The Best Motorcycle Goggles to Buy

The MK49 is a pretty pair of goggles, but it’s also highly functional. Split lenses give you an excellent peripheral view, and individual lenses for each eye seal extra well, for superb protection. Also, leather backers feel better against your skin, and the rubberized strap grips especially well on your helmet, so once anchored, these English-made specs won’t budge. And even the clear lenses offer UV protection.

The downside? That’s a small socket for air to move through, so if you’re sweating and riding more slowly, fogging is more likely than with a modern design.

It’s hard to argue with the value play of the Accuri 2. 100% says this is the broadest fit for most helmet designs, and the lenses themselves are coated with a fog-proofing layer. The frame can also receive any lens in the 100% lineup (save the Armega we’ve also reviewed), giving you choices to carry, say, a tinted and clear lens and to swap as needed. The extra-wide, silicon-coated strap should hold the goggles securely to your helmet, and the mirrored stock lens comes with a backup clear one in the box, as well as a chamois.

This is a very basic pair of goggles, but if the idea is to have a pair just in case, the Moto 2 will do the job. Its no-fog design moves enough air, and the oversized frame should accommodate glasses, but you’ll need to test that out to be sure.

Oakley is perhaps the name brand in performance eyewear. The Airbrake MX is their top-of-the-line motocross goggle. The lenses are made from injection-molded Plutonite which offers both clarity and impact resistance. These goggles offer extra wide peripheral vision. And have Oakley's Switchlock technology, which makes swapping in a new lens a much easier process than other goggles.

Name-brand and quality product generally means a higher price. And the Oakley Airbrake MX can approach $200, which is a lot more than other MX goggles and a lot to spend on a product you know will take a beating.

If you have a little more money to play with, Klim's Edge Off-Road Goggles could be a compelling option. They have a sleek, frameless appearance and a secure magnetic quick-release mechanism for the lens. Klim also adds practicalities like frame cutouts to fit over glasses and a goggle bag that can both protect and polish the lens.

The main drawback with these goggles will be the price point, which is three to four times as high as other functional motorcycle goggle options on this list.

Not everyone wants to put contacts in or pay for prescription goggles. These Bikershades goggles are a great affordable option to fit over your prescription frames. Reviewers note that the venting allows enough air in to prevent fogging but not enough to be annoying otherwise. They also have dual-layer foam padding that absorbs pressure for added comfort.

While agreeing that Bikershades goggles are a solid option, some online reviews have cited heat buildup and waterproofing issues.

The super-wide, 170-degree field of view makes these goggles a prime choice for riders who need maximum peripheral vision, and the dual-layer lens ensures anti-fogging. The 6.5 Enduro is also compatible with Leatt’s own roll-off system, and Leatt says the more tapered frame makes their goggles more readily compatible with most MX open-face helmets. The deeper goggle frame should also make it easier to wear glasses beneath the 6.5s. And a removable nose guard protects your beak, too.

No brand mines moto history as much as 100%. Here they’ve partnered with House Industries (who’ve made fonts and custom designs for every brand from Hermes to the New Yorker) for a limited run of Barstow goggles that look extra dope, with a custom strap and metallic accents. (Barstows come in lots of fantastic styles too. So poke around for the color/vibe that mates well to your helmet and overall riding kit.)

Beyond aesthetics, 100% still makes sure you’re getting current tech, with an anti-fog, mirrored, polycarbonate lens, a goggle bag, a second clear lens standard and a wide-frame field of view that’s decidedly not vintage.

If you need a tear-off system but want to spend less, the Fury is a good option. Its four-post mount system holds tear-offs tauter to the lens for less distortion, while the overly-wide strap offers better helmet sealing. Scott says its three-layer foam does a better job of wicking moisture, too, without growing clammy as you sweat. Scott includes two lenses: the stock mirrored chrome one and a clear version.

The new Armega provides a more rigid lens that won’t twist, leading to less visual distortion. Because the lens is rigid and mounts only at the nose and the outward edges, you can swap in a new one in under ten seconds. Yank the two edge clamps forward and pull the old lens up and out; Replace by pushing the lens into the nose bridge and snap both end clamps and you’re done. No other system is as slick.

This is a larger goggle though, and with outriggers, it may not fit all eye openings of every helmet. Test that out for sure when you get them. The HiPER lens is ultra-sharp, with excellent clarity.

If you are familiar with Fox Racing’s line of goggles, they share the impressive peripherals and ventilation tech with the Vue goggles. Having a wider field of vision makes you much more aware of your surroundings, making your ride much safer. The major difference with these goggles is the closed-cell foam vents. This design keeps the dust out of your eye port, which is huge when it comes to visibility and safety. The Variable Lens System enables you to switch out your lenses easily, but our tester was sporting the amber Lexan in the sunny desert of Utah and Arizona and had no issues with the sun impairing vision. We did find that the amber lens shows scratches, so you might want to snag a set of tear-offs before heading out for the day. As far as the straps go, they feature a silicon strip to keep them from slipping up and down the back of your helmet, and they are set up on outriggers. This design effectively moves the straps a bit further back, adding comfort and security. The removable nose piece allows you to play around with the level of protection you need, as well as the look. Although it makes it a bit more challenging to pull your goggles into the helmet, our tester found it to come in handy when you are ripping through the dust all day.