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Individual Review Anon M2 goggles. quick review

Ron

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I have been a long-time Smith user (I/O & I/Ox's) and loved their sensor mirror lens but have had fogging issues. I tried the turbo fan but the fan cord kept coming out of the plug on the frame and on power days, I've had it clog up with powder and shut down. (terrible problem to have) I think its more of the shape of my face (smaller) and not the goggle itself but I have heard of others with similar issues. I picked up a pair of M2's over the summer and have 3 days on therm in various temps and conditions. I have been really impressed with these!

Likes:

Fit, these fit my face quite well, despite being about the same size as the I/Ox's they just sit a bit better and have a better Nose-to-Goggle fit. The I/Ox's pinch my nose somewhat and the M2's allow easier breathing. The interface with my Salomon helmet is great and it fits well with Smith helmets too.

Lens changing; here's where M2's trounces the I/Ox. The M2 lens's are held in by very strong magnets. It takes about 5 seconds (literally) to change out lens's. you can do it with gloves on. I tried to knock the lens off (albeit with some care) but I wasn't able to with reasonable force.

Lens; The Blue Lagoon lens is their low light lens that is most comparable to Smith's Blue sensor mirror which was my favorite. Since everyone's eyes perceive things differently, YMMV, but the Blue Lagoon on a snowy and early AM at Copper Mtn, were better for low light; an that's saying something. The Green Solex was the other lens that came with the goggles and its a medium, mixed light lens. I skied with this lens this weekend on a blue-bird day with pockets of shadows. Again, I was very impressed with this version too.

Fogging: I have to say, even on a powder day, I had no fogging. I had a little around the edges when standing in the lift line but it quickly dissipated once I got on the lift.

Cons: none yet! Really impressed. Replacement lens's are expensive!
 
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Monique

bounceswoosh
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I got the women's version last season (pictured) (weren't you on the lift with me when I changed the lenses out?). They fit my face very well, which is why I ended up with them. I haven't found the perfect all-around lens yet; not incredibly happy with the two lenses they came with, and their customer service advice when I emailed with detailed query was, after several days, "Here's the link to our online lens comparator." I was looking for something a little more personal. Ordering extra lenses was a pain, too, as they were out of stock but didn't show it on the site, and didn't let me know until like a week later.

I had a lot of fogging on spring days. Haven't had issues with it yet this season, though.

The lens swap is amazingly easy - I never swapped my old goggle lenses because it was just too much work, and I was afraid of breaking something or getting my fingerprints all over the lens. One thing - be careful when lifting your goggles up onto your helmet. If you do it with just one hand or by grabbing just one side, you can flex the rubber rim and end up popping out the lens.
 

Monique

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I got the women's version last season (pictured) (weren't you on the lift with me when I changed the lenses out?).

Actually maybe it was Kevin?
 

JayT

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The Anon M2's are hands down my favorite goggles ever. Changing lenses is just so ridiculously easy and the viewing range is just so good. Super comfortable fit for me too.
 
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Ron

Ron

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I skied in them today in another powdery day with heavy snow and high winds. No fogging, love these.
 

jwaltz

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I've had the m2 since the 2013-2014 season, and I absolutely LOVE THEM. They are easy to clean because of the system they have in place for lens changing, rarely fog up, and are very durable for the most part. The only problem I have with them is that the replacement lenses are a little pricey for me, but all in all great goggle!
 
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Ron

Ron

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If you own a Smith I/O or X, just pick up and compare the lens to a M2 when off the frame. there's a substantial difference between the two brands. The Anon is much more substantial. I imagine the cost difference is legit given the difference
 

Alexzn

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I still can't get this obsession with lens changing in goggles. If you do it at home -what difference does it make? And it's just as easy to take a second pair of goggles with you. What people are not talking about is the lens material and optical clarity. I didn't think it was that important until I got a pair of ridiculously expensive Trivex (NXT) POC goggles. The clarity is substantially better than a regular high end polycarbonate to the point that I sometimes use it over a dedicated storm lens that I have in my other goggle (hi-yellow). I wish more companies used higher quality materials instead of playing gimmicky games with lens changes. That's what makes a difference all day instead of saving you 15 seconds during a lens change.
 
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Ron

Ron

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Anon lens are optically precise and as i posted their low light Lagoon Blue lens trumped the smith mirror sensor blue imho. I also felt their green lens was superior in mid to bright conditions. I carry my goggles with me and then decide on a lens once i get to the mtn or will carry an extra at times. I find the smith to be cumbersome and requires touching the lens extensively to change. Then i have to clean them. I dont rave over them because of the ease of changing i love them for their fit and function
 
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Alexzn

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Manufacturing precision matters, however at some point you start bumping against material limitations. Polycarbonate has Abbé value of 29 (a number measuring optical clarity (dispersion), 100 is perfect clarity), Trivex is 45. For comparison Fluoride glass- something people use in $3K SLR lenses has Abbé value of 80. Basically even a crappy-made Trivex lens will be clearer than the best polycarbonate lens. This is why POC, who is not necessarily known for making the best lenses (in fact their regular offerings are noticeably inferior to Smith), can make a superior goggle in the NXT line. The bottom line for me-if you are spending $200 on goggles, spend it on an NXT lens.
 

JayT

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Alex - have you actually tried them? If not... your input here doesn't mean much. I actually prefer the lens optics to Smith, in addition to the other stuff. And I will often change up lenses in the car when I'm gearing up. And Like Ron said, it's nice being able to change the lens without getting your fingers all over them.
 

Tricia

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I've had the m2 since the 2013-2014 season, and I absolutely LOVE THEM. They are easy to clean because of the system they have in place for lens changing, rarely fog up, and are very durable for the most part. The only problem I have with them is that the replacement lenses are a little pricey for me, but all in all great goggle!
Hey, great to see you here.

As for Anon M2, I had a chance to take a look at these for a gear guide in September but I have never skied in them. I'd be interested to see how well they work, given the high praise I see here.
 

Monique

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I still can't get this obsession with lens changing in goggles. If you do it at home -what difference does it make? And it's just as easy to take a second pair of goggles with you. What people are not talking about is the lens material and optical clarity. I didn't think it was that important until I got a pair of ridiculously expensive Trivex (NXT) POC goggles. The clarity is substantially better than a regular high end polycarbonate to the point that I sometimes use it over a dedicated storm lens that I have in my other goggle (hi-yellow). I wish more companies used higher quality materials instead of playing gimmicky games with lens changes. That's what makes a difference all day instead of saving you 15 seconds during a lens change.

I don't think there's an obsession. For me, switching lenses on my Oakleys was so stressful (worried about fingerprints, scratches, or doing it wrong and snapping something off) that I never did it. I ended up with the Anon WM1 purely because they fit my face the best - but the lenses switch so nicely that I can swap them in a minute or two on the lift. I've had two eye surgeries, so I can't deal when I have a low light lens and it gets bright out. Being able to swap lenses so easily means that I can actually wear low light lenses, confident that if the clouds pass, my eyes won't be tearing up to the point that I can't see.

If you've never had a goggle where the lenses switch so easily, of course you don't see the big deal. Until it became this easy, it was something I just worked around.

That reminds me - these goggles came with a very bright light (see profile picture) and a very low light lens. They were out of the lens I wanted as a middle range - the one the shop recommended - so I got something else. But I need to check in again and see if it's available.
 

Alexzn

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Alex - have you actually tried them? If not... your input here doesn't mean much. I actually prefer the lens optics to Smith, in addition to the other stuff. And I will often change up lenses in the car when I'm gearing up. And Like Ron said, it's nice being able to change the lens without getting your fingers all over them.

Yes. I take that you also tried Trivex goggles, right? And as far as input not meaning much, you are entitled to your opinions, but not to your own facts or numbers. You can only do so much with a certain material. Trivex is just more clear than polycarbonate, and no amount of engineering (or marketing) from Anon, Smith, or Zeiss to that matter, will change that. As I said, this is the only reason why POC, which makes unremarkable polycarbonate goggles, can make a superior goggle with the NXT. It's just better material. I'd buy an NXT Smith or Anon to that matter in a heartbeat. I just prefer to spend my money on lenses rather than on gimmicky magnetic attachment systems. But that's just me.

P.S. Please explain how changing lenses in the car is faster than grabbing a different pair of goggles? Ditto on the fingers in that same situation?
 

Alexzn

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I don't think there's an obsession. For me, switching lenses on my Oakleys was so stressful (worried about fingerprints, scratches, or doing it wrong and snapping something off) that I never did it. I ended up with the Anon WM1 purely because they fit my face the best - but the lenses switch so nicely that I can swap them in a minute or two on the lift. I've had two eye surgeries, so I can't deal when I have a low light lens and it gets bright out. Being able to swap lenses so easily means that I can actually wear low light lenses, confident that if the clouds pass, my eyes won't be tearing up to the point that I can't see.

If you've never had a goggle where the lenses switch so easily, of course you don't see the big deal. Until it became this easy, it was something I just worked around.

That reminds me - these goggles came with a very bright light (see profile picture) and a very low light lens. They were out of the lens I wanted as a middle range - the one the shop recommended - so I got something else. But I need to check in again and see if it's available.

I always had two pairs of goggles, one for regular days, one for storm days. No lens switching necessary.

I'm not dissing your purchase, by all accounts the M2 is a well designed product. My personal opinion is that if I spend money I would rather spend it on something that makes a difference for me for 6 hours a day. Just to be clear of what we are talking about: Trivex is the material that they use for rimless eyeglass lenses. Polycarbonate and Trivex are the only two materials approves for the impact applications, however almost nobody used polycarbonate in eyeglasses because of lower acuity, and also because it also looses acuity when subjected to stress inevitable in a rimless frame. I'd think the same conditions apply to a google lens.
 
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Monique

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I always had two pairs of goggles, one for regular days, one for storm days. No lens switching necessary.

Maybe if you read my post more carefully, you will see that for me, lens switching is necessary if I want to wear a storm day goggle. My eyes can't handle the bright light when there's a mix of sunshine and clouds.
 

Tricia

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Manufacturing precision matters, however at some point you start bumping against material limitations. Polycarbonate has Abbé value of 29 (a number measuring optical clarity (dispersion), 100 is perfect clarity), Trivex is 45. For comparison Fluoride glass- something people use in $3K SLR lenses has Abbé value of 80. Basically even a crappy-made Trivex lens will be clearer than the best polycarbonate lens. This is why POC, who is not necessarily known for making the best lenses (in fact their regular offerings are noticeably inferior to Smith), can make a superior goggle in the NXT line. The bottom line for me-if you are spending $200 on goggles, spend it on an NXT lens.
I wish I knew more about the materials you're talking about. This is an area that I will be doing some better research and would love to talk to you more about.

I was fortunate enough to get the POC Fovea which has a Zeiss lens (actually the goggles in my avatar)
I'm really impressed with the optics and see that POC is using Zeiss lens' in more of their models.


As for Anon M2, I haven't skied in it but I like the features and had hoped to get some snow time with it, but it was one of the products that was sent back after writing our guide information.
 

Alexzn

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Maybe if you read my post more carefully, you will see that for me, lens switching is necessary if I want to wear a storm day goggle. My eyes can't handle the bright light when there's a mix of sunshine and clouds.
Good point. I'm the same way, but I just carry a second goggle in my pocket, not much more space that a spare lens. Actually I used to carry a second goggle, as I said, I now just use the NXT. It's supposedly photo chromatic, so it adjusts, but I honestly don't see a huge difference in light transmission. But the clarity I definitely see.
 

Monique

bounceswoosh
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I'm intrigued by the fact that everyone else posting here has said their Anon goggles never fog. Mine do. I would love to hear from a woman (or anyone!) who has used the WM1 to see if it's something about the women's design, or just me personally, that makes them fog.
 

Monique

bounceswoosh
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Good point. I'm the same way, but I just carry a second goggle in my pocket, not much more space that a spare lens. Actually I used to carry a second goggle, as I said, I now just use the NXT. It's supposedly photo chromatic, so it adjusts, but I honestly don't see a huge difference in light transmission. But the clarity I definitely see.

Ah. I actually wondered after I posted, "Wait, does he carry a whole spare goggle in his pocket?" For me that would be way too bulky - my pockets always seem to be filled with this and that so that I would either not have room, or worry about scratching them. I do have room for a lens in a soft bag; I orient it so that it curves around my waist.
 

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