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Reduce Wind Noise In Motorcycle Helmet: Strategies To Reduce Risk While Enjoying The Ride

woman wearing a helmet

Last Updated: March 9, 2022

Riding a motorcycle can be fun and full of adventure.

However...

Do you also know that it can cause ear fatigue and could lead to hearing loss?

Do you also wonder if there's a way you could prevent such health risks and reduce wind noise in a motorcycle helmet?

Then, worry no more! If you're looking for effective helmet noise reduction strategies to protect your hearing, then keep reading to find out how in a few easy steps.

How To Eliminate Wind Noise On Motorcycle Helmets

More than shielding your head from sudden impact in accidents, a helmet is also a protective gear for your ears. For efficient motorcycle helmet noise reduction, here are some tips worth considering:

The Right Choice Of Motorcycle Helmet

man riding a motorcycle wearing helmet

High-quality helmets typically come with a steep price tag, but I can assure you that it's worth the investment. There are several motorcycle helmets available that not only secure your comfort and safety but are also excellent gears for reducing wind noise, but if you own a car there's also a way on how to reduce wind noise in car.  

Choosing the correct helmet size is crucial to ensure that it fits your head well.

In addition, it will enhance your safety and keep the wind from getting in and creating noise. To secure this, you should measure your head size accurately before heading out to buy yourself a helmet.

Noise can either be airborne or due to impact. Nevertheless, whatever type of noise you encounter when riding a motorcycle, wearing helmets that don't snugly fit against the face can cause exposure to turbulence. 

Wearing A Scarf Or A Balaclava

Aside from choosing a quality helmet with the right size, another practical solution for reducing noise is using a scarf, mask, or balaclava. Wearing either of these options with your helmet can help block the wind from getting inside and prevent fogs in your visor.

Wear your scarf or balaclava high enough to connect with the bottom part of your helmet and knot it securely.

Doing so will seal any openings where the wind can pass underneath your neck into the helmet since the scarf will then act as a shield.

When selecting this kind of accessories, remember to opt for those with materials capable of wicking moisture away. So to guarantee comfort and reduce wind noise in a motorcycle helmet, go for scarves or balaclavas that are breathable and fit like a second skin.

Close Your Helmet's Visor While On A Motorcycle Ride

biker in leather jacket and helmet with visor

Ride with your visor down regardless if you're wearing an open-face or a full-face helmet. Any kind of opening will considerably increase the pesky helmet wind noise.

Hence, sealing all types of spaces and air vents in your helmet can prevent unnecessary noise.

Relatively, these visors can reduce turbulence, so best to be sure to buy one with durable material and solid construction.

A helmet with a high-quality visor can withstand noise impact, especially when riding at full speed.

Make A Sound Investment On A Wind Blocker

In the absence of adequate padding in your helmet's neck area, you may opt to utilize additional padding to work as a wind blocker.

Padded helmet support is one useful accessory when riding a motorcycle that can help in controlling wind noise.

This extra padding in your neck area can also provide warmth aside from sealing the spaces underneath your helmet to reduce the wind that gets in. It can give you additional support and neck safety in the event of an accident while protecting your face from flying debris and bugs.

One of the popular ways to do this is by adding fleece between your cheek pads. Others would likewise resort to putting memory foam around their ears to stifle wind noise. Either way, you could go for the most comfortable option, but adding sufficient cushioning can never go wrong.

Consider Using Some Earmuffs

Motorcycle helmet noise reduction can come in many different forms. Another foolproof way is the use of motorcycle earmuffs. Similar to utilizing memory foam in covering the ears, there are several noise-canceling earmuffs that you can buy today.

These earmuffs are a valuable addition to your helmet since they effectively create a tight seal around your ears and can also protect you from the cold.

However, before opting for this investment, you must first check if your helmet is compatible with using earmuffs.

Nonetheless, these helmet accessories are excellent buys for their ease of use, effectiveness, and overall user comfort. 

Specially-Designed Earplugs For Motorcycle Helmets

In the same way that earmuffs can minimize motorcycle helmet wind noise, earplugs are also as effective.

Unfortunately, it can be pretty tricky to soundproof your helmet from the wind noise when running at high speed. But it's nothing that the finest motorcycle rider earplugs can't fix.

The use of these earplugs is an effective solution in absorbing the noise that gets into your helmet, thus protect your ears from damage.

They are likewise more convenient to use than earmuffs or memory foam since these earplugs do not take up helmet space.

In addition, these earplugs fit any ear size and will mostly stay secure inside your ears throughout the ride. They also have a unique design that allows you to be aware of what goes on around you because earplugs only filter out distressing frequencies.

Different Types Of Motorcycle Helmets

man holding a motorcycle helmet

Motorcycle helmet producers design this gear to protect the user's head from sudden impact during a crash. Thus, most brands did not have a helmet's acoustic performance in mind when manufacturing it.

Consequently, it will also be best to know its different types and aerodynamics for better understanding. The following are the most common types of motorcycle helmets:

Flip-Up/Modular Helmets

The flip-up or the modular type helmet features a hinged visor with a detachable chin guard. This kind of helmet is ideal for adventure-loving riders and those who seek enhanced convenience and comfort.

The helmet's design allows users to flip up their visor to communicate with others during a quick stop without removing the whole helmet.

You can soundproof an open-faced helmet by securing the chin bar to block the wind noise from entering your helmet during a ride.

While this helmet type offers various advantages, remember that it cannot give the same optimal coverage and protection than a full-faced helmet has.
Since it has a semi-open design, this helmet can't protect you from road debris and allows more exposure to wind noise.

Full-Face Helmets

white and black full-face helmet near grass

This type of helmet is capable of covering your entire head. It offers minimal ventilation, which means that this helmet is a lot quieter than the previous type. Moreover, aside from providing excellent wind and noise protection, a full-faced helmet is also the safest that you can use.

Relatively, it gives the user more protection, considering that the helmet has a fixed visor and a chin guard.

Today, several manufacturers offer various full-faced helmet designs to suit the different needs of every user.

Some would have a unique design that prevents the helmet from lifting at high speeds, and they're more suitable for sports riders. Other full-faced helmets have a lower chin bar and a more straightforward visor opening suitable for adventure riders.

Choosing A Noise-Reducing Motorcycle Helmet

Motorcycle helmets can generate turbulence around the edges where the wind gets in. So to further reduce the damage that wind noise can cause you, here are some factors you need to consider when buying a helmet:

Helmet Aerodynamics

Look for helmets with quiet aerodynamic technologies that are capable of minimizing wind turbulence. Check the exterior features since protrusions like fins and ridges design can significantly impact noise reduction.

Number Of Vents

Check the number of vents or their design in the helmet to determine how the air flows. The less wind that gets in, the quieter your helmet could be. However, lesser vents could also impact overall comfort.

The good news, though, is that several manufacturers offer helmets nowadays with fully adjustable vents. You may open or close such air vents to improve rider breathability.

Visor's Seal Level

A  visor is an adjustable part of the helmet that, with adequate coverage, can create a tight seal. Having a tight seal means no wind can get through to create turbulence, hence, a more peaceful, noise-free ride.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can wind noise damage your hearing?

Exposure to damaging noise levels such as 100 decibels can severely affect your hearing permanently and may even result in hearing loss. The perfect example for reaching this dangerous level is the excessive wind noise that one can encounter at highway speeds.

Too much exposure to engine noise and vibration can pose a hazard to your health, particularly to your hearing. Such noise profoundly resonates in the bones of your ear and could be hard to stop. Some of the hearing issues include noise fatigue, tinnitus, and permanent hearing loss.

Hence, I came up with these valuable tips we earlier discussed for noise-induced problems, which we can thankfully prevent. Knowing how to make a motorcycle helmet quieter works to our advantage since we can now effectively avoid such health hazards.

We can reduce wind noise in a motorcycle helmet with the help of several accessories such as scarves, earmuffs, and earplugs. Similarly, choosing the right helmet type and relevant practices like putting the visor down while riding a motorcycle can also significantly help.

Is it safe to use earplugs to reduce noise while wearing a helmet?

It is perfectly safe to use earplugs as a means of reducing noise while wearing a helmet. These earplugs have a unique design that can help protect your hearing, eliminate noise fatigue, and allow you to hear essential sounds.

Using earplugs can increase your overall safety by enabling you to become more alert while riding your motorcycle. However, before you opt for one, please ensure that your state allows the use of earplugs while riding a motorcycle.

Certain areas within the United States forbid this kind of practice, so best to check on this information first before buying earplugs. While many motorcycle riders detest this law, it won't hurt for you to confirm if the area you live in supports this ordinance or not.

Before we wrap this up, here's a short informative video you can watch on how to get accurate head measurements to get the right helmet size:

Final Thoughts

Learning how to make a motorcycle helmet quieter can help protect your hearing and allow you to start having a better sense of orientation. By enhancing soundproofing measures, you can now react better to what goes on in your surroundings without that disturbing rush of wind.

I hope that the tips we covered in this article can help you with motorcycle helmet noise reduction. These preventive measures can minimize the annoying wind noise and, at the same time, safeguard your hearing wellness.

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