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How to wear a face shield

Updated: October 2026

The visor has just come out of the packet and it looks green, cloudy, or slightly blue, or it slides up your forehead when you look down at the trimmer head. That is usually film, fit, or a screen that stops short of your chin, not a tint you are meant to keep. This is how to wear a face shield for the first hour, on a clear sheet or a mesh browguard, before you start the tool. The listings are on the [face protection comparison](/hub/occupational-safety/face-protection). Marks and price bands are the [safety visor buying guide](/hub/occupational-safety/face-protection/sub/face-protection-buying-guide). Mesh or clear is [mesh visor or clear visor](/hub/occupational-safety/face-protection/sub/face-protection-mesh-or-clear). If the plastic is cracked or the mesh is torn, replace the screen before the steps below. We did not laboratory-test a visor. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The visor has just come out of the packet and it looks green, cloudy, or slightly blue, or it slides up your forehead when you look down at the trimmer head.

Our top picks

Oregon Oregon Q515061 mesh and muffs

Best overall

Oregon Oregon Q515061 mesh and muffs
8.9/10about £22.79
View offer
Jackson Safety Jackson Safety 14200 Maxview

Alternative

Jackson Safety Jackson Safety 14200 Maxview
7.5/10about £39.12
View offer
Portwest Portwest PW91 clear browguard

Best value

Portwest Portwest PW91 clear browguard
8.4/10about £14.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Put the headband on before you start the tool
  2. 2.Peel the film, then check glasses
  3. 3.Mesh under the chin, clear screen in your line of sight
  4. 4.Clean it, and replace it when you cannot see

Put the headband on before you start the tool

Set the headgear with the tool switched off and the cutting head on the ground. A ratchet such as the Portwest PW91 wheel or the Jackson 14200 Speed Dial tightens at the crown. Turn it until the band sits low and even, then nod. If the visor climbs, the band is too high or too loose. An elastic strap, on the Gaomumu or the Generic mask, has no hinge. One reviewer wanted a headband that lifts, so you take a strap shield off rather than parking it. Hestya's two-pack draws complaints that the crown strap comes undone, and several reviewers put a fit limit near 60 cm even at full adjustment. That figure is from reviews, not a size chart. If the strap pops on the walk to the lawn, it will pop when the trimmer vibrates. The four-pack bullets say the visor can be raised on a ratchet. Try that once, machine off. One Oregon mesh reviewer says the visor often does not stay up. A screen that falls onto your nose mid-pass is not a feature if the listing never promised a lock.

Peel the film, then check glasses

Portwest's PW91 bullets say a blue or green film is on both sides and must be peeled before use. Reviewers say the visor is clear after that. Jackson's bullets do not mention film, and Jackson reviewers still find it on both sides. If a new shield looks tinted, look for a loose corner on the outside and again on the inside. Peel slowly. A patch left in the middle looks like fog. Do not scrub the film off with a dry cloth. You will scratch the polycarbonate and then blame the visor. Mesh screens in this set are not described as filmed. A dull mesh is oil or dust, not a packing layer. STIHL's UK grass-trimmer guidance says wear safety glasses and a visor, because a visor alone does not adequately protect the eyes. Glasses go on first, then the browguard. Oregon's muffs bullets say goggles can be worn underneath. If frames touch the screen, or the muffs on the Q515061 break their seal over the arms, change the glasses before you start. Mesh is not UV protection, so sunglasses under it are about glare.
Oregon Oregon Q515061 mesh and muffs

Testsieger

Oregon Oregon Q515061 mesh and muffs
8.9/10about £22.79
View offer

Mesh under the chin, clear screen in your line of sight

Debris from a trimmer or a grinder does not arrive only at eye height. It comes up from the cutting head, under a visor that stops at the mouth. One Oregon mesh review says to pull the mesh below the chin. Do that with the band already tight, and look down at the work. You should see the job through the screen, not through a gap at your collar. If you can fit two fingers under the bottom edge in that posture, the screen is short. The Jackson 14200 adds a chin guard, at 794 g, so the trade is weight against coverage. A clear screen has to sit in your line of sight after the film is off. The Portwest wheel and the Jackson ratchet both change the angle. Set it, then leave it. If the visor will not stay up, do not start with it balanced on your brow. Either it is down, over the face, or it is off. Glare through mesh in low sun is normal. JSP notes that mesh is not a UV block. Do not bend the wires to close the holes. If you are grinding and the only screen you own is mesh, stop and use a clear marked visor before the first spark.

Clean it, and replace it when you cannot see

Wash polycarbonate with mild soap and water, then air dry, or pat it with a clean soft cloth. That is the Portwest line and the Gaomumu line. The Oregon Q515061 says the same, and it says not to machine wash the muffs set. Do not use a solvent, a cream cleaner, or the dry hem of a shirt. The listings do not name one, and Jackson reviewers already mention scratches. A scratched sheet is how you end up working with the screen pushed up. Rinse mesh. Do not poke the holes. A torn wire is a gap. Mesh does not fog the way a sheet can. Jackson reviewers say that clear shield did not mist, so do not assume every polycarbonate visor fogs, and do not treat the Gaomumu anti-fog claim as a measurement. If a clear visor mists, the inner film may still be on, or the sheet is too close to your mouth. Replace the screen when you cannot see, when the plastic is cracked, or when the mesh is torn. Portwest's spare for the PW91 is the PW92, sold separately. The Jackson listing does not name a lens, and one reviewer could not find one. A mount you cannot identify a part for is the point to stop, not the point to add tape. Eye injuries are NHS care. Paid tree work, molten metal, and unknown chemicals are where a professional takes over.

Common questions

Why is the visor green or cloudy?
On a new clear visor it is usually the film. Portwest prints that it is blue or green and on both sides. Jackson reviewers report the same. Peel both faces. If it is still cloudy, you are looking at a scratch or dirt, not a tint you should keep.
How far down should the mesh sit?
Below the chin when you look down at the work. One Oregon mesh reviewer says to pull it that far. A gap to your collar is a path for chips. Glasses still sit underneath, because the visor is not the eye protection on its own.
Can I wear my normal glasses underneath?
Often, not always. Oregon's muffs bullets say goggles fit underneath. A Portwest reviewer with glasses finds the PW91 useful. One Gaomumu reviewer doubted glasses would fit as well. Put the glasses on first, tool off. If the muffs lose their seal, change the glasses or the muffs before you start.
How do I clean it without scratches?
Mild soap and water, then air dry. That is the Portwest, Gaomumu, and Oregon muffs line, and the Oregon line adds no machine wash. Do not dry-wipe dusty polycarbonate, and do not use a solvent the listing never names. Rinse mesh. Do not force the holes.
What if the headband comes undone?
Stop. On the Hestya two-pack, reviewers describe a strap that will not hold, especially above about 60 cm. Retie it only if it survives a nod and a walk. If it opens again, that visor is not ready for a powered tool.
The visor will not stay up. Is that a fault?
It is a problem if you needed it parked and the listing never promised a lock. One Oregon mesh reviewer says the visor often does not stay up. Use it fully down, over the chin, or take it off. Do not run the tool with the screen on your brow.
When do I stop and replace the screen?
When it is cracked, torn, or so scratched that you keep lifting it to see. The PW91 spare is the PW92. If the mount has failed and you cannot name the part, stop using that visor. An eye injury is for the NHS, not for a tighter band.

Related pages

Safety glasses

Face protection

Best face shield in this set: top pick or best value

Safety visor buying guide: hazard first, then the mark

Mesh visor or clear visor for chips, dust or splash

A strimmer face shield for stones, glasses and noise

Sources

Public UK sources listed below, last checked on 20 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures for these eight listings. The price bands are this set, not a market average.

  1. HSE: using the right type of PPE (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE: chainsaw PPE (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE: PPE product supply (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. PPE at Work Regulations 1992, regulation 4 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. BSI: BS EN 1731:2006 mesh eye and face protectors (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. DBT notice 0142/26, 15 October 2026 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. BSI eyewear transition webinar, EN 166 date (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Portwest PW91CLR datasheet (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  9. STIHL UK: grass-trimmer PPE (retrieved 20 October 2026)