Nothing ruins a good riding day like getting something in your eye. Aside from the helmet, a good pair of goggles is probably the most important riding gear to wear. Protecting your eye sight is extremely important when riding.
Low hanging branches can hit your eyes causing permanent damage, and dirt flying up can get in your eyes limiting your visibility. Don’t forget about dust, mud, and bugs too.
I’ve used quite a few different pairs of goggles over the years, and the ones I use now are simple, easy to use, and do a great job protecting your eyes. I recommend the Fox Racing Goggles found here on Amazon. They’re inexpensive and work just as well as some of the higher end goggles I’ve tried. The view port is large enough to see everything in your path, and it has a triple layer face foam for comfort. If I ever need new goggles, I would get these again no question.
There are a few things to look out for when buying a pair of riding goggles. You want to make sure they will fit your helmet, and are comfortable on your face. And, depending on where you ride, if you need tinted goggles or not.
Here are a few things to consider:
- Durable Lenses With UV Protection
- Strong Lightweight Frame
- Tight And Secure Fit
- Good Face Foam
Goggle Lenses
Make sure you get a good durable pair of goggle that are scratch resistant and have UV protection. I do most of my riding in trails that have trees providing shade. If you ride a lot in open areas where the sun will get into your eyes, you might want to consider a pair of goggles that have some tinting in the lenses. I find that just the 100% UV protection of the Fox Goggles I mentioned above, is enough to mellow out the harshness of the bright sunlight.
Polarized lenses will help you see more detail during your rides. If you have a hard time seeing things on the trail or further ahead of you, you might want to get a polarized lens for your goggles. Make sure you get a pair of goggles with some sort anti-fog technology. Most of them have them, but It can’t hurt to double check.
Get a brand that makes replacement lenses. Sometimes the lenses brake and instead of having to buy a whole pair of goggle, you can save some money by just buying a lens. If you wear prescription glasses, make sure your goggles will fit over your glasses, most goggles will.
Goggle Frames
Most quality goggles will have an extremely durable frame, able to withstand even the worst impacts. I wouldn’t go hitting them with a hammer, but if you get a good pair of goggles you shouldn’t have to worry too much about the frame.
A good frame should feel light and flexible, but still remain durable and comfortable. The frames of your goggles should protect your face and eyes from the elements. The lenses should be snug in the frame and shouldn’t be rattling around while you’re riding.
Tight And Secure Fit
Your goggles should be firmly pressed onto your face. You don’t want your goggles moving around on you while you’re riding. This can be distracting and allow dust and dirt to get into your eyes.
Get a pair of goggles with a nice and thick adjustable strap. Make sure the strap pulls tight and stays in one place. I found that a non-slip silicone strap works best at keeping the goggles stuck to your helmet.
Face Foam
Having a good amount and good quality face foam is essential to keeping sweat from dripping into your eyes and onto your lenses. Having this happen can cloud your vision and could be dangerous. Get a pair of goggles with a good face foam lining that won’t irritate your skin. I’ve had a cheap pair of goggles before that made my face itchy every time I wore them.
Most decent goggles will have either double or triple layer technology in the face foam that prevent moisture from clouding up your vision.
Options
I will stick with my original recommendation of the Fox Racing Goggles from Amazon. They do the trick, and have been the best goggles for the money.
If you want the high end expensive pair of goggles with excellent lenses check out these Oakley Airbrake Jet Goggles on Amazon. These are too expensive for me, but if you want the best, there you go. The lenses are made with Prism technology that fine tunes vision for different environments, they are really cool looking too.
If you want to go a cheaper route, these Dmeixs Motocross Goggles found here on Amazon will work. They are dust proof, wind proof, anti-fog, anti-UV, and have colorful lenses.
If you race or get really muddy when riding, you might want to check out these Scott Prospect WFS Goggles on Amazon. They are more expensive than the Fox Goggles I use, but they are a top shelf pair of goggles. They come with a roll-off vision system lets you clear a 50mm strip across the lens to clear your view when it gets dirty.
To check out other ATV riding gear suggestions, go to the recommended gear section of this site. It’s all gear I use and tested out myself.