• POC Helmets & Armor Fovea 2016

      • Review by NH_OPERATOR on Mar 21, 2015 @ 11:09 PM
      • Review:

        The Fovea goggle is more proof that POC is entering the park market. It looks to me like a mix between the newer frame-less bug-eye goggles that dominate the park scene, and the older traditional goggles of the past.

        The Fovea goggle has a Spherical lens, sitting inside a more traditional frame. This combination gives you the advantages of a spherical lens (wider peripheral vision, less fogging) with out needing to look like an insect. The lens itself is made by Zeiss, a company known outside the ski industry for making extremely high quality optics of all kinds. The quality definitely shows through here. My pair came with blue exterior lens, with the standard amber-ish look from the inside (sorry, the goggle is not on the market yet, I do not have the exact name of the lens). These are almost certainly the most clear lens I have ever tried. It was like there was not even a lens in front of me (other then the tint). There is no distortion of any kind that I could detect either. Peripheral vision was definitely better than most spherical goggles but not quite what you get with the extra large, frame-less goggles. It was wide enough to never give me an issue. Additionally the lens seems to do a good job at resisting scratches from twigs and branches, as I did a fair bit of bushwhacking with these on, and they do not have a mark on them.

        Most important to any goggle though, is its anti-fog capabilities. The clearest lens on the planet is no good if it fogs up at the first sign of sweat. Luckily this is not the case with the Fovea. Having tried these in conditions ranging from frigid bluebird days to warm, wet spring-time conditions I can say that fogging should not be an issue. The only time any fog was observed was on the warm, spring day where I was sweating quite a bit. What fog was present was well within acceptable limits considering how much I was sweating.

        The frames are made of a soft rubber like material that does a fine job at adapting to your face, while the foam padding keeps your skin nice and happy. The goggle strap is fairly standard fair, with anti-slip grip on the inside to keep goggles glued to your helmet.

        The only real downside I found with the goggle was with changing the lenses out. Although definitely not the hardest lens swap I have tried, it is by no means as easy as something like the Smith IO/X or Anons magnetic lens swap system. If you are only changing lenses once a day you will probably be fine, but if you tend to change out your lens more than once per day, you might want to look into something a little easier to change.

        Overall I like the Fovea. It fits into an excellent gap between the huge frame-less bug-eye goggles and the older style of goggles which offer substantially less peripheral vision. It looks like it belongs in the park, and is priced competitively.

        MSRP: $140.00
        Available late 2015

        Ratings:
        • Design
          Clean
          Busy
        • Weight
          Light
          Heavy
        • Durability
          Fragile
          Durable
        • Style
          Uncool
          Cool
        • Size
          Small
          Big
        • Field of View
          Tunnel Vision
          Fish Eye
        • Optical Quality
          blurry
          crystal clear
        • Goggle Strap
          Thin
          Thick
    • Shop for Fovea by POC Helmets & Armor
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    • Product Information
    • Name:
    • Fovea
    • Manufacturer:
    • POC Helmets & Armor
    • Year:
    • 2016
    • Gender:
    • Neutral
    • At A Glance
    • Design
    • Clean
      Busy
    • Weight
    • Light
      Heavy
    • Durability
    • Fragile
      Durable
    • Style
    • Uncool
      Cool
    • Size
    • Small
      Big
    • Field of View
    • Tunnel Vision
      Fish Eye
    • Optical Quality
    • blurry
      crystal clear
    • Goggle Strap
    • Thin
      Thick
    • Product Options
    • Review Ratings