AXMINSTER SAFETY VISOR

VERDICT

Not all visors are the same even if they tend to follow the same principles of design. The typical full-face versions tend to have screens that splay out slightly, which is beneficial for deflecting debris away from the wearer. This has the bonus of offering much if not total ear protection, too. But that’s what ear defenders are for, not just noise. If you don’t yet own full face, ear and head protection you’ll be hard pushed to do better than Draper’s excellent 3-in-1 combo. It was a fiddle to assemble, but is comfortable and effective in all three departments. If you need to work in confined spaces, the defenders are best worn to reduce the height and although the headband is comfortable, it’s not as easy to tighten or loosen quickly as the ratchet types. The flip-up visor is a neat touch.

Laser’s unconventional ice hockey-esque face shield and goggles design certainly surprised me, as a spectacle wearer. It was very comfortable to wear and on test I couldn’t make the lens mist up thanks to the well-placed vents. My only reservation was my exposed forehead but other than that, a revelation. The three remaining conventional visors offer similar protection levels which will inspire users to get close to their work if necessary. All three can suffer from misting but they also demist quickly if you learn to exhale downwards through your mouth.

Silverline’s visor is worth praising for its comfort and price while including a headband ratchet. Sealey’s visor works much better than it looks and is both easy to adjust in use and comfortable to wear. For value and design, Axminster’s fresh-looking visor wins the overall award for comfort, ease of use, that screen edge protector and compact design. If forehead protection isn’t essential to you, try the Laser goggles and be pleasantly surprised. Whichever you buy, you’ll be saving your eyes and face – which makes all of our contenders great value for money.