# Flat light goggles on a budget?



## Kenai (Dec 15, 2013)

I like my Smith I/O goggles. (I assume you know I/O S is for smaller faces.) There is no magic lens, but the sensor lens and the red mirrored are both good. The I/O is the first goggle with interchangeable lenses that I actually swapped out the lenses regularly because it is so easy. I have been so happy with them that when I saw a pair for sale here cheap I bought them just for the backup frame and a couple more lenses.


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## extra0 (Jan 16, 2010)

I hated my Smith I/O. They fogged up between the lenses and ruined a deep powder day (forgot to bring my backup goggles). Tried them a few more times, just to make sure, and they fogged every time. Also, the lenses weren't much, if any, faster to change out than other brands (keeping fully set-up spare goggles in your car is still the fastest/easiest option).

Sold the I/O and used the money to buy two complete sets of Dragon "Rogue"...and still had a bunch of money left over!

My flat light Rogue have the "Yellow Blue Ion" lens. They work fine for overcast days in California...but you might want to go for one of their even higher VLT lenses for the PNW (like "pink ionized" or just "yellow"). My sunny day Rogue have the "Red Ion" lens (goggles I'm wearing in my avatar) and they're equally excellent. Just as good as Smith...but much less expensive and without the fog.

(btw, Rogue are the same model Gigi Ruf wears, so that says something about their quality)

I also almost bought the Spy "Marshall" because they look pretty cool and are also inexpensive (probably a little higher quality than Dragon)...but once I tried the Rouge, there was no reason to look further.


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## kalev (Dec 17, 2013)

Well its highly subjective since everyone's face is shaped differently, and our eyes interpret light differently, but for me the Smith I/O Blue Sensor was the best 'flat' light lens for interior BC (which I'm assuming is similar to PNW).


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

the standard, i.e., most locals wear at bakes is the smith blue sensor mirror either in the old fuse (smaller and less expensive) or I/O...I got both fuse and I/O and 95% of the time the blue sensor mirror lens is used due to our flat light, pukage, and shade.


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## hikeswithdogs (Sep 23, 2011)

Yellow or clear seem to work best in flat light for me, they also double well as night riding gogs.


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## SteepNDeep (Sep 21, 2016)

I've always been an Oakley fan, and I love my Crowbars now. For stormy to overcast conditions, I use the HI-Yellow lenses but when it's sunny I use the black lenses. This combo has never let me down.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

I have the Smith IO with red, blue and yellow sensor (and sol-x).

Above treeline, in white in white flat light or fog, I prefer the yellow sensor lense by far over red or blue.

In flat light in trees, the red sensor was ok for me, but my eyes liked the blue sensor a tad better. Both are good lenses to wear all day if it's e.g. a cloudy day, when cloud patches give shades and change with sunny patches and you don't want to change lenses alla time; they're bright enough for the shades but dark enough for sunny patches. 

(The sol-x is perfect on very bright sunny days, i.e. glaring light)

I never had fogging up problems with them riding in a resort.


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## Justin (Jun 2, 2010)

https://ca.zealoptics.com/en/shop/accessory-lenses/sky-blue-mirror

Not may people talk about zeal but so far i have had good experiences with them.

These are pretty much just clear with a slight mirror.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

I'm a big fan of full blown dark shades for sunshine, or a straight yellow for clouds or snow... Yellow owns.

smith's blue sensor mirror is probably the best all rounder


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## Fire Rose (Feb 15, 2016)

Thanks guys. I went into REI and tried on a pair of IOS and they weren't fitting me right, so I would probably need the full size IO. I figured out how to adjust the fit of my Scott goggles to fit better so they aren't fogging as badly. I think I'm going to hang onto them as long as I can so I can take advantage of end of the season sales if possible.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

I have some Anon M2s with a brand new low light lens for $100. The sunny day lens is a bit jacked, but that one I think is $60. Theyre this years M2 too with MFi.


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## jerry gnarcia (Feb 11, 2017)

Anyone tried Smith's ChromaPop Storm yet? Not sure how much is hype. Wondering if the tech is worth trading off the VLT for (only 50%) or if it's actually just easier to see in flat light with their Yellow sensor.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

jerry gnarcia said:


> Anyone tried Smith's ChromaPop Storm yet? Not sure how much is hype. Wondering if the tech is worth trading off the VLT for (only 50%) or if it's actually just easier to see in flat light with their Yellow sensor.


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## jerry gnarcia (Feb 11, 2017)

^too bad those fog too easily!


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

jerry gnarcia said:


> ^too bad those fog too easily!


that's why Jer used psychopops....burns right through the fog


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

To help with your fogging issues make sure you take your goggles and hang them separately from everything else, they have to dry out. If you're falling alot or getting alot of snow from faceshots/puking conditions then fogging will happen due to wet lens ventilation. I have not found a goggle that I cant fog. I have been happiest with smith IOX. I use blue sensor, my yellow sensors got snapped in half on a fall. Yellow were great for the worst of days. Blue sensor are generally what I use 90% of the time. On sunny april/may days I use the red solx.


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

Can't believe I missed this thread before. I've tried the fancy lenses, so far the best flat light goggles for me are standard blue blockers like this: Smith Cascade Classic Snow Goggles Men's: Smith Canada

The bonus is they're $35 a pair. The have no fancy tech, and that's okay by me.


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## Fielding (Feb 15, 2015)

https://www.amazon.com/Traverse-Sno...id=1487859943&sr=1-1&refinements=p_4:Traverse

These are the best cheap goggles I've seen ever. Large field of view. Spherical lenses. I own the clear ones, they have about 80% lights transmission I would guess, they are great for flat light and night riding. I also have the dark gray ones with no mirroring. I bought these on a whim after destroying a couple of lenses for expensive goggles. I can't live with scratches. Those lenses are expensive to replace. So I think I'll be rolling with cheap goggles for a while. These things totally beat the shit out of the cheap goggles you would buy at the mountain if you forgot yours. Cheap Bolle or Smith completely suck compared to these.


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## Fire Rose (Feb 15, 2016)

I was given a pair of goggles as a present. While shopping I was directed to asain fit goggles since regular goggles either gap over my nose or press on my sinuses enough to give me a headache. I tried on a bunch of Oakley, Smith and a few other brands asain fit goggles. They did fit a lot better.

Anyways I ended up finding a pair of VonZipper Skylab asain fit goggles that came with a mirrored gold lens for really bright days and a yellow lens. The yellow lens is working really well for me for the cloudy days and nights. I think the biggest difference is that they aren't fogging nearly as much as my last pair since they fit way better. I wish I had a mid light lens since the gold lens is only good on very bright days.


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## robotfood99 (Mar 19, 2016)

Fire Rose said:


> I wish I had a mid light lens since the gold lens is only good on very bright days.




Try the quasar chrome lens. Its my fav VZ all-conditions lens. Its relatively inexpensive and easily found, ebay/backcountry link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/252659012117


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