Goggle Review: Spy Soldier

Intended Purpose: The Spy Soldier’s combine sophistication, clean designs and superior optical performance to handle the mountain with.

Location: I rode these goggles at the WWSRA Mammoth on-snow and then continued to ride them in February conditions.

Conditions: I’ve spent the majority of time riding these goggles on sunny bluebird days and the occasional overcast day.

Color: I checked out the Spy Soldier’s in the black colorway which is a simple black frame with the black strap and grey-ish SPY logo on the strap.  It’s a simple color choice for goggles, the lens help brighten it up so it’s not completely dull in colors.

Lens: I believe I’ve been riding in the light blue and gold flash lens (but might be mistaken on this).  The lens does good on sunny days (but it’s not a mirror so doesn’t block out all the sun).  It does enough but it’s also capable of riding in the less than sunny conditions.

Fit: I wasn’t sure how the apx’s would do with fit on my face but the goggles actually were secure and fitting around my nose without having an extra space.  They were a large peripheral fit and definitely a noticeably bigger goggle than the spy bias I’ve been riding in but still fit my face comfortably.

Helmet Compatibility: I wore the Spy Solders with my Bern helmet which fit for helmet compatibility.  The only thing I wish on the Spy’s strap is that it was longer so they didn’t feel as tight around the helmet.  I am definitely on the longest portion of the strap with them on the helmet.

Visibility: Clear visibility on the peripheral with the goggle.  When I have the goggles on, I can see 90 degrees to the right and left.  It’s decent for the goggles and definitely more peripheral than the women’s Bias goggles I’ve owned.

Features: The Spy Soldier’s feature optics by Carl Zeiss Vision (which I’ve noticed toughen up the lens from scratches), a free bonus lens, flexible frame that conforms to any face for a comfortable fit, patented scoop ventilation system to combat lens fogging, 6 base ARC spherical dual lens with anti-fog and anti-scratch protection, triple layer isotron face foam featuring moisture wicking Dri-Force fleece, strap hinges ensure a comfortable fit, with or without a helmet, dual adjustment, silicone ribbed strap, 100% UV protection.  My biggest likes on features are the fame foam which is really comfortable and helps with the moisture, the anti-fog and anti-scratch.  There are so scratches but since the fit around the nose isn’t 100% spot on, the fogging did happen for me.

Durability: I got to ride the Spy Soldier’s in the tougher winter months.  They got a lot of sunny days but then a couple overcast/powder days thrown in.  I’ve had them since February and they’ve had up for durability, no scratches on the lens and no complaints on the goggle frame/strap durability.  Even the face foam looks brand new on them still.

Thoughts: The Soldier’s were requested to review and I wasn’t sure if they’d work out with fitting my face but they did better than expected for fit.  The all around fit was there and I had a gap for the nose (since I barely have a bridge on my nose) but that was the only noticeable thing.  The peripheral was solid, easy to see out of the corner of my eyes.  I ended up demo’ing them and was able to continue to demo them through the rest of the winter.

Spy teamed up with Carl Zeiss for optical experience and I noticed that for lens quality over the past winter months, they’ve held up through some rough moving around days with gear.  No scratches in the time I’ve had them.  By the end of reviewing them, they were in such good shape, I gave them to the skier to test out.

The Soldier’s in my opinion are that goggle that you’ll have for years.  They just work, they are functional and they continue to perform on the mountain.

Review Disclosure: I demoed this goggle at the WWSRA Mammoth on-snow and Spy gave them to me after the demo.