Vision problem: wearing glasses and contact lenses on a motorcycle

Optimal vision is required to operate a two-wheeled motorized vehicle. Visual defects are found in more than two-thirds of the French. Wearing sunglasses on a motorcycle is necessary not only in case of visual impairment, but also for protection from the sun. The next question is: what to choose: glasses or lenses? 

Before confirming your choice, check out the strengths of these motorcycle accessories and our tips in our article. To make the best choice, you need to think about comfort and safety at the same time. 

The best visual acuity is certainly related to your eye health, so an ophthalmologist checkup every two years is essential to check your vision. Bikers have a choice between two vision correction devices: glasses and contact lenses. 

Advantages of glasses for driving a motorcycle

Wear prescription glasses 

Considered more practical glasses continue to attract bikers. They offer a wide range of frames. However, glasses can cause shadows, image distortion and fogging due to the distance between the lenses and the eyes. Compared to lenses, glasses are more likely to break, get lost, fog up in the rain, and get dirty easily.

In the event of an accident, they can exacerbate injuries. Equipment manufacturers now offer spectacles with special lenses that limit the effects of falls. Anti-fog goggles are also available. Products applied to the inside of the visor are used to eliminate fogging. Playing with vents can also combat fogging. 

Wear motorcycle sunglasses.

Good quality sunglasses are recommended when the weather is sunny. You just need to choose the right ones for driving. They significantly improve contrast sensitivity. Sunglasses are useful for UV protection and glare. We distinguish between UV filtration and light filtration. 

Lenses that provide UV protection must filter 100% UV A and UVB. There are 5 metrics for light filtering. Sunglasses are recommended that filter light with indexes 1, 2, 3. Remember that index 4 is prohibited by the rules.

You have a wide selection of colors: blue, pale green, gray, military green or brown. Polycarbonate lenses are recommended. They hardly break. Mineral lenses sometimes cause eye damage due to broken glass. Polarized lenses are not recommended for motorcycle use and cannot be combined with helmet screens, even if they have good anti-reflective properties. 

How to choose a good model of glasses suitable for riding a motorcycle

Glasses models continue to multiply. In order to make the right choice and wear glasses comfortably, several criteria should be considered.

First of all, you should avoid frames that are too wide and temples that are too thick, which are unpleasant in the long run. In fact, this type of frame does not fit well with a helmet and is irritating to the face and ears. A bezel that is too large can also affect vision. The ideal solution is to choose a model that goes well with your helmet, feel free to try it with your helmet before confirming your choice. 

If neither model fits your helmet, you will need to purchase a new helmet. Keep in mind that it is difficult to find goggles that are compatible with your helmet. Standard helmet models create pressure points with goggles, move goggles and alter vision. Special helmets with goggle recesses provide greater stability and safety. Open face helmets may be compatible but are not guaranteed to be safe. You should also have a spare pair of goggles for riding your motorcycle. 

Enveloping forms are recommended. In addition, the very thin temples made from flexible materials provide greater comfort.

Night driving brings more inconvenience to motorcyclists with glasses, such as headlights, duplicate images. To fix this, you can also order anti-reflective and anti-scratch glasses. Helps protect against halo from headlights and street lighting. 

The benefits of contact lenses

The use of lenses on a motorcycle requires consultation with an ophthalmologist. A professional will take care to test if the eyes will hold up to their eyes. They should give off enough tears. Lenses are usually anti-fog. The fogging problem is usually caused by moist air from the breath that condenses on the glasses. This privilege is associated with the tear fluid, which constantly moisturizes them. 

Lenses have other benefits as well. They offer an aesthetic advantage and a wider field of view than glasses due to the lack of a rim. By following the movements of the eyes, they retain the entire field of view. With wider peripheral vision, the use of lenses involves a closed visor, which prevents drafts from drying out the eyes. Bikers who wear contact lenses can also wear motorcycle goggles at the same time. 

There are many types of lenses. We can promote flexible models, rigid and semi-rigid models. Rigid models are not recommended as they cause abrasion or swelling of the cornea. Contact lens wear also requires very good hygiene. To avoid eye irritation, regular cleaning with suitable cleaning agents is essential. Lenses require more maintenance than glasses.