Bolle Gravity Goggle Review
Bolle Gravity Goggle
Bolle Gravity Goggle Overview:
With most things in life you get what you pay for. Goggles are no different and I have always been willing to shell out the extra cash for a good pair of goggles. Different conditions call for different lenses. That means you end up buying 2-3 pairs of expensive goggles. I have been going the interchangeable route the past few years with a competitor goggle. They perform great. However, switching out your lens in the parking lot or trying to do it on the lift when the light goes flat can get old.
Bolle recognized the need for an “all in one” product and developed the Bolle Gravity Goggle with the Modulator lens. The Modulator lens is intended to adjust to the light conditions you are encountering. Sound too good to be true? Keep reading.
Bolle Gravity Goggle Performance:
Bolle Side View
Goggle performance is pretty black and white. Either they work or they don’t. I tried these goggles out on a bluebird day at Copper and a grey, flat light day at Eldora. There are 5 criteria that I look at when assessing a goggle’s performance; airflow, fog resistance, comfort, helmet integration and of course optics.
- Airflow – The design of the foam allows for a tight seal on the face. I did not observe any air getting into the goggle and remained tear free when I used these goggles.
- Fog Resistance – On that bluebird day at Copper, I definitely got my heart rate up and was breaking a sweat at the base. Bolle’s Flow-Tech® venting kept my lens fog free all day.
- Comfort – The strap adjustment is standard and the the triple layer ultra soft micro-fleece foam is comfortable. I did not have any chaffing or pressure points while wearing these goggles.
- Helmet Integration – I tested these goggles with the Bolle Synergy Helmet (Read my helmet review here). As mentioned above, the comfort was fine. The key measure here is the presence or hopefully lack of the infamous gaper gap (Large gap between your helmet/goggles that leads to brain freeze and makes you look like a gaper). Fortunately, the goggles are intended to integrate with a Bolle helmet so I was gaper gap free and did not have cold air pounding on my forehead.
- Optics – The modulator lens is fantastic! Bolle uses a state-of-the-art, high contrast, light reactive lens that changes lens tint density with the changing light conditions. The more UV light exposed to the lens, the darker the lens will become. I rode on both a bluebird day and a flat light day and the lens adjusted perfectly to the light. What amazed me is that the lens went to a dark mirror tint on the blue bird day. I do not night ski often, but I will be interested to see how these perform at night.
Mirror Tinted for the Bluebird Day
Bolle Gravity Goggle Final Thoughts:
I have to admit that I am pretty stoked on these goggles. My only complaint is that the goggles do not have a clasp on them. This seems like something that Bolle could change or add very easily.
Not having to sit in the parking lot and contemplate your lens option is pretty liberating. Plus, weather on the mountain changes quickly. Knowing your lens will adjust to the changing conditions increases your confidence on the hill.
The Gravity’s are offered with the Modulator lens on: Fathom, Monarch, Nova, Nebula, Y6, X9 frames and are intended for people who like a medium/large fit.
The Gravity’s MSRP at $179.95. Granted , it’s a little on the pricey side, but only needing one pair of goggles and lens makes it justifiable to me.
