Sometimes an open-face lid is a great option, sometimes it’s a terrible one.
Many flipfront helmets allow you to switch from full-face to open-face and back again in seconds, but flip-over helmets do it better.
Flip-overs have chinbars that can be raised all the way over the helmet and left to rest at the back of the shell.
This gives you better weight distribution than having the chinbar sat on top of your lid, and they also leave the visor behind when flipped, giving you the benefit of proper face protection.
The helmets here have made the cut based on the feedback in Sportsbikeshop customer reviews.
LS2 Advant X Carbon
Customer rating:
LS2's Advant X Carbon is their lightest flipover. The whole shell, including the chinbar section, is made from carbon-fibre and it has an actual sub-1600g weight for a size medium. Of the first 30 reviewers, 25 gave a maximum five stars. Even those who held a star back don't have any significant criticism - tight fit on the cheeks and not enough tint on the sun visor. If you don't need the absolute lightest, the LS2 Advant X is also very popular, with 33 five-star ratings. It's 85g or so heavier in a medium, but is £100 cheaper as we write this.
LS2 Advant II
Customer rating:
In its first season, LS2's entry-level flipover helmet has made a good impression on owners, picking up 13 five-star ratings from the first 15 reviewers. This one runs an all-plastic shell, which normally means tolerating extra weight. Not with the Advant II, which weighs in at 1679g on our scales for a size medium. That's only a few grams more than the fibre-shelled Advant X. Owners speak highly of comfort, build quality and the ease of using the flip mechanism.
Scorpion Exo-Tech Evo
Customer rating:
The second generation of Scorpion's flipover has picked up a good number of reviews and the feedback is largely positive, with 24 five-star ratings from the first 32 reviews. This is one of the helmets where care needs to be taken over sizing, because fit becomes significantly closer when you close the chinbar. This sizing issue is one of the few comments made by riders who dock a star from their review. A couple of other riders also mention noise, which is a common factor with flipover helmets.
HJC F100
Customer rating:
It's still relatively early days for HJC's fibre-shelled flipover, but seven five-star ratings from the first nine reviews is a good way to start. It's quite an upgrade over the i100, which was HJC's first flipover, and that's reflected in positive owner feedback for the F100. It has four shell sizes, so the exterior size is more likely to suit each rider's head, and it also helps on weight. If light weight is the biggest priority, consider the HJC F100 Carbon, which is the lightest touring-spec flipover at an actual 1538g for a size medium.
Nolan N120-1 N-Com
Customer rating:
Two seasons in and Nolan's first flipover is building good momentum on reviews, with 14 five-star ratings from the first 20 customers to leave their opinion. Comfort and ease of use are rated highly by owners, and the only complaints are over noise and some concern about the fiddly nature of the fastening strap. That's a Nolan thing, as their micrometric buckles have a two-stage opening to make them more secure. It's the same with the chinbar opening mechanism, which has an extra button to protect against accidental opening - though no reviewer complained about that being fiddly.