Replying to THE Oakley Goggle Info Thread
I originally posted this in another thread, but I've since been finding A LOT of misconceptions out there about O goggles--I'm writing this based not only on the fact I work for Oakley and sell their product every day, but also because I've personally skiied every goggle in the lineup for years, in every condition imaginable. Here goes:
At the risk of sounding biased because I work for Oakley, here's the main selling points on the goggles, and the reasons why even after I stop working for them I will never buy from another brand.
1) Optical clarity. This is a term thrown around all over the sunglass/goggle industry, and because no one really understands what it is people end up buying shitty goggles because they have "superior" or "great" optical clarity. When you put a piece of plastic over your eyes your eyes naturally compensate, because you're looking through a lens. If optical clarity is even a little bad, if you wear the gogs for 5 hours straight you WILL experience headaches/eyestrain, and in most cases people don't know where it comes from. What competitors don't tell you is that Oakley optical clarity surpasses the rest of the market, hands down. It's around double the industry standard, and significantly better than its next best competitor in this category, Smith. It is as close to the optical clarity of your naked eye that you can get in a polycarbonate lens.
For more info on this, Oakley has some pretty dramatic testing data on its website that's worth checking out. Want something more independent? Private Pilot magazine has tested sunglasses for optical clarity for years and Oakley kills it. Also google ANSIZ87 for independent pattern testing.
2) Durability. O-matter frame material is patented and for good reason--it is insanely flexible. Plutonite (purest form of polycarb on the market) is also the most durable, most highly impact-resistant material available to the public. I have slammed A-Frames in a car trunk and had them bend the opposite way, and they've just bounced back.
3)Ventilation. A-Frames and Crowbars will never fog on you if you wear them correctly. The reason for this is the 2 lens system (acetate on the inside, plutonite on the outside) that keeps the hot air on the inside and the cold air on the outside. Only Oakley makes the 2 lens system well enough so that you never experience the dreaded fog between the 2 lenses, the mark of death for any other gog on the market.
I've seen the (INDEPENDENT) testing that goes into these things, and I've seen how other companies' stuff compares in the exact same tests. There really is absolutely no reason I can find to go with another companies' goggle.Â
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