Millions of Motocross ( Dirt Bike ) races are held everywhere all over the World. In these races, the rider uses their every inch of skill & power to show their dominance over rough terrains, hard turns, jumps, and other challenging, adventurous areas. These motocross riders push themselves & their motorbikes to their limits in pursuit of an eccentric adrenaline rush.
In road races, there is no debris, and all you need is sunglasses & a single thin-lens helmet to protect your eyes. In Contrast, dirt races have tracks covered in dirt, rocks, tree branches, and all other things you can imagine. So, strong impact-lens Goggles are needed for protection, and special modifications must be built-in to constantly remove dirt.
If you are a dirt rider looking for the best Dirt Bike Goggles, you have come to the right place. In this blog, we will guide you about 10 basic necessary things if you want a safe, comfortable, and clear-view ride.
10-Steps Buying Guide
- Side Vision
- Frame Fitting
- Built-in Outriggers
- Strap Size & Design
- Lenses Color & Tints
- Tear Offs Vs. Roll-Offs
- Fog & Sweat Prevention
- Detachable Nose Guard & Face Mask
- Additional Features
- Storage Case
1) Side Vision
“Keeping track of adjacent bikers & planes is one of the critical factors that help you win the race and avoid accidents.”
But most cheap stake Goggles are flat, have less lens area, and distort the peripheral view. With these low-quality lenses,
- First, you will not be able to see beside you.
- Secondly, even if you could see, the image will either be enlarged or small because the light rays get bent at the wrong angle along the periphery of the lenses.
So, always ensure that your Motocross Goggles have big Spherical Lenses, and when you wear them, nothing at all or only a small piece of the frame comes between the side view and your eyes.
Premium companies have made their Goggle Lens with variable thickness, thicker at the center and thinner at the edges, which eliminates light rays distortion and gives you a right peripheral view. Make sure the seller has this modification mentioned on the packing.
2) Frame Fitting
“Frame is like a skeleton in a human body, on which everything fits.”
If your Goggle frame does not have a snug fit on your face, it will keep slipping, allowing the dirt & air in, which will make your face tired and may even hurt it.
To avoid all this, you must consider the following factors in a right Goggles Frame;
- a) Size
- b) Material
- c) Multiple Foam Layers
- d) Open Vs. Full-Face Helmets Compatibility:
a) Size
Most Motocross Goggles in the market are unisexual, meaning they have the same dimensions for various ages & features of male and female faces. These Goggles will fit most population faces with 90% or even 99% perfection.
But in some cases ( for Asian people with small faces ), these One-Size fit for All Goggles will cause some gaps while wearing, which may make the goggles slide down during rides and cause a lot of trouble.
Hence, always wear & check a lot of Goggles for a tight fit before buying. Special Small & Large are also rarely available if Unisex ones are incompatible with you.
b) Material
All the famous manufacturers built their MX Goggles frames with Polyurethane thermoplastic material, while other cheap producers use low-quality plastic.
The benefit of polyurethane over plastic is that it can bend a lot; the ends of the Goggles can touch each other if bent and the frame does not break. Hence, the Flexible material mold in real-time according to different people’s facial bone structures, making a comfortable & tight fit.
c) Multiple Foam Layers
Foam Padding is very important in Goggles in 2 ways;
Comfort: Riding a bike on uneven terrains causes a lot of shocks, and the foam padding is the only thing that stops the Goggles frame from bumping into your head and hurting it badly.
- Provides a Seal: A lot of Dirt & Debris from the ground and air is always reaching your face, and without a proper Foam seal between your face & Goggles, all this can get inside your eyes, block your view, and probably end in an accident.
Some Brands use 1 or 2-layers of padding, which may provide a good seal but not enough comfort. At the same time, other premium brands use mostly 3 or even 4 extra-thick foam layers for proper comfort & sealing. So, always buy at least 3-layers of Foam Padded Goggles.
d) Open Vs. Full-Face Helmets Compatibility
In Dirt Bikes, 2-kinds of Helmets are famous;
- i) Open-Face Helmets provide a high flow of open air on the face and cause coolness. But provide no safety to the front face.
- ii) Full-face Helmets offer 100% safety to face, but they block air and cause hotness, humidness, and may even suffocation during scorching seasons.
Almost all bike owners have both these helmets. And mostly, in both these helmets, you have to buy Goggles separately. But not all Dirt Bike Goggles are made to fit with both these helmets interchangeably; some may fit with open helmets, not with full-face ones, and so on.
So, it is always suggested to ensure that when you change helmets, you can use the same goggles with them.
3) Built-in Outriggers
“Outriggers are Extensions on the Sides of the Original Frame, where straps are attached to the Goggles.”
Outriggers allow the original frame sides to slide further deep into the helmet while they stay outside of the helmet, providing an attachment point for straps above the helmet. In this way, your Goggles fit way more tightly, with the least chance of slipping and hindering your view.
Outriggers are not present in all Goggles, but they are not hard to find. Before buying, always make sure your favorite Goggles have one.
4) Strap Size & Design
“Strap is the main factor responsible for holding the Goggles in their place.”
If the straps are not perfect, your goggles will move around your face, which can be very dangerous & bothersome.
The general rule of Thumb for Straps Width is;
“The Wider the Strap, the better the Grip.”
A wider strap means it will have more surface area to attach with the helmet, providing a tighter fitting and decreasing the chances of goggles slipping. The best size of the Strap is 45 mm or 50 mm.
The design of the Strap also matters a lot. For example, simple straps are flat from the inside, while advanced straps have silicone lines inside a structure, which holds the helmet more properly. Always buy silicone straps for proper safety.
5) Lenses Color & Tints
“Tinting is a Coating Process to control the Visible Light Transmission ( VLT ) through a Screen ( Lens ).”
Tinting is mostly done to decrease the bright light coming from the sun and falling into the eyes, causing glare. Different Tinted lens Coatings allow a different amount of light transmission. So,
- No-Tint Clear Lens ( 90% ~ 100% VLT ) does not stop light from passing and is only used for minimum light conditions, such as evenings & nights.
- Lens Tints with more VLT value ( 20% ~ 90% ) allow more light to pass, hence suitable for low-light cloudy days. Their colors are brighter, like Pink, Copper, Amber, Green, Purple, Yellow, Persimmon, etc.
- Lens Tints with small VLT values ( 3% ~ 20% ) allow the least light to pass, which is best suitable for sunny days. These lenses are darker, like Black, Blue, Violet, Gray, etc.
6) Tear Offs Vs. Roll-Offs
“During extremely wet dirt races, the mud falls everywhere from foot to head on the dirt bike riders.”
Mud on clothing cause a lot of slipperiness, which can be controlled using friction gloves & garments. While mud on Goggles can block your view, and as all your clothes are dirty, you can not clean them with your hands or arms. For mud removal, 2-Styles of Modifications are done on the Goggles;
- Tear-Off System
- Roll-Off System
a) Tear-Off System
“In this Mechanism, many Plastic Films are attached to the Goggles lens. When Dirty, the rider can pull the upper film and throw it away.”
Usually, the left side of the film is longer, from where the rider holds it and pulls it off. The films are attached to Goggles one by one by fixing them on the posts which are present on the Goggle’s sides. Normally, up to 20+ Strips can be stacked on Goggles simultaneously.
Too many Films form a thick plastic layer, which can blur your view. So, it is best to keep the strip count minimum and buy premium laminated films for ultra-clear view.
Please be aware that the dirty strip is pulled off and thrown on the track or trail, causing littering. That’s why tear-off goggles are banned in some places.
b) Roll-Off Mechanism
“In this Mechanism, two Canisters are attached at the Goggles’ sides. One is filled with rolled film, and the other is empty. The film is attached across the lens into the empty canister, making a protective layer on the lens. When this film layer gets dirty, the roller in the empty canister is put into action, and it rolls the dirty layer on itself and pulls the new layer on the lens.”
Up to 30+ times, a new layer can be pulled on the Goggle lenses, giving you 30 chances to clear off the mud in one canister. The mechanism by which the empty canister roller pulls the film can be different in various goggles, such as;
- String Pulling; You need to pull the string to revolve the roller, which is built-in at the bottom of the empty canister.
- Battery Operated: A small motor is built-in within the empty canister, which is powered by a waterproof battery that can be attached to the goggles. When you push the button, it rotates the empty canister roller to pull the film inside.
The benefits of this mechanism, it’s easy to operate, and only one layer of the film is on the lens, so there is no blurriness. However, it also has many drawbacks, the canister may block the peripheral view, and the mud gets into canisters & string holes and hinders their movement.
There some advanced goggles have canisters that are positioned behind and do not block the side view, just like the one in the above images. Always make sure to buy them.
7) Fog & Sweat Prevention
“Riding Motorbikes needs body parts movements, which causes a lot of sweating, especially in hot seasons. This sweat gets into the eyes, wets the lens, and in extreme heat, turns into steam & produces a fog effect on the lens. Hence, it blocks the View.”
To prevent this, 2-kinds of modifications are made to the Goggles;
- i) Ventilation Holes: On the Bottom & Top of the Frame, small vents are made, allowing fresh air to enter inside the lens and push the moist old air out. This way, the face remains cool, sweat proof, and the lenses do not fog up. Foam filters are added in vents to block dirt & debris entering the goggles. These vents also allow excess sweat to seep down outside.
- ii) Moisture Wicking Foam: In some premium lenses, the 3rd or 4th layer of foam is made from special moisture-absorbing material, which sucks up all your sweat and prevents it from entering your eyes.
iii) Anti-Fog Lens Coating: Goggle fogging can also be prevented by adding special anti-fog lens coating on the inside that either absorbs the moisture or does not let it remain on the lens and keeps the view clear.
8) Detachable Nose Guard & Face Mask
“To keep dirt from entering the nostrils or mouth, nose guards & face masks are used in Goggles.”
a) Nose Guards
In most Full-Face helmets, the Goggles cover the eyes while the helmet covers the mouth, but the nose remains unprotected.
For that, always look for Goggles that allow attachment of a Nose Guard whenever needed so that no dirt can fall, get stuck in your nose, and hinders breathing. Make sure the nose guards have vents for moisture to escape; otherwise, it will cause fogging on the lens.
b) Face Masks
In Open Helmets, which only cover the head, the face area is totally naked and fully vulnerable to mud, dirt, and wind.
In this case, the best motocross goggles are those that allow fixing of the Face mask at its bottom, which will stop mud from entering your mouth and nose. These face masks come in many styles so that you can change them daily for fashion.
9) Additional Features
We are almost done with basic functions, but there are so many other features that you may look for to make the most out of Dirt Goggles, such as;
- a) OTG Goggles: If you have a weak eye-sight and don’t like contact lenses, do not worry. There are so many Dirt Goggles in the market which are way deeper and wider, so they can be worn over your prescription Glasses ( OTG ).
- b) Lens Changing Lock: You never know when the sun will get brighter, suddenly clouds darken the area, or you have to race on blinding nights. It is always best to buy Goggles, whose lenses can be changed according to different light conditions, so you get a clear, vivid view.
- c) UV Protection: Last but not least, always look for UV protection coating on your lenses which can save your eyes and facial skin from cancerous rays. UV ratings are mostly mentioned on the packing.
10) Storage EVA Hard Case
“A Storage bag is necessary if you want to use your Goggles for Long-term.”
EVA hard case can keep your Goggles away from scratches, accidental pressures, dirt, debris, sun rays, chemicals, and all other factors which may either weaken the frame or blue the sensitive lens coating.
It does not hurt to look for gift accessories like Storage Bags or Cases, which most brands offer for extra promotion.
But if no storage accessories are offered, it does not mean the quality of lenses is bad. In that case, you can buy them separately.
