Ace Your Game With the Best Football Visors in 2022
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Oakley Football PRIZM Shield -
EliteTek Clear Vision Football Visor -
Barnett Sports Helmet Eye-Shield Football Visor -
TD Sports Football Visor -
Buyer's Guide
We all know that football is one of the roughest contact sports out there. With upgrades in protective gear, you have to keep your body safe from injuries. Although the helmet is one of the most important pieces of equipment, it may be easy to overlook one critical piece — a visor.
Let’s say you’re playing in heavy rain — with a visor, the raindrops won’t fall in your eyes. This simple piece of additional protection provides you with better clarity, no matter the conditions, and also protects your eyes. Plus, with the right shield, your opponents may not see where you’re looking next, preventing them from anticipating your next move. Whether you’re looking to get a football visor for the safety aspect or for faking out your opponents, we have listed the best football visors of 2022. From tinted or colored to just clear football visors, we have reviewed them all and are here to help you find the best one for your game.
The Best Football Visors of 2022 in Detail
Oakley Football PRIZM Shield - Top Pick
Oakley creates quality products for a wide variety of sports and their football visors are widely used, even by NFL players. While not entirely clear, this visor has a slight tint that enhances colors and protects against the sun. Some tinted visors are not allowed by youth or high school leagues, but this Oakley visor is typically acceptable. The tint enhances colors and detail for top-notch clarity, allowing you to see the game with no issues. And, because of Oakley’s superior shape and design, the visor is compatible with helmets of any size and is easy to install. No matter what level of football you play, this lightweight, durable, and high-quality visor is sure to have a positive impact on your game.
- Enhances vision clarity, no matter the weather conditions
- Easy to install on any helmet size
- Trusted by NFL players
- Expensive
EliteTek Clear Vision Football Visor - Runner Up
EliteTek has gained players' trust through their quality products made in the USA. This particular visor has a universal fit, making it compatible with helmets of all sizes for players of any age: youth, high school, or even collegiate. The visor is crystal-clear, allowing you to see perfectly during the game. If you get tackled, the visor is unlikely to scratch or break easily thanks to the strength of the polycarbonate material. Plus, the visor is also fog-resistant — so your view won’t be blocked from heavy breathing — and the material eliminates any glare from the sun. This visor is a great pick for players of any position.
- Polycarbonate material provides durability and strength
- Scratch- and dust-resistant
- The anti-fog coating doesn’t allow fog or water droplets to cloud your view
- Difficult to put on very small youth helmets
Barnett Sports Helmet Eye-Shield Football Visor - Honorable Mention
Our next pick is another fantastic clear visor that prevents scratches, glare, and fogging. With a special coating, the visor remains totally clear throughout the game, never obstructing your view. If you’re concerned about the visor staying put, fret not: the visor makes use of two sturdy and reliable clips that allow for easy installation onto the helmet’s facemask. With this visor, you can effectively shield your eyes from your opponent’s fingers, falling raindrops, or flying dirt. Just like many other visors, it has a universal fit suitable for players of all ages.
- Polycarbonate construction is durable
- Allows you to play in any weather, rain or shine
- Universal fit for all ages
- Some helmet brands have a face mask that is incompatible with this visor
TD Sports Football Visor - Contender
While football visors are great for eye protection and to keep your vision clear, perhaps you want a bit more out of it. Tinted visors, like this one by TD Sports, have a reflective tint that adds a bit of flair to your uniform but also shields your eyes from your opponent — if they can’t see where you’re looking, they likely cannot predict where you’ll move next. A tint also helps with sun glare, acting like sunglasses. This visor is available in a variety of tints, from basic black or silver to a more colorful blue or red. Clear is also an option for those who play in leagues where tinted visors are not allowed.
- Anti-scratch and anti-fog
- Eliminates glare from the sun
- Universal fit
- Tinted visors are not allowed in all leagues
Buyer's Guide
For anyone who wants to protect their eyes and face during a football game, it is extremely important to invest in a football visor. If you are someone who is buying these shields for the first time, consider the following features to select the best football visor for your next game.
Benefits of Using Football Visors
Football visors’ main purpose is to protect your eyes from potential injury, whether that be another player’s fingers grabbing at your facemask or parts of turf or dirt that fly up in your face when you get tackled. Football visors also shield your face from rain and the harmful UV rays of the sun.
The vast majority of benefits to football visors come from a safety aspect, but they can also help in a more strategic way. If you use a tinted visor, your eyes are shielded from your opponent. If you’re looking at your intended target or route, your opponent won’t be able to see where you’re looking and will likely be unable to anticipate your actions.
Types
Football visors can be divided into a few categories according to their design and visibility. All have their benefits and disadvantages, so choose the one that suits your situation best.
Clear
Clear football visors are the most common type. As their name implies, they have no color in their lens — they are transparent. The eyes of the player can be seen clearly through these shields, which makes them great for safety protocols. In many leagues, clear visors are the only ones allowed so referees and medics can examine a player’s eyes for injuries, like a concussion.
Clear visors have plenty of basic advantages. Your eyes are protected from potential injuries, you can see more clearly in adverse weather conditions, and there is less glare from the sun. All in all, a clear visor is better than no visor at all.
Tinted
Tinted football visors are great for protecting your eyes from blue light and UV rays. If you are concerned about your eye health and want to protect your eyes from sun damage, then opt for tinted visors. Tinted visors also help with visibility in general, preventing you from squinting at the direct sun.
Another advantage is that your opponent will not be able to know where you are looking during the game. This is a great strategic tactic, but tinted visors may not be allowed in certain leagues because they prevent them from seeing the players' eyes through the tint.
Polarized
If you want the advantages of both tinted visors and sunglasses, then polarized football visors are the best option for you. These visors help protect the eyes from the strongest sunlight and UV rays. However, these types of visors aren’t the best to wear at night since their tint can be pretty dark. This could be a potential hazard and can inhibit your performance, so make sure to take polarized visors off at night.
Colored
If you want to make a fashion statement, then go for the colored football visors. These face shields are extremely trendy, with lots of designs to choose from. However, they are not always a good choice. The color in the visor reduces the player’s visibility and vision of the field, making them not the most practical choice. If anything, swap out the colored visor every now and then.
Material
The durability and resistance of football visors depend heavily on the material. You’re making a purchase that is supposed to protect your eyes and face, so why opt for something cheap and easily breakable?
Polycarbonate is always the best material to look out for. It makes football visors lightweight, reliable, and resistant to scratches.
Protection Features and Coatings
When looking for the best-performing football visors, it is necessary to consider ones that have the best protection features and coatings such as scratch resistance, anti-fog, and a durable build that won’t break upon impact.
Football Visor FAQ
Q: Can I wear my tinted football visor to my football game?
A: Although it is legal to wear tinted visors, there may be organizations that prohibit players from wearing tinted football visors. This is because the eyes of the players wearing tinted visors may not be visible during play. This can be a potential hazard as it makes it challenging to identify a concussion. Therefore, it is recommended to know the rules of the league or team you are playing for to eliminate the chances of wasting your money on something you cannot wear.
Q: Is there something I can use to reduce the fog on my visor?
A: You may use a moist towel to get rid of the fog on your football visor. There are also many anti-fog sprays and coatings available that will help defog your visor. Whatever you plan to use, swipe it across the visors’ lens and allow it to dry. If you want to avoid this issue entirely, purchase an anti-fog visor.
Q: There is a little crack in my football visor, can I play wearing it?
A: Absolutely not! It is not legal to play in football visors that are damaged in any way. If your football visor is cracked, it can reduce your visibility and cause accidents to happen on the field. It is also a potential risk that could result in injuries to your face and eyes, which is why you buy a visor in the first place. If your visor is damaged in any way, do not play with it.