Review: Oakley Prizm MX Lenses

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

WHAT IS IT?

Prizm MX is Oakley’s new range of replacement lenses, designed to fit the American brand’s Airbrake and Mayhem Pro goggles. According to Oakley, who’ve been developing these lenses for 15 years, these lenses take goggle vision technology to an all-new level by helping you see changes in the terrain more clearly, irrespective of lighting conditions. They’re available in three options: ‘Prizm Jade’ (for cloudy conditions), ‘Prizm Black’ (for bright and sunny conditions), and ‘Prizm Bronze’ (for low-light conditions).

WHY WE RATE IT

Who doesn’t want to be able to see the surface you’re riding on more clearly? No matter whether you’re Ken Roczen or a Sunday trail punter, optimal vision of what’s ahead is critically important to an enjoyable, safe ride. Oakley’s Prizm MX lenses are designed to enable exactly that, and they genuinely work.

I’ve now used my Oakley Airbrake goggles for a couple of months with the Prizm lenses – in everything from dark mud to dusty hardpack to black-soil sand tracks to bright orange clay tracks – and the difference these lenses makes has really surprised me. Testing them back-to-back with a clear lens reinforced just how much the Prizm lenses make everything jump out at you. And when you’re seeing the terrain in a clearer and more defined way, it feels like you’re watching everything in ultra HD!

“When you’re seeing the terrain in a clearer and more defined way, it feels like you’re watching everything in ultra HD!”

Because these Prizm MX lenses react to different light transmissions, they give you a noticeable increase in both the contrast and detail of the surface in front of you. In short, they help you see the sort of detail that you simply don’t pick up when looking through a conventional lens. And that lets you make line selection choices earlier and with more confidence.

Admittedly, I’ve only tested the Black and Jade lenses, and not the Bronze (so I’ll have to take Team KTM’s Daniel Sanders’ word for it about how well the Bronze lens works in low-light conditions), but it’s clear to me that these things aren’t just any old replacement lens. Paired with Oakley’s revolutionary Airbrake goggle and its super-wide field of view, these Prizm MX lenses make for a very strong combo. Sure, they’re $20-$30 more expensive than Oakley’s standard Clear/Grey and Iridium replacement lenses, but they definitely give you a sharper view of what lies ahead – whether you’re riding in sunny or cloudy conditions or dense forest. They’re a rad piece of technology and best of all, they’ll benefit riders of all abilities.