Average of 7 Reviews
All User Reviews
Featured Review
reviewed February 8, 2009 at 12:36 pm Included:
Hard Case
Microfiber bag
I/O Frame
Sensor Lens (70%)
Ignitor Lens (35%)
Suggested Retail: $160.00
Over the past 10 years I have had many of goggles such as Spy, Marker, and Zeal. In that time I was never blown away by any of them, some didn’t fit the helmet well, some were too dark and some didn’t do what I expected them to do what they advertised. Smith is a brand that I have seen around for years, in the 80’s I really (unfairly) thought of them as a Scott knockoff and past that just a company that made an OTG goggle, the size of a bay window, with a fan in them.
The I/O is nothing near what I thought of Smith producing, it was sleek, stylish and looked line nothing else on the market. The frameless design had two adjustment straps on the back, allowing the clip to be centered at all times, this design worked very well with my Giro Fuse helmet with no “gaper gap”. Before I even put the goggle on, I was impressed by the case that the goggle came in, not just a microfiber bag, but a nice hard case that not only has venting for the goggle to dry off, but special slots for holding extra lenses. I particularly like this in the design, because the Smith comes with two lenses the and the intense Mirror, more on these lenses in a moment. I have always liked to be able to switch lenses in and out of goggles due to light conditions, I never was successful in finding a lens for all conditions, the Zeal PPX was the last to not past the muster. If I cannot expect one ski to do it all, how can I expect one lens to be able to cover the spectrum of light that we ski in.
The first lens I used was the Sensor. The day I fried these, light conditions were flat, overcast and snowing. This is the type of conditions that I usually resorted a trusted yellow lens. I have always fallen back to a yellow lens, because it enhances the contrast in the snow, the Intense lens not only did this, but also was much better in showing the depth, the light and the view of the snow in this lens looked truer than a yellow ever could.
Switching the lenses was also very easy with the frameless design of the I/O. Two clips on top of the frame flip open and the lens comes out very easy, insertion in the new lens is just as easy and there was minimal finger prints on the lens having to be wiped off.
Day two of skiing was completely opposite in light than the previous day, out came the Ignitor Lens. We had bitter cold temps with 20+MPH winds, the sky though was bluebird. I don’t recall seeing the sky so blue for a long time. For this day I chose the regular lens. Granted most lenses would work fine for a day like this, but I really that this lens looked clearer and more refined than any lens I recall looking through. As the day moved on, even in the afternoon when the sun started going down some, the trails had more and more shading and that didn’t affect my vision at all. I was till able to see good snow contrast and where there was ice and piles of snow. I never that this type of vision with any goggle I had in the past.
Summery: Damn nice goggle system that is not only stylish but very functional.
reviewed March 12, 2009 at 5:49 pm I got a pair of these after returning a pair of Smith Phenoms. The I/Os have a very clever latch system that lets you swap out the lenses in about 30 seconds if you're quick, and there is a full range of replacement lenses available (from clear to to flat light to polarized glare-cutting, assuming Smith has them in stock). Field of view is excellent, and the Smith lenses are top-notch.
The look is a little unique because of the 'frameless' setup, but they are well-made and IMO look good with most helmets. No gap at all with a Giro G10. The only knock I have in terms of fit/comfort is that the strap is a little short for a big-headed person who wants to wear a helmet. (Smith makes an extender strap; I'm trying to find one in stock.)
Not cheap, but worth it if you want quick lens swap capability and good looks in a professional-quality ski goggle.
reviewed December 25, 2009 at 6:04 am Once again Smith proves to be an innovator in optics.
I tried a few of the sizes because I have a small face, but opted for the standard size, which fits my face and Giro Fuse helmet nicely, while the fastener on the back of the goggle strap (which is the same on my Turbo Fan Goggles) makes it difficult to snap the helmet goggle strap. The good news is that Smith offers an extension you can put on your goggle fastener to fit the helmet strap, which is worthwhile to pick up if you find one.
My first day out on the mountain with these I used the Sensor lens which is the lens that was in place when I got them. With the changing light and varied terrain, I decided to change the lens during lunch. The Ignitor lens is definitely going to serve me well and will likely be my "go to" lens for most of my skiing, while the Sensor lens will be the right option for super sunny days.
The new fashion colors available make it easy to personalize your look while giving you top level performance.
For anyone who wonders how these work, check out this video from Smith
Smith definitely delivers!
Had a day recently where it whited out, cleared to blue, whited out etc etc and I probably swapped lenses 4-5 times on or by the lifts and it was no hassle to do so, pretty quick and easy after you've done it once.
Strap is barely long enough for using with a larger size helmet (my G10 is a L). Initially I thought it might need swapping out for a longer one but I gave it a good stretching and it is quite snug but not uncomfortable now.
reviewed February 4, 2009 at 10:16 am The lens change system works well and it is easy to interchange lenses. The two lenses provided handle a nice range of lighting variables except bright days.
The cushion around the lens needs to be fuller for a better fit but it fits my larger shaped head ok enough but not as comfy as the Phenom .
I've used these for two seasons now and my words are still true. The lenses are still nice and scratch resistant obviously from hitting a lot of branches with them and I only have a couple scratches expecting to see much worse. The foam is too thin and is rolling off on both ends. This is a disappointment but the goggles are very good with a helmet although a strap extender would be a good idea. I would buy these again and use them very often but still regret the fact they used the foam thickness they did. a bit more cushion and these would be the best goggle available. Even without this it still might be.
reviewed February 19, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Amazing goggles.
Super easy to change anywhere. Including on the hill - matter of seconds.
Great peripheral views
