38 out of 38 people found this review helpful.
The A Frame gets an "A" in My Book!
Date of Review: Mar 12, 2006
The Bottom Line: A great looking, great performing pair of goggles.
Oakley turned the snowboard optical world upside down when the A Frame goggles were first released around the year 2000. Since their inception, the engineers at Oakley have continued to innovate new things to improve the A Frame, as well as some things that have lowered the quality of the goggles.
Why Use Goggles?
Goggles are extremely important, as I have known for quite some time, but got a reminder just last week. I had forgotten these goggles at home and paid the consequences. Not only does the mid/top part of your face get cold but blowing snow blows into your eyes and obstructs your vision. I was shredding through some trees when some low branches were about to hit my eyes so I closed them and almost ran into a tree! I vowed that day to never forget my goggles or ride without them again.
Product Options
The A Frame is available in a variety of different frame colors. There are the standard black, white, yellow, silver, orange, blue and a few other colors. There are two types of lenses available from Oakley, a persimmon(amber) colored lens and what's known as iridium lenses. Iridium is the same thing as "polarized" or "mirrored" just with a fancier name. The Iridium lenses certainly look better on the frames than the persimmon lens and blocks harmful UV rays better, but the iridium lenses will cost you at least $20 more.
Fit and Comfort
These goggles are extremely comfortable. They feature triple layer face foam for maximum comfort. I can certainly feel the difference between single and dual layers of face foam. The fit of the frame is a little bit small, but still larger than other Oakley goggles I have used in the past. Oakley claims that people with "small to medium" size faces will have the best fit with the frame. The strap is elastic and adjustable, I have the strap to the maximum it will stretch and it still barely fits around my size medium helmet. If you wear a helmet make sure these fit or you might have to purchase a larger strap from Oakley.
Also on the 2004 model is a plastic component that connects the strap to the frame of the goggles. This piece was terrible because it caused discomfort for helmet users and was prone to breakage. Thankfully Oakley took the piece off for the 2005 model.
On Hill Performance
From the moment I lowered these goggles over my eyes I could tell why these goggles are so popular. Upon closer inspection I could tell that the lens is curved slightly near the frame. The result of this was the best peripheral vision that I have ever encountered. The model this I used had the persimmon lens which is the most versatile lens Oakley offers. The tinting is dark enough that glare and direct sunlight don't interfere with your vision on sunny days, but not too dark that you can hardly see when it is cloudy or snowing. The iridium lenses are darker tinted on the inside of the lens so they are best for sunny days or high altitude.
The goggles have never frozen or fogged on me besides times that any goggle would fog (example: when accidently breathing into them while strapping into your board). The small circles you see near the bottom of the frame on either side increase airflow to the outside for better ventilation and increased anti-fog. I got many looks while wearing these goggles, an indication of just how good they look on any face.
Final Thoughts
Oakley has come out with several goggles based on the A Frame such as the Wisdom, but the A Frame continues to be the best seller. With these goggles you can look great on the hill while getting superior performance. The prices with iridium lenses can get expensive, but the persimmon lensed goggles are a great choice for a more reasonable price.
Box Contents
Goggles
White Oakley Cloth Carrying Pouch
Warranty Information
