When it comes to snowmobiling in extreme terrain and conditions, vision is king. It doesn’t matter how good your snowmobile performs … if you can’t see the lines, you’re not going to enjoy the day.
For those who require corrective vision, yet can’t deal with contact lens, finding a way for glasses to work with goggles is no small thing. Last winter we came across a company, SportRx, which has designed a unique frame for glasses that inserts into a wide variety of goggle styles. The inserts worked great.
This year we have contacted SportRx to learn more about its inserts and address some of the questions we had about the styles of goggles they work best in.
First off, we learned that there are various designs of inserts which work better in different goggles. Rob Tavakoli, vice president at SportRx helped us understand how to best use this unique product.
“Our inserts sit right up near in the inside of the shield and stay in play with a slight spring/retention from the prongs or arms,” he explained. “Depending on the exact goggle/insert combination the rubbing is not a normally an issue but I have seen it happen. In the last few seasons we have developed a handful of new inserts with that issue in mind.”
SportRx not only sell inserts, but carry most every major goggle on the market. “We could fit you with an Oakley or Smith goggle that comes with different lenses to work in different conditions,” he explained. SportRx also carries the Dragon Alliance X2 goggle, which SnoWest is in the process of testing, that fits nicely with most styles of helmets.
Through the testing at SnoWest, there are two main concerns about goggle inserts. First, anytime you add another lens to the goggle equation (the prescription lens of the insert), you increase the opportunity of fogging.
“We do have an antifog coating for the insert lenses and it works well,” explained Tavakoli. “Fogging is always the enemy in these types of sports and the best ammunition we have is the coating combined with a high quality well vented goggle. It is better than not have the coating for sure but is not bombproof.”
The second concern is the prescription lens rubbing against the goggle lens.
Tavakoli said it is good to match the insert design with the goggles intended for use to make certain they fit properly. A good fit will keep the inserts in place and reduce any rubbing with the goggle lens.
SportRx goggle inserts are available through its website, https://www.sportrx.com. The inserts retail for $90 (basic single vision prescription included). However, if you want your lens treated with anti-fog coating, it will run about $150. You can also order goggles at SportRx, which carries a variety of brands including Smith, Oakley, Anon, Spy and Dragon. SportRx does have knowledgeable opticians available to answer questions and help determine the proper insert per goggle brand.
The Dragon X2 goggles feature an easy-to-change lens and retails for $180.