Summary:
I'm not going to say "Throw out all your other gear and buy these today," it's not a must-have product. However, if you are in need of new goggles, and you like wearing glasses while you ride, then by all means check out the Panoptx line.
Review:
I have always liked the comfort of wearing sunglasses, but as a contact wearer I know the discomfort of having my contacts dry out. After testing Panoptx' solution to the problem, I was pleasantly impressed. Although I had seen the pictures, I still didn't really know what to expect when I opened the sturdy zip-case that the glasses come in. Even after opening the case I was kind of skeptical.
Panoptx line of "goggles" is actually a mix between goggles and glasses. A sunglass frame, with enlarged lenses for good peripheral vision, and a foam seal to prevent wind from irritating your eyes. Something that I noticed right away was how light they are. The Cyclone is quite stylish, and I quickly found myself wearing them for things other than snowboarding (which you should).
Panoptx has done a ton of research into how wind affects your eyes, and thus your ability to see and react to upcoming obstacles. Everyone knows how bad UV rays are for your eyes, but normal glasses don't protect from the top and sides of the frame. Combine that with the damaging effects of wind on your eyes and you've got a pretty good picture about why Panoptx' products are a good buy.
New to this year is the "Snow Rose" lens, which I tried out. According to the press release, the lens is "designed to amplify the colors at the end of the visible spectrum, enhancing sensitivity and improving reaction time in all light conditions found on mountain snowfields." What this means in English is that it works even better than yellow high-resolution lenses (which I've always thought were the best). If you normally wear glasses, Panoptx can fashion a pair of Rx lenses for them as well.
On the hill they perform super well, as good as goggles at preventing wind from entering your eyes, and they are much lighter and less bulky. Because they are less bulky they sit closer to your face, and you have much better field of view. And, even though they sit close to your face, I have yet to have the Cyclones fog up on me. My only complaint is that when it is windy or cold I have always used the goggle strap to keep my hat tight over my ears, whereas the Cyclones create a direct path under my hat. On nice days or in warmer climates this wouldn't be a big problem though.
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