With a massive field of view, would the SHRED. Amazify live up to their name?
The SHRED. Amazify goggles are a high-end goggle featuring a wide field of view and a carved cylindrical double lens. In SHRED.’s lineup, for cylindrical lenses, the Amazify slot just under the flagship Simplify goggle. They offer a more conventional frame size (without compromising on the field of view) at a slightly lower price point.
The Tech
The Bigshow colourway that I chose came with a CBL green/Blast reflect lens which has a VLT of 25%. It falls in the medium lens category, in between light and very light, and dark and very dark lenses. It’s listed as an all round lens that can handle from sunny to overcast conditions. I’d say that’s pretty accurate, it is quite versatile. However, to be honest, in the full on sun of spring days, I’d prefer a darker lens. The SHRED. Amazify do come with a NO BS lens changing system, so if I had another lens it would have been easy to change out. At the other lighting extreme though, it was pretty good when riding nights.
The lenses have a cool red/black look on the outside, which adds 4% VLT to the regular CBL green lens. The view from inside the lens though is a light green, which no doubt optimizes contrast. Speaking of contrast, the CBL in the lens title stands for ‘Contrast Boosting Lens’, and that’s noticeable in stormy weather when making out terrain features. In a quick subjective test, I found the SHRED. lens was one of the better lenses for clarity when compared with other leading goggle makers. The lens feature 100% UVA-UVB-UVC protection.
NODISTORTION tech means the air pressure inside the goggles equalizes with the outside thanks to the Poron filter in the lens, which makes for a clearer and distortion-free viewing experience. There is also a grip on the inside of the strap which keeps the goggles in place on helmets and beanies.
The SHRED. Amazify have a quite wide field of view, however I found I didn’t appreciate it until I put on a different pair of goggles. I was convinced I had my hood blocking my vision on the sides! It wasn’t until I pulled the hood off and still had the blocked peripheral that I realized the difference the Amazify made. I think it’s one of those things that once you try a SHRED. goggle with a wide FOV, you won’t be able to go back to regular sized goggles. According to SHRED., it’s 146 degrees of view which is wider than the competition by 8%, and it was certainly wider than the old spare pair I kept in my glove box.
How do they perform?
This was my first pair of SHRED. goggles and I’m very happy with the fit. The Whipped Cream Multilayered tapered face foam is comfortable, and they fit seamlessly with the Smith helmet I use.
The one feature that stood out for me has to be the wide field of view without the usual massive frame. I get all the benefits of a wide goggle without looking like a fighter pilot. I also liked the durability of the lens – they were pretty resistant to scratching. I caught a branch across the eyes during a tree run and thought for sure I’d ruined them. However, after a few minutes of wiping with the storage bag, the marks on the lens came clean off.
On heavy snow days in December and January, I experienced fogging on the lift, and it would slowly get worse throughout the day – at one point I even had water dripping on the inside of the lens. The amazing thing was, they would clear up within a few turns and I could see fine for the ride down. Then, I’d get on the lift again and even if I put the goggles up on my helmet for better airflow, they would start fogging up again. Each ride up I would think, “ok, this is it – I’ll have to run to the car to get another pair”, but then they’d clear up on the ride down again. You have to really hand it to SHRED. for their venting construction which clears fogging problems with a little airflow. Other goggles are usually done for once you get a hint of fog, so it was a relief I didn’t have to lose pow runs to change goggles. With the SHRED. Amazify, the venting tech (the Poron filter in the lens and NOCLOG hydrophobic spray on the vents) worked really well and kept me on the hill. On normal winter days they were perfect all day.
Final Thoughts
With a name like Amazify these SHRED. goggles had their work cut out for them to actually amaze me. I have to give them the nod though, for their impressive field of view, and their amazing ability to unfog. They fit well with my Smith helmet for zero gaper gap, and they fit the contours of my medium-sized face very well. They’re comfortable to wear and have great optics – and with the CBL green/Blast reflect lens, they’re definitely a solid pick for most of the winter conditions you can encounter.
Get more information on SHRED. at their official site.
Disclosure: The SHRED. Amazify goggles were provided by SHRED.