Tested: Scott Light-Sensitive Goggle

A product the Transmoto team has tried, tested and would recommend to a mate.

WHAT IS IT

A ‘Light-Sensitive’ lens (LS) is a photochromic lens that changes from clear to grey, depending on the light you’re riding in – similar to how your polarised sunglasses work. They’re perfect for trailriding where you’re coming in and out of the trees or when you’re riding early in the morning when the light is low, all the way through the harsh sun in the middle of the day because they help your eyes to adjust to the changing light conditions. This lens retains a 1mm thickness like the standard lens, the Light Sensitive lens is stronger, pre-curved, and optically correct.
We’ve been testing out a set of Scott Prospect Goggles with a Dual Light-Sensitive lens over the last six months. We’ve like this setup so much it’s become our go to goggle for trailriding.
Here’s our thoughts so far…

WHY WE RATE IT

PROS…

• Versatility: The beautify of trail riding is you can ride wide variety of terrain in the space of a single day. But when the terrain chances, a lot of the time so does the lighting conditions – whether you in the darkness of the forest or in the full-blown glare of a sunny fire road your eyes can only adjust so much. So instead of tossing up between a clear lens for the darker sections or a tinted lens for the sunny sections, we now reach for our Light-Sensitive lens because it offers the best of both worlds. It doesn’t cover the entire light range of a clear and mirrored lens combined but it’s a way better option than swapping lenses out constantly.
• Price: It’s cheaper to have one of these lenses setup on your goggles or in your gear bag, then going out and purchasing two sets of lenses/goggles for different conditions.
• Ease of use: Not only are they great on the trail but the pre-curved lens is even easier to fit/remove from the Scott Prospect frame – flick open the four tabs on the perimeter of the frame, remove the old and in with the new, ready to rip.
• Durability: They don’t scratch from tree branches like a traditional mirrored lens out in the bush.
• Dual Lens: Specific to the Scott Prospect Goggles with a Dual Light-Sensitive lens we have been testing – like the name suggests – it’s the great bonus having the dual-layered lens. Why? Well, it doesn’t alter your vision in any way but comes into its own when your traditional single-layered lens fogs up. By creating a gap between the two lenses and allowing the lens to breathe through the front five ventilation holes, resulting in much less goggle fog. Having a dual-layered lens could mean the difference between having clear vision or ripping your goggles off on the trail.

CONS…

• Not Setup for a Mudder: The only time this lens it’s our go to is when it’s muddy; the Dual Light-Sensitive lens doesn’t have the plastic tabs to mount tear-offs or roll-off system. It’s a bit of a bummer, but you want all the vision you can get in the mud so we can see why they limit the tear-off system to a clear lens.

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

If you already have a set of Scott Prospect or Hustle goggles in your kit, you can pick up a lens for:

• Prospect Single Light-Sensitive (LS) lens $49.95
• Prospect Dual Light-Sensitive (LS) lens $59.95
• Hustle Single Light-Sensitive (LS) lens $49.95

Or if you’re in need of a new set of goggles you can pick up a set equipped with alight sensitive lens for:

• Prospect Goggle Light-Sensitive (LS) $129.95
• Prospect Light-Sensitive (LS) Dual anti-fog $149.95
• Hustle Light-Sensitive (LS) $99.95

Both can be purchased in Australia through Ficeda Accessories dealers.

YOU MIGHT BE THINKING, ‘WHAT’S A DUAL LENS WE’VE BEEN REFERRING TO?’

It’s genius technology, and by rights should be on a lot more trailriders’ radar – especially those who ride in wet and/or colder conditions. Put simply, it’s an interchangeable two-layered lens (see image above as an example). The double-lens arrangement creates a thermal barrier that reduces fogging significantly when you’re riding. Sounds good, right? Well, it is! Think of all the times you have ripped off your fogged-up goggles and slung them onto your bars, only to then been worried about copping a tree branch to the eye. All that could have been prevented by running a dual lens.