Happy Lenses are making a mark. We’ve had plenty of success thus far with these new lenses from Spy Optics and the new Bravo Goggles continue that trend.
Spy Bravo Features:
- Features Lock Steady™ — the quickest, fingerprint free lens change system on the market
- Custom built from a flexible polyurethane frame
- Anti-fog 5.5-base ARC® spherical dual-lens system with anti-scratch protection
- Free mirrored bonus lens
- Triple-layer Isotron™ face foam with moisture-wicking Dri-Force™ fleece
- Silicone-ribbed strap
- 100% UV protection
- Helmet compatible with the most popular helmets on the planet.
- Price: $204.95 (with Happy Lenses)
A Round of Applause for the Bravos
Over the years, I’ve been known to fog up more than my fair share of goggles. For some reason, I like to create my own microclimate and it has come back to haunt me many times. Thankfully, goggle technology has greatly improved in recent years, so my fog machine days are gladly in the past. I’m happy to say that the Bravo goggles continued that trend.
These days, one of the top features I look for in a pair of goggles is of course, the field and quality of vision. With the Bravo’s you get a good field of vision, but not best-in-class. There’s no getting around the thickness of the frames with all the foam going on. So, I did seem to suffer from just a little bit of tunnel vision in the Bravo’s.
As far as optical quality, I can’t find a thing to complain about. Dark, dreary days were well-matched and bright, sunny days were glare-free and let my eyes rest — even after extended periods. There certainly is something to the Happy Lens Technology as it does improve clarity and reduces eye fatigue over the course of wearing them.
I wore the Bravo’s with a variety of helmets and found them to be decent, but not fantastic with all helmets. In particular, the POC Skull Light seemed to pose quite the challenge but the Smith Vantage helmet fit just fine. Part of the issue here is that the strap mounting point is inward instead of outward or on an outrigger system. As such, the POC Skull Light caused the strap to have to abruptly stretch outward to make it around the perimiter of the helmet.
Perhaps I’m just an old dude, but it seems that those who choose to wear the Bravo’s strap under their helmet, beanie-style, may appreciate the strap’s mounting location. I’m not cool enough to rock the goggle/beanie combo under my helmet, and, if you’re like me, I’d say choose wisely as some helmets aren’t as compatible as others.
I will say that the Lock Steady lens change system is on point. Talk about easy-to-use… this takes the cake. It’s super-easy and gets my nod for the best lens interchange platform in a pair of goggles today. If lens changes are important to you, you’ll love Lock Steady.
The Good
- Lock Steady is hands-down the easiest lens change system
- Happy Rose Lenses offer excellent optical clarity in a variety of conditions
- Love the nose bridge size — doesn’t squeeze my nostrils like some goggles
- Fog-free performance
- Good scratch resistance
The Bad
- Doesn’t work well with all helmets
- Strap has to be fully extended to fit over helmets
- Not best-in-class peripheral vision
The Bottom Line: Spy Bravo Goggles
The all-new Spy Bravo goggles are packed with all kinds of features. Tops on that list is the easy-to-use Lock Steady interchangeable lens system. A close second is the Happy Rose Lenses I tested — great optical quality and fatigue-free vision. I’m going to question the helmet compatibility, but it does work, just not ideally on some lids.
Buy Now: Available at REI
