There are tons of visors and helmets out there but are all visors universal?
The most popular hockey visor companies are Bauer, CCM, Warrior, Oakley, and Ronin. Most of the visors come with standardized fittings and hardware to allow them to be attached to other helmet brands. For example, a Bauer visor will fit a CCM helmet. I have noticed that the Warrior PX+ helmet is an exception to this and needs a Warrior-specific cage or visor.
There could be some minor exceptions depending on the age of the helmet and brand. Certain helmets and visors have been known to work together but cause squeezing of the temples which can be uncomfortable. Read on to find the best fitting visor for your helmet.
Are Hockey Visors Universal?
Most hockey visors are built to fit hockey helmets universally. Visors are usually sent with different sets of hardware and spacers in order to make sure they fit flush against the helmet.
Sometimes you will find that you need slightly longer or shorter screws in order to make visors fit appropriately or you may have a little gap that needs to be filled by using a spacer. This hardware is included with new visors.
There is one notable exception that I have come across. one of the more popular visors right now is the Bauer Pro Clip Straight Visor. This will fit CCM helmets but it will not fit the Warrior PX+ helmet.
This is one of the only issues that we have found with newer equipment. As stated earlier most of the new visors and helmets are standardized and should work well with each other.
An important thing to note is that visors tend to only work well with adult or senior-sized hockey helmets. Oftentimes visors will not fit junior-sized helmets.
This is to promote safety for younger kids. So if you happen to be an adult with a tiny head you might have trouble finding a visor that will work with your helmet.
Some other notable issues with visors and helmets being compatible are with older gear. The chart below will help anybody buying older gear off of a second-hand marketplace decide if your helmet and visor are compatible.
| Helmet | Visors That DO NOT Fit |
| Reebok 8K/6K/4K Small | Bauer X100 |
| CCM Vector V04/V05/V08/V10 Small | Bauer X100 |
| Bauer 4500/3500 X-Small | Bauer RBE1 |
| Bauer 1500 Large | Bauer HS22 Prowave |
| Bauer 1500 Small | Bauer X100 |
| Mission M95 Large | Bauer HS22 Prowave |
| Mission M95 Medium | Bauer X100 |
| Cascade Medium/Large/X-Large | Bauer HS22 Prowave, HS22 Straight |
How Do You Attach A Hockey Visor To A Helmet?
It’s probably a good idea to go ahead and purchase a hockey helmet repair kit just in case, even though the hardware is included with your visor, you just never know what might happen. And plus its just a good idea to have one of these kits in your bag at all times.
There are two ways that hockey visors attach to your hockey helmet.
- Screwed directly to your helmet
- Attached to the helmet with clips
The attachment point for your visor, regardless if it will be attached by screws or by clips is near the temple area, right in front of your ears.
If your previous helmet came with a cage you are going to have to remove the cage portion and also the clips on the side of your helmet called J-clips. The top of your cage would slide into those and stop the cage from moving upwards any further. The holes where the J-clips used to be attached are most likely the same holes that you will use to attach your visor.
When attaching a visor one of the things that will come with it in the box is a set of Tee nuts. Its best to remove the old tee nuts that came with your helmet and use the ones provided. To do this you will have to lift the padding on your helmet.
If your visor screws directly into your helmet you may have to install a spacer between the shell of your helmet and your visor depending on fit. But if you have a clip-in visor you will need to attach the clips to your helmet before attaching the visor.
With either method, screwed in or clipped in, its best to not fully tighten your screws down until you get the visor attached on both sides. This way you can adjust the visor and get it to sit exactly where you want it to before you tighten it securely in place.
When thinking about where you want your visor to sit you definitely do not want it to be angled up or down too much. If angled up you may get a better view but you are really sacrificing protection. If you angle your visor down you are sacrificing comfort.
How Do I Size A Hockey Visor?
For the most part, visors come in standard sizes. You don’t have to worry about getting large or small visors to match your hockey helmet.
But where your options do come in is straight cut vs wave cut vs short cut.
Straight-cut visors are the same height from one side to the other. Wave cut visors have a little more length in the middle and on the sides. This provides a bit more protection around the cheeks. Short-cut visors are one length but shorter than the straight cut.
Typically straight cut visors are about 3 inches and wave cut visors are a bit longer the cheek portions measure in at 3 ⅝” and tapers in the middle to 3.5”. Short-cut visors are 2 ¾” long.
How Should I Choose A Hockey Visor?
I read a line on one of the Reddit hockey threads that said:
“If you sign your hockey checks on the back, wear a visor. If you sign your hockey checks on the front, wear a cage.”
I love that saying because it is exactly how I feel.
I will not wear a visor in a beer league hockey game. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been hit in the face with a wild swinging stick. Totally an accident but accidents still hurt.
I would always recommend players wear a full face shield. You don’t have to wear an entire cage. There are other options for you as well. They have hybrids available. Where you can get a visor on the top for maximum vision and a cage on the bottom for great protection.
Bauer, CCM, and Warrior all make full-face shields.
My favorite face shield and the one I currently use is one from hockey ninja made by Ronin. Its unique design looks a little goofy but it has a metal cage on the top which I have found offers great airflow which helps with fogging and durability.
Many Bauer and CCM visors are made with plastic material where they attach to the helmet and my last Bauer face shield broke at that point. The Ronin face shields are also built so that if your shield gets scratched or damaged, you can buy a replacement visor instead of an entirely new setup.
Enough of my opinion though. I get the appeal for the visors. They look badass, have much better airflow, and offer great vision.
Most of the newer visors are made with scratch resistance and anti-fog built into them. And many use the same pattern, ether wave or straight cut. Choose a wave-cut visor if you are wanting more protection. After protection, I think price point and brand loyalty should be your major selecting factors since most visors are pretty similar in quality at this point.
If you are getting a visor this article will help you out in the future.