Goggles are an important part of safe riding with an open face helmet.
They aren’t particularly common in the UK on account of the weather, but remain an essential item for motocross riders.
A recent boom in retro-styled helmets has also increased demand, these helmets often ship without a visor installed, and many riders choose to use goggles instead.
Bobber OTG Phoenix
Practical Design, Great Value
These Phoenix goggles from Bobster OTG come with three interchangeable sets of lenses, a built in groove for prescription glasses.
They are built of flexible polyurethane edged with neoprene – a great deal at the price. Check GetGeared
Davida Retro Pilot T1 Goggles
Retro Luxury
A delight to behold and wear. A wide peripheral view, classic styling and plush foam wrapped in goat leather go some way towards explaining their high price.
Absolutely beautiful and worth the asking price (for those with a healthy budget). Check DemonTweeks
Best Motorcycle Googles Reviewed
Lets jump into our top picks
Bobber OTG Phoenix
The big selling point of Bobber’s Phoenix is the built-in groove allowing the rider to wear their prescription glasses.
This is certainly a nice touch and probably seals the deal for lots of people.
But there’s plenty here for those with 20-20 vision too.
Three interchangeable lenses allow you to adapt to the lighting conditions.
A flexible polyurethane frame edged with soft, absorbent neoprene meant we found these to be some of the most comfortable goggles on our list.
This could be a head shape issue – your mileage will vary.
Pros
Rider can wear prescription glasses- Three interchangeable lenses
Cons
- Slight fogging
Davida Retro Pilot T1 Goggles
These are a premium set of classic goggles, with a price to match.
They are beautifully made, using quality foam and goat leather at contact points.
There’s enough compression in the foam to fit a variety of heads and the organic material provides decent moisture wicking properties.
These are definitely not a motocross design and look right on classic, open-face helmets.
We’ve seen them worn under retro style helmets too, and it works.
Whilst these are beautifully made using premium materials, they aren’t going to be for everybody on account of the price and aesthetics.
Pros
- Beautifully made
- Wide field of view
- Super comfortable
Cons
- Expensive
Shot Assault MX Goggle
These budget-friendly goggles from Shot are aimed squarely at motocross riders.
Front ventilation, an anti-scratch lens and compatibility with tear offs (transparent, removable coverings) make these a surprisingly good option at the price.
Padding is adequate and the frame has enough flexibility to maintain comfort on long rides.
These goggles use an adjustable silicone woven strap for comfort, and it does make a difference over standard elastic
8 colourways are available to help you coordinate your gear.
Easy to recommend at the price, but make sure they’ll fit with your current helmet before buying – motocross helmets only.
Pros
- Front vents
- Anti scratch
- Compatible with tear offs
Cons
- Viewing angle not as wide as other options
Oakley O Frame Goggles
Oakley have a reputation for making high quality, premium-priced sunglasses. So I was expecting these goggles to feature bleeding edge tech and come in at a fairly high price point.
In fact, these are inexpensive, tried and true classics – popular for their wide viewing angle, excellent moisture wicking properties and high level of impact resistance.
Not what we were expecting, but an excellent pair of motocross goggles nonetheless.
Comfort is taken care of by a flexible frame and triple layer foam padding.
They feel great, don’t restrict movement and don’t fog up.
Pros
- Tried and tested, classic design
- Good moisture wicking properties
Cons
- No vents
Oxford Assault Pro Goggles
These motocross goggles from Oxford feel similarly built and designed to the Oakley model on our list. And that’s not a complaint!
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They use a similar, flexible frame and ergonomically shaped foam to stay comfortable on long rides.
UV protection is a feature present here that’s not found in many goggles at a similar price.
We also like the strap – easy to adjust and comfortable.
We didn’t put it to the scratch test, but the anti-fog works a treat.
Pros
- Comfortable and durable;
- Anti-fog anti-scratch
Cons
- Oakley’s (arguably superior) goggles are only slightly more expensive
Halcyon MK49
These won’t be for everyone, but the retro aesthetic works on me.
They look like something from a totally different era of motorcycle riding – my grandad would approve.
Underneath this classic styling though, there are some welcome concessions to modern comfort, performance and convenience.
Real leather hand stitched over foam make this a comfortable, well-sealed pair of goggles.
The strap has bands of silicone to help everything stay in place.
Lenses are made of a UV treated, shatterproof, scratch resistant polycarbonate.
We didn’t have any fogging issues with these at all – maybe because of the organic material used.
Despite looking like something from WWII, these perform comparably to lots of modern goggles.
Pros
- Beautifully made heritage design
- Surprisingly comfortable and effective
Cons
- Aesthetics not for everyone
Considerations, Care and Costs
What do we need to consider when buying motorcycle goggles?
Before the invention of the visor, goggles were a part of every rider’s kit.
Nowadays they cater to open face and motocross style helmets as these often ship without any face protection installed.
Related: Read about the different types of motorcycle helmet
When road riding, it’s mostly rain and wind we need protection from.
Motocross riding involves a lot more mud, pebbles and falling over than standard commuting, so additional features are required.
Lenses
Anti-scratch properties are essential to have in a set of motocross goggles.
Even when you’re doing it right, branches, stones and other debris will hit your lenses.
Without some resistance to scratching, a set of goggles used for motocross would quickly become damaged to the point of being useless.
Anti-fog is vitally important because motocross is a much more physically demanding activity than normal riding. All this activity generates body heat which can fog up your lenses.
Tinted/Interchangeable Lenses
Tinted lenses will limit your use to daytime only, but the option to swap lenses out to suit the conditions is very welcome. Only Bobber’s Phoenix model takes advantage of this system.
Styles
The two types of goggles featured in our list cater to motocross riders and to retro enthusiasts. It’s pretty clear to look at them which is which.
The retro styled ones are primarily designed to work with open face helmets with the strap on the outside of the helmet.
That said, we’ve seen people wearing Davida’s Retro Pilot goggles with full face retro helmets and it looks great.
Conclusion
Goggles are an essential for motocross – and they don’t have to cost the earth.
If you’re after a pair for reasons of style, we think we’ve given you something to think about too.
It’s not for everyone, but the WWII pilot look is in this year…