For a rented scooter in Vietnam, a clear visor is the safest choice because it is legal and usable day and night. UN ECE 22.06 requires a visor to have a luminous transmittance of τv ≥ 80 per cent; anything darker (80 per cent > τv ≥ 35 per cent, or ≥ 20 per cent for photochromic and liquid-crystal visors) is only permitted when the visor carries the matching symbol and/or the English words “DAYTIME USE ONLY”. Vietnam’s own standard, QCVN 2:2021/BKHCN, takes the same approach: alongside clear visors it adds a limit of not less than 50 per cent for lightly tinted ones, which must be marked “for daytime use only” in Vietnamese.
Put plainly: a tinted visor is not illegal, it is a daytime visor. If your ride might run past sunset, through a tunnel, or into one of the afternoon downpours that define a Hanoi summer, a clean clear visor will do more for you than any mirrored coating. This guide covers the visor types you will actually meet in Vietnam, what the two standards say, how to stop fogging when it rains, and the five-minute check to run on the helmet handed to you with the bike.
Why eye protection matters more on Vietnamese roads
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On a 110–125cc bike in city traffic and on provincial roads, your eyes deal with four things almost daily: road dust and grit thrown up by trucks, insects along river and paddy roads at dusk, rain that arrives within minutes in summer, and hard glare bouncing off a wet road surface. None of those causes a crash by itself. All of them make you blink, duck your head, or take a hand off the bars to rub your eyes — exactly when you most need to see.
The difference from riding in Europe or North America is speed and density. You rarely sit at 100 km/h, so wind blast is not the problem; heavy stop-start traffic and high humidity are. That flips the priority list. A visor that does not fog while you wait at a red light matters more here than a visor that seals well at highway speed.
Visor types compared
Clear, tinted and iridium
These three differ in one thing only — how much light passes through — and that number decides when you are allowed to use them.
| Visor | Light transmittance | When you can use it | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear | High (ECE: τv ≥ 80%) | Day and night | Safe in every condition, cheap to replace | Glare in hard sun |
| Tinted / smoke | Medium | Daytime only, if marked | Cuts glare, less squinting | Sudden blackout entering a tunnel |
| Iridium / mirrored | Low | Daytime only, bright conditions | Strongest glare control | Scratches easily, dangerous at dusk |
| Photochromic | Varies with light | Day and night, depending on its approval | No visor swap needed | Expensive, not instant to change |
Mirrored visors photograph beautifully and are the worst choice for a multi-day trip in Vietnam, because you cannot predict what time you will arrive. If you want a dark visor, carry a clear one to swap — on most full-face and three-quarter helmets sold today the change takes about a minute by the roadside.
Drop-down sun visors
A very large share of the three-quarter helmets sold in Vietnam have two layers: a clear outer visor plus a thin smoked shield that folds into the shell and drops down on a slider, usually on the left. For this climate it is the most practical arrangement there is. You drop the inner shield in the sun and push it back up entering a tunnel or when the light goes, without stopping to change anything.
Two cautions. First, a drop-down shield is still a tinted visor — it belongs to the daytime-only group, so do not leave it down once it is dark. Second, the slider is the part that fails first on rental helmets. Work it up and down a few times before you sign anything: a sun shield jammed halfway will sit across your line of sight for the whole trip.
What the standards actually say
Most helmet articles skip this, even though it is the only part you can verify. The two standards you meet in Vietnam set different numbers.
UN ECE 22.06 — UN Regulation No. 22, revision 5 — states in its general specifications that visors shall have a luminous transmittance τv ≥ 80 per cent relative to standard illuminant D65. A lower figure, 80 per cent > τv ≥ 35 per cent, or only 20 per cent in the case of photochromic and/or liquid crystal visors, is also permissible if the visor is marked with the corresponding symbol and/or with the English words “DAYTIME USE ONLY”.
QCVN 2:2021/BKHCN is the Vietnamese national technical regulation for motorcycle helmets; it replaced QCVN 2:2008/BKHCN. According to the summary of changes published by Vietnam’s Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality, the 2008 version used the term “windshield” and required a light transmittance of not less than 85 per cent, while the 2021 version switched to “protective visor” and, besides clear visors, added a transmittance figure for lightly tinted visors of not less than 50 per cent, which must carry the note “for daytime use only”.
| Standard | Clear visor | Tinted visor | Required marking |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN ECE 22.06 | τv ≥ 80% | 80% > τv ≥ 35% (photochromic: ≥ 20%) | “DAYTIME USE ONLY” and/or the symbol |
| QCVN 2:2021/BKHCN | Clear protective visor | Not less than 50% (light tint) | Vietnamese note for daytime use only |
| QCVN 2:2008/BKHCN (superseded) | Windshield, not less than 85% | Not separately specified | — |
The practical takeaway: neither system bans tinted visors, and both oblige the manufacturer to say plainly that it is a daytime visor. If you are holding a dark visor and cannot find any such marking anywhere on it, that is a reason to put it back. For the certification marks on helmets in general, see motorcycle helmet types and safety standards.
How to stop a visor fogging in monsoon rain
Fogging is physics, not dirt. Warm, humid breath meets a cooler visor surface and condenses. A Hanoi summer supplies all three ingredients at once: high humidity, rain that chills the outer surface, and long stationary waits with no airflow.
The common fix is an anti-fog insert fitted inside the visor, usually referred to by the brand name Pinlock. It works like double glazing: a second lens is held a fraction of a millimetre off the main visor by a sealed silicone bead, and the trapped layer of air keeps the innermost surface above the dew point, so moisture does not condense on it. The visor needs two pins already fitted for this to work — many helmets do not have them, and rental helmets almost never do.
If your helmet cannot take an insert, three things still work:
- Crack the visor one notch. Most visors have a first detent small enough to let air through without letting rain in. This is the most effective fix while you are moving slowly.
- Direct your breath down. Many three-quarter and full-face helmets include a breath guard; fitted the right way round it pushes exhaled air down past your chin rather than up onto the visor.
- Anti-fog solution. Dive-mask or car-windscreen products work, but the effect fades after a few wet rides and needs reapplying.
Never wipe a fogged visor with a wet sleeve or a tissue. Fine grit sitting on the surface will cut scratches into it, and those scratches are what turn oncoming headlights into a blinding halo after dark. If your trip lands in the rainy season, renting a motorbike during rainy weather lists what to sort out beforehand.
Tinted visor or sunglasses: day and night
Plenty of travellers wear sunglasses under a clear visor instead of buying a tinted one. There is a real advantage: when it gets dark you simply pocket the sunglasses, with no roadside visor change. The drawbacks are that the arms press into your temples under the helmet lining and start to hurt after an hour or so, and that fashion sunglasses carry no impact rating at all.
The working rule is to use one filter, never two. A tinted visor plus sunglasses — or a dropped sun shield plus sunglasses — will leave you close to blind inside a road tunnel or under heavy tree cover on a dyke road in late afternoon. The UK government’s guidance on helmets, visors and goggles says the same thing bluntly: visors marked “Daytime Use Only” should only be used in daytime.
If you are riding in the hottest part of the day, eye protection is one piece of a larger problem — see motorcycle gear for hot weather for how to stay cool without giving up protection.
Checking the visor on a rental helmet
You do not get to choose the helmet that comes with the bike, but you can absolutely refuse a bad visor. Five minutes, before you sign:
- Look through it towards a light source. Fine scratches invisible in shade show up clearly with light behind them — which is exactly the night-riding situation.
- Check both hinges. The visor should hold its position when you let go, and not drop shut over a bump.
- Work the sun-shield slider if the helmet has one, up and down at least three times.
- Look for the marking. A tinted visor with no “DAYTIME USE ONLY” or Vietnamese equivalent anywhere on it is worth asking to swap.
- Check the rubber seal around the aperture — a lifted seal is a channel that runs rainwater straight into your eyes.
The rest of the helmet — strap, liner, fit — is covered in checking a rental helmet before riding. The whole gear topic sits in motorcycle gear and luggage, part of our motorbike travel guides.
Frequently asked questions
Can I be fined for a tinted visor in Vietnam?
QCVN 2:2021/BKHCN sets technical requirements for helmet visors at the manufacturing and import stage, including the not-less-than-50-per-cent figure and the daytime-only marking for light tints. That is a product regulation rather than a penalty aimed at riders. Even so, riding behind a dark visor after dark is a genuine safety risk and worth avoiding.
What if the rental helmet is a half-shell with no visor?
Half-shell helmets usually have no visor. You will need goggles or impact-rated sunglasses, and you should expect rain straight in the face. For a long day or any highway riding, a three-quarter helmet with a visor is the more sensible option.
Are photochromic visors usable at night?
It depends on the individual visor’s approval. ECE 22.06 allows photochromic visors down to τv ≥ 20 per cent in their dark state, still subject to the marking condition. Read what is printed on the visor itself rather than trusting a seller’s description.
Does a Pinlock insert fit any helmet?
No. The visor needs the two pins already installed, and the insert has to match that specific visor model. Standard rental helmets rarely have the pins.
Is a lightly scratched visor worth replacing?
If the scratch sits in your straight-ahead view and shows up with light behind it, yes. You may not notice it by day, but at night every scratch scatters oncoming headlights into a glare halo.
Before you collect the bike
Ask Mr Tú whether the helmet supplied with your bike has a visor and which type, then check it yourself: clear, unscratched, hinges firm. If you are riding for several days or heading out of the city, say so in advance so a suitable helmet can be set aside.
Sources
- UN Regulation No. 22 (ECE 22.06), revision 5, section 6 — UNECE
- Summary of changes in QCVN 2:2021/BKHCN on motorcycle helmets — tcvn.gov.vn
- Motorcycle helmets, visors and goggles — GOV.UK
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