Why football helmet visors are about more than just good looks

L.T. wearing a football helmet visor

Helmet visors are growing in popularity among football players, and it’s not just about making a fashion statement.

Tinted and mirrored visors provide an important line of defense between your eyes and the sun. For receivers, it can mean the difference between pulling in a long touchdown pass or dropping it after losing the ball in the glare.

It’s the same for defensive backs. Don’t let your next interception get past you because you were blinded by the light.

When you’re practicing day-in and day-out in the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., your eyes take in a lot of UV light. It can lead to sunburn on your eyes, or with prolonged exposure, cataracts, cancer or even blindness.

The safety aspect of visors is huge.

Football helmet visors also serve as a barrier between your face, the elements and the 11 other guys looking to lay you out on the turf.

For offensive skill players, an errant hand during a tackle could mean fingers inside your mask. For linemen on both sides of the ball, there’s a risk of hands, fingers and who-knows-what-else getting inside your mask while in the trenches or under the pile.

If you have a pre-existing eye condition or previous injury, it makes a helmet visor or eye shield a no-brainer.

We carry a few different models of helmet visors at Football America from brands like Nike, Oakley and Under Armour.

Here are some of our favorite models of football visors:

Related: Like the sun protection but think a visor is too much? Check out our eye black.

Helmet visors: Like window tints for your football helmet

L.T. wearing a football helmet visor

Pop a visor onto your football helmet, and it’ll look like a tricked out sports car (or Escalade, if you’re a lineman).

It’s not a bad look.

But football helmet visors are about more than just good looks. Tinted and mirrored visors provide an important line of defense between your eyes and the sun. For receivers, it can mean the difference between pulling in a long touchdown pass or dropping it after losing the ball in the sun.

It’s the same for defensive backs. Don’t let your next interception get past you because you were blinded by the light.

Football helmet visors also serve as a barrier between your face, the elements and the 11 other guys looking to lay you out on the turf.

For offensive skill players, an errant hand during a tackle could mean fingers inside your mask. For linemen on both sides of the ball, there’s a risk of hands, fingers and who-knows-what-else getting inside your mask while in the trenches or under the pile.

If you have a pre-existing eye condition or previous injury, it makes a helmet visor or eye shield a no-brainer.

We carry a few different models of helmet visors at Football America from brands like Nike, Oakley and Under Armour.

Here are some of our favorite models of football visors:

Related: Like the sun protection but think a visor is too much? Check out our eye black.