultimately, the visor needs to fit the helmet. You will have to confirm that the visor is compatible with the brand of helmet that you are wearing or it will not offer you adequate protection or ventilation.
Clear vs Tinted Hockey Visor
You will have noticed that some visors are clear while others are tinted. Clear visors will allow you to see the rink as you would through your eyes, which is the preference for many players who use clear visors.
Meanwhile, tinted visors are a great choice for players who are light sensitive or are concerned with the reflective glare on the ice.
There are also some players who say that having tinted visors means that opponents cannot see where you are looking, giving you an advantage and the element of surprise, especially when it comes to goalies trying to anticipate where you are going to shoot.
Expected Lifetime
If you get a good quality visor that has an anti-scratch coating and you are taking good care of the visor when you are not wearing it, you should be able to get up to 5 years with a visor before needing to replace it. The coating will wear off as time goes on or it will crack and scratch.
Final Words
Whether you use a visor on your hockey helmet is a personal preference. Yet, a visor can give you an added element of protection to your face on the ice. Hits to the face with a stick or even the puck are unpredictable, but can leave you with life-long scars.
If you do opt to wear a visor, make sure that the visor fits the helmet properly and that you have enough ventilation to prevent fogging. Our top recommendation for the best hockey visor overall is the Bauer Pro-Clip, because it is durable, reliable, and simple to put on and off. You don’t want your visor to be in the way either so pay attention when shopping.
Hey there, my name is Shawn and I’m a semi-professional hockey player. I’m also the founder and chief editor here at Hockey Pursuits. I love playing hockey and helping players improve their game and that’s why I decided to start this blog.