# glasses and full face helmets



## fisherdude4eva (Apr 29, 2007)

My vision is pretty terrible but I don't want/have contacts. I'm wearing a skate type lid right now but if I were to want to get a full face in the future, what are my options? I was thinking a pair of head-hugging rec specs under the ff with goggles over or something like that. Anybody with terrible vision able to help?


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## Spdu4ia (Aug 6, 2009)

my wife wore her glasses under her googles with her FF helmet. She said it bent the legs though. Maybe look into some RX googles.


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

get glasses with flexy legs, not an issue.


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## daisycutter (Sep 18, 2005)

I wear the glasses I bought at costco. No issues as I brought my helmet when I purchased them


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## rmb_mike (Jun 12, 2007)

Too bad there isn't an optometrist that can make prescription lens for goggles, or even partial inserts for existing goggle lens.


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## godfather (Jun 28, 2009)

rmb_mike said:


> Too bad there isn't an optometrist that can make prescription lens for goggles, or even partial inserts for existing goggle lens.


There are goggle manufacturers that do make prescription inserts for goggles. I know Bolle does, and I think there are others. I believe that someone makes a generic insert that will work in a variety of goggles as well.

The other option is to get an OTG (Over The Glasses) goggle. Most major goggle companies have at least one, if not multiple options in this format. They are designed to fit directly over prescription glasses. Fit is going to be important, so I recommend trying them on with the glasses you plan on wearing with them. If your LBS doesn't carry much in the way of goggles, hit a ski shop. They will generally have the most options. FYI, glasses tend to fog more easily inside of a goggle, so if you tend to fog glasses or goggles easily, look for the largest volume goggle. The more lens surface and air volume inside of the goggle, the harder it will be to get condensation or fog. Smith makes a series called Turbo Fans that actually have a built in micro fan to circulate air through the frame. These are easily the most difficult goggles to fog. They make several different frames with Turbo Fan too.


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

I rode DH a few times with a full face. I wear glasses. What I found is that sometimes due to the helmet padding pushing on the glasses "arms" (or legs? lol) they would sit up a bit off my nose, it wasn't too much of an issue.
I personally didn't wear goggles, but then I wasn't fast at DH riding by any standard and I figured the glasses themselves would protect my eyes from any dirt splatters or whatever.

It's rather annoying having to take the glasses off before you can take the helmet off. If I stuck with DH and was anywhere near half decent at it I probbly would have wore my contacts and brought a pair of goggles.

If you have never seriously considered contacts maybe you should look into it, technology has really improved a lot so you might be able to get daily disposables to use only when you go DH riding, that way you don't have to worry too much about losing them etc. 

If you have never had a full face you will find that they can be pretty hot even in cool weather so you will want to take it off even if you're shuttling rather than pushing back up the hill.


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## DucJ (Aug 14, 2009)

Scott makes prescription goggle inserts..
I wear glasses with my FF. Don't use goggles that often but the ones I have are the Scott OTG. They work great and they have alot of different lenses for them.Helmet is Giro Remedy.


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

time to step up to the plate and get lasek surgery


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## charvey9 (May 13, 2010)

Goggles aren't neccessary for a full face helmet. You could just wear your presription glasses instead of goggles.

In fact, I prefer to ride with my sunglasses since they are much cooler and provide enough protection from the wind and mud. I have a Troy Leed Designs D2 helmet and they fit great with the helmet on.


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

charvey9 said:


> Goggles aren't neccessary for a full face helmet. You could just wear your presription glasses instead of goggles.
> 
> In fact, I prefer to ride with my sunglasses since they are much cooler and provide enough protection from the wind and mud. I have a Troy Leed Designs D2 helmet and they fit great with the helmet on.


sunglasses are by far not the same as most regular prescription glasses in shape or form.

I found scott goggles fit very well over prescription glasses, i currently use a 661 helmet, and it feels nice and snug but doesnt bend the legs.

In my old helmet a fox rampage, the legs would get bendt so hard they popped the lens out the frame a few times..

So find a helmet that doesnt squeeze your face like a banana caught in the gorilla cage.


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## ducktape (May 21, 2007)

DeanH said:


> sunglasses are by far not the same as most regular prescription glasses in shape or form.
> 
> I found scott goggles fit very well over prescription glasses, i currently use a 661 helmet, and it feels nice and snug but doesnt bend the legs.
> 
> ...


Interesting, the fox rampage is what I had. I didn't find the bending that extreme but it did press against them to the extent that they weren't sitting on my nose properly. But generally I found the sweet spot with the padding and it was mostly all good. But my specs are pretty slim anyway and probably bent out of shape by now regardless! I need a new pair.

A bit OT but out of curiosity did you find the Rampage hotter than the 661?


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## DeanH (Jan 9, 2008)

tbh, i havent noticed a huge difference in how hot the rampage is vs the 661, but i did notice the rampage is a lot more "enclosed" feeling vs the 661 as in less room for the goggles but the rampage fits supersnug, it just has too much padding in the cheek areas i found.


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## C S (Sep 26, 2007)

SHIVER ME TIMBERS said:


> time to step up to the plate and get lasek surgery


+1

I used to wear glasses under my fullface with no real problems other than the fact that it was a pain in the ass to get the glasses to sit right on my face and not go into the vents in the liner. You do need to make sure your helmet has enough space on the side of your head to allow the glasses to squeeze in. I found over-the-glasses goggles to suck, never wore them. YMMV

But seriously, if you have the $$, lasik is sooo worth it :thumbsup:


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## DHgnaR (Feb 20, 2008)

I wear glasses and can't stand goggles over glasses. Uncomfortable, the glasses seem to bounce out of place mid run, not to mention the fog up issue. 
Riding with glasses only with no goggles, or goggles with contacts (preferred) are the only way to go IMO.
Prescription inserts for goggles seems overly expensive for something that scratches regularly.
No goggles with glasses only, I always end up with crap in my eye pretty quickly.
Goggles with glasses, fog, movement, bah.
Contacts, pain in the ass to put contacts in if you're not used to it, but worth the effort to see and ride at the same time without any of the above issues.


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## bear (Feb 3, 2004)

My 661 Evo helm doesn't interfere with my Rudy Project glasses at all.

But I do dream of Lasik one day, really tired of the glasses and when the weather gets icky they're a huge PITA.


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## threeXtoedXsloth (Oct 2, 2008)

i ride with a giro remedy and glasses no problem, they are normal semi thick arms, no issue and more recently prescription aviator style sunglasses and still no issue. the only minor annoyance i have it that you have to take them off, put them somewhere, take the helmet off and than put the glasses back on. but aside from that i have not had an issue yet.


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## spikey_korean (Aug 3, 2007)

there are only 3 worst case scenarios that have happened to me or i've seen:
- glasses fly off from crash (happened to a buddy after flying over handlebars)
- glasses arm breaks from crash inside helmet (happened to a pair of sunglasses in gnar section smacking side of head into a tree at slow speed)
- glasses slip and scratch/cut face during crash (saw this happen to a dude where his shades broke at the arm during a skid post drop. the pressure of the helmet drove the broken arm to cut along his cheekbone)

granted, the only time any of these three things can potentially happen is if you crash. i also do all my fullface riding at whistler and local nw freeride areas, so it depends on what you're riding as well.

right now i wear contacts (acuvue oasis), which i recommend or lasik. if you still want to do glasses, smith offers prescription options for some of their frames ($$$). also, sport shades work better in helmets because they conform to your face vs. wire frames.


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## keen (Jan 13, 2004)

I tried OTG goggles and they just didn't work out. The glasses can get pushed by the goggles - uncomfortable and the fogging issues were a pain. I tied a set of gasketed sunglasses but the Rx was not 100% due to the shape of frames.


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## Danke (Sep 19, 2005)

Search your favorite goggle site with the term Rx or Rx lens insert.


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## cloud25 (Feb 4, 2011)

Just try contact lens
First time it might be annoying, days later you won't feel anything
Less risk too, just don't forget goggles

Just curious, why wouldnt u use contact lens?


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

http://www.rockgardn.com/items/optics/pangaea-detail.htm?1=1&menu=4


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## Sid Nitzerglobin (Sep 17, 2010)

ducktape said:


> If you have never seriously considered contacts maybe you should look into it, technology has really improved a lot so you might be able to get daily disposables to use only when you go DH riding, that way you don't have to worry too much about losing them etc.


^This is what I do. Glasses for everyday use and a limited supply of daily disposables for riding/skiing/other athletic type stuff.

My daily disposables were supposedly relatively pricey at ~$60 for 90 pair, IIRC. You can actually wear a pair of most daily disposables for 3-4 days if you clean them each day you wear them.

I don't have a full face yet, but I tried out wearing my glasses under goggles w/ my ski helmet and it seemed really uncomfortable and a relatively big pain in the ass. Wearing just full on respecs, a la Chris Sabo/Kareem Abdul Jabar might work pretty well though if contacts won't work for you.


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## Thefelix (May 2, 2011)

For Skiing I bought these goggles from Oakley with 'OTG' function (over the glasses) Don't suppose there is something similar for biking though?


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