 Poster: A snowHead
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Till now, I've used the following three Oakley lenses after much experimentation over many years:
* HI yellow (VLT 81%) for whiteout and flat light (0–20% sunshine)
* Blue iridium (VLT 30%) for partly cloudy days (20–60% sunshine)
* Emerald iridium (VLT 11%) for bright and sunny days (60–100% sunshine)
My eyes seem to be more light sensitive than average (I wear sunglasses when most other people don't). And, like most mortals, I find skiing in flat light a challenge. Along with a small percentage of unfortunates, I get motion sickness when skiing in whiteout.
With the HI yellow lens, I still had issues with lack of definition in totally flat light, and if the light brightened even a little bit I would then be blinded and would have to change to the blue iridium lens.
Prizm rose lens review
Day 1: the day started out partly cloudy with about 65% sunshine but then changed to very flat light with 0% sunshine.
When I first put my goggles on, I was struck by just how bright pink everything looked! But my brain adjusted and within a minute or two, all colours looked natural with only a slight pink tinge to some edges. After a while, even those pink edges disappeared.
The lens dealt very well with glare in the partly cloudy conditions and the snow definition was absolutely superb, with very high contrast. I've never seen anything like it! When the light was at its brightest for the day, I would have been more comfortable with a darker lens (see previous comment about light sensitivity).
Two hours later, clouds completely covered the sky and the light turned super flat. Flatter than a point in a two dimensional universe. This happened really quickly and, for the first 10 minutes or so, I was a little disappointed with the lens' performance because it felt like it provided less definition than my old HI yellow lens and it certainly transmitted less light.
However, the definition and contrast suddenly improved, so I removed the goggles to see if the light had become less flat but it hadn't changed. Perhaps my brain had adjusted again? Anyway, definition was good, especially in the snow at a distance of 10 metres and more. This is just perfect if you're alway looking ahead on the face you're skiing. Overall, contrast was impressive considering just how flat the light was. For the first time, I felt okay about skiing in totally flat light. Don't get me wrong, there was still less definition than on a sunny day but it was better than any other lens I've tried.
Day 2: completely overcast, raining and snowing at the same time, 0–10% sunshine and the light was moderately flat.
As before, the Prizm rose lens provided good definition and contrast. I had packed my old goggles with the HI yellow lens and fixx had her Smith IO goggles with blue sensor mirror lens (another excellent flat light lens), so I did a comparison. The Prizm rose lens provided the best contrast and definition out of the three even though it transmitted the least light. The HI yellow lens transmitted the most light and provided the same contrast as the Smith blue sensor mirror lens, which provided the most natural colour. For me, the Prizm rose was the winner and fixx thought they provided slightly better contrast than her Smith blue sensor mirror lens.
Day 3: completely overcast, snowing, with moderately flat light and patches of whiteout, 0% sunshine
Finally got to test the Prizm rose lens in whiteout conditions. It was moderate whiteout, i.e. visibility was about 10 metres, so not complete whiteout. The lens performed well, providing definition in the snow within the 10m of available visibility. I then swapped to my old goggles with the HI yellow lens, which provided slightly less definition but transmitted more light. I kept swapping between to the two and, in the end, found the Prizm rose lens more comfortable for my light-sensitive peepers.
Overall, I'm very satisfied with the super versatile Prizm rose lens because it has, effectively, replaced two lenses in my arsenal, the HI yellow and the blue iridium. So one less lens to carry.
Unfortunately, due to the two-week storm we've had in Chamonix, I never had the opportunity to test the Prizm black iridium lens but am heading out again later this season when it will probably be more sunny.
Prizm black iridium lens review
Days 1–6: clear, blue skies 100% sunshine
I had the opportunity to test this lens on the GnaBuN bash a couple of weeks ago when we had 6 days of glorious sunshine in Italy and I am suitably impressed at the performance of this lens. They very comfortably reduced VLT and glare while increasing contrast (yes, increased contrast in bright and sunny light). This meant that my eyes did not feel scratchy and hot at the end of each day, so I never had to break out the moisturising eye drops. Bonus!
I had my trusty Stockholm goggles with the standard emerald iridium lens (my previous go to lens for bright days) in my pack, so was able to do a comparison. The Prizm black iridium lens appears to transmit slightly less light than the standard green iridium lens but everything looks clearer because the contrast is noticeably better. The Prizm lens has a slight pink tinge, while the emerald lens is neutral (I believe it's a grey lens under that shiny green coating). However, my brain adjusted and I never noticed the pinkness of the Prizm lens after a few minutes.
When 5pm came round each day and it was time to ski home in flat, shady light, the Prizm black iridium lens was too dark and I had to change to the Prizm rose lens. But I don't see this as a failing of the black lens, it's not made for flat light.
TL;DR conclusion
* Prizm rose lens outperformed my previous favourite lens for flat light (HI yellow)
* Prizm black iridium lens outperformed my previous favourite lens for bright sunshine (standard emerald iridium)
Update 1: added VLT numbers for my original lenses
Update 2: added day 3 whiteout conditions review
Update 3: added review for the Prizm black iridium lens[/list]
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 23-03-16 8:44; edited 3 times in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Sub_Zero_G, I bought the Prizm rose lens last year and found them so much better than previous lenses I'd owned. I was very impressed, too.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Interesting review, thanks for sharing.
I have similar issues (light sensitive, wear sunglasses at the slightest hint of sunlight) but with a less refined setup - emerald iridium for sunshine and persimmon for everything else. My understanding is that the persimmon lens isn't as good in flat light as the HI yellow (it's pretty bad, tbh), but it's a bit darker and I don't think I'd cope with anything that let more light through so I never got one.
I was interested to read about the prizm rose when it came out, and wondered if it might make a better alternative. I have the now discontinued Stockholms though, so a new lens means new goggles unfortunately. What frame do you have the rose in, and how is the fit compared to the Stockholm? (Am I right in thinking that's what your old ones are?) If I end up upgrading, it would be nice to have fast-swap lenses like N's Airbrakes, but they are massive on my tiny head!
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@porkpiefox, reading discussions on snowHeads about lenses, people seem to react differently to lens colour. For example, many swear by orange lenses for flat light days but I found them useless. Others swear by grey/black lenses for bright light but I've found green lenses better in bright conditions.
I have often wondered if the pigment in our irises filters/bounces light differently depending on the colour.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Scarlet, yep, my old goggles are the Stockholm model. I bought the Flight Deck XM (smaller than the original Flight Deck).
The fit is ok, not as great as the Stockholm but better than any other goggles I've tried (same as you, I have a small head and face). Compared to the Stockholm, they sit lower on my nose, which felt odd at first.
The lens swap system is easier than the Stockholm, even though the frame is similar to that soft, rubbery frame the Stockholm has and it uses the same principle of slotting lens grooves into frame lugs, rather than using any kind of clip.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I used the Prizm lenses (Rose, Jade, Black) last season in the Flightdeck's. I found that the Prizm lenses to be better than the already good normal Oakley lenses, in everything apart from heavy snow fall. When snowing heavily I switch back to Hi-Yellows, which give me the best vision (I compare it to turning the lights on). However, as mentioned Hi-Yellow are useless as soon as there is the any hint of it brightening up, and painful in sunlight (I am always amazed when I see people skiing in low light lenses in full sunlight  ).
On a couple of occasions I lent someone whichever pair of Prizms that I wasn't wearing, when they complained that they couldn't see anything, and they were massively impressed that the lenses could make that much difference to what they could see, so I guess its not all hype.
There are always those who are perfectly happy with their £20 goggles, and can't tell the difference, but that happens in every aspect of life.
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@PowderAdict, I agree about the HI yellow lens, they are bright. From memory, they have a VLT of 81%.
I'll keep my old goggles with the HI yellow lens in my pack until I've tested the Prizm rose lens on darker days.
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oakleys rule period . no lenses can "improve "vision per se the various tints fool the brain . i have multiple oakleys and hi vis yellow is far better than persimmon in low flat light . for cloudy days /skiing in and out of trees gold or bronze are best . for bright sunny days take your pick anything from emerald ,black,ruby red,fire all good
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Skiing with a friend this week who has recently invested in Oakley flightdecks with rose prism lens. She reckons they are the best ski related purchase she has made for a very long time.
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Prizm was a game changer for me in flat light and untracked snow. Pump up the contrast! Couldn't go back now. Noticeably better control and confidence when skiing with a pretty good off piste group in very difficult light.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Sub_Zero_G, ffs I've just got my fat skis sorted and now you've got me wanting goggles as well  £108 is the best I can do. Maybe I should see if someone on the BB has a pair I can test... Anyone?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| Sub_Zero_G wrote: |
@porkpiefox, reading discussions on snowHeads about lenses, people seem to react differently to lens colour. For example, many swear by orange lenses for flat light days but I found them useless. Others swear by grey/black lenses for bright light but I've found green lenses better in bright conditions.
I have often wondered if the pigment in our irises filters/bounces light differently depending on the colour. |
Interesting. I haven't had a chance to test them in heavy snow conditions yet, so I'll see what they're like in that light.
I did also buy the black iridium lens, for brighter days. We had a week of bluebird conditions last year and they were great for me. Even my wife, who struggles with bright sunshine, but doesn't appreciate my desire to spend money on ski equipment, thought they made a difference. Bonus 
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@porkpiefox, that's good news about the black lens. I was hesitant about buying them because, to date, green lenses have been better for me in bright conditions. Now, I just need a bright, sunny day, pretty please.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Sub_Zero_G wrote: |
| @porkpiefox, that's good news about the black lens. I was hesitant about buying them because, to date, green lenses have been better for me in bright conditions. Now, I just need a bright, sunny day, pretty please. |
As you say, I guess they may "work" differently for different people, but they certainly work for me.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Scarlet wrote: |
| @Sub_Zero_G, ffs I've just got my fat skis sorted and now you've got me wanting goggles as well £108 is the best I can do. Maybe I should see if someone on the BB has a pair I can test... Anyone? |
If you already have an Oakley goggle you are happy with then look at getting a Prizm replacement lens, c £60. maybe less for the Rose Prizm and smaller shapes.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@mishmash, both @Scarlet and I have Oakley Stockholm goggles, which are now discontinued, so you can't buy Prizm lenses for them. This is why I ended up buying new goggles.
While I was searching for the VLT values to add to my original post, I came across this handy description of both the base colour and tints/coatings of standard Oakley lenses. Interestingly, the emerald iridium lens that I love for bright days has a grey base. And my sunglasses, which look black but have a green tint when you look through them also have a grey base. Looking through the new Prizm black iridium lens, it appears to have a rose base.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Very interesting! Both Mrs Mash and love the Prizms I have to say! Just need a Cat 4 lens for the Jawbone ( now Racing jacket ) and I'd be happy!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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great review have bought the flight decks with prizm jade and prizm rose as was impressed by the reviews i had read, i am glad to see confirmation from an independent @Sub_Zero_G,
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Last season I invested in a prizm rose lens. I found it the best I had tried for flat light, but still no panacea for all difficult light conditions. I'll certainly stick with them though.
I also use the Fire Iridium for sunny days in my Canopy frames - I carry 2 sets so no faffing with changing lenses.
Now I see - per the previous post - that there's Torch and Sapphire lenses available, I expect that I'll be investing further in my penchant for eye-wear.
There's always more ski-gear to spend my hard-earned on!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Jarcy wrote: |
There's always more ski-gear to spend my hard-earned on! |
Been there, done that
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Would you say the Rose lenses are OK for a bright and sunny day or would need something more mid-range like the Jade/Sapphire? Also, not read much about how the Jade/Sapphire cope in low light conditions, could anyone help? Looking at buying one pair to see me through all conditions, but love the writeups of the Rose! Just worried I may need to switch goggles when it's sunny.
For reference I have an old pair of A Frames with Persimmon lenses which I've used in sun and low light.
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@jmoore6,
I've been using the rose prism lenses this week in snowy/low light/flat light conditions and they have been excellent. We've had two days of sun/clouds and they have been fine but I suspect the sunlight in January is not so intense as later in the season. I wouldn't expect to be using them on really sunny days. I have a pair of old Oakley's with yellow low-light lenses and I was caught out one day when the weather started poor but quickly turned into full sun. I found it quite painful to look through the googles so I usually carry a spare pair now. Hope this helps.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@jmoore6, if you have been using Persimmon in bright sun, then I'm surprised you haven't gone blind. It is painful for me to use those lenses in full sun.
If you have been happy with the Persimmon, then the Prizm Rose will offer much wider coverage.
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Another thumbs up for the prizm lense. After the first day struggling in our very old smith goggles went straight in and bought 2 sets. A frames with jade torch lense for the wife and airbrakes with prizm rose for me. What a difference. Probably one of the best ski related purchases I've made in a while. Made this trip much more enjoyable for us. I found them ok in sunlight with light cloud on one day and have bought another lense to go in mine for sunny days. TBH was worried about the hype but did have a very candid conversation with the man from snowpark who although I know wants to sell did show me his goggles from his rucksack that were prizm.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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thanks all, appreciate all the feedback! 
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Out of interest, If you're a SCUK member, you get 10% off at RX Sport.
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You know it makes sense.
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So semi out of necessity (someone nicked my crowbars Fire + HI Yellow) I have joined the prizm club.
I spent some time over the weekend at oakley trying the lenses out and based on these reviews, the rest on the web and word of mouth decided to join the club.
Picked up for £100 with shipping. Oakley airbrakes + Prizm Black Iridium Lens + Prizm Rose Lens - it even came with an oakley goggle case
They just arrived in the post today. Only catch is the frame is a bright green colour but for that price you can't complain!
got them off trekwear.co.uk - none are showing on their site today so not sure
Used Quidco for cashback and then promocode: VC75 for 20% off.
You can at the moment get off surfdome for a total of £110 a crowbar with prizm black iridium + prizm rose lens(purchased separately) - can't remember the coupon code.
Hopefully this helps the next prizm fan club member
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I recently started using these (Airbrake + Prizm), the pinkish tinged ones the OP mentions. I've tried them in all conditions from thick fog (<100m visiblity) to grey skies/flat light to bluebird. I was amazed by them on the first use but this was tempered later on by comparing them with a bog standard pair of yellow googles that were perfectly fine for the conditions at the time (flattish light). Having said that, the difference they make to contrast in flat light is subtle but useful IMO, they give a confidence boost if nothing else. In bad light when others were falling over and complaining about the visibility I wasn't concerned at all.
All they can do is slightly boost contrast, if the contrast isn't there to start with they are the same as any other lens.
A good plus point is they never fogged up in any conditions, more than one person I was with had problems in this regard but these were always clear (even with a balaclava covering the mouth which usually causes fogging). Comfort too was good, most of the time I wasn't even aware I was wearing them.
Overall I'm glad I bought them and would not want to go back to "normal" lenses, the build quality is good and I expect them to last for years but you can get goggles that are 90% as good for 50% of the price so whether or not they are worth it is debatable.
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Poster: A snowHead
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So I wore my standard emerald iridiums almost exclusively for 2 weeks at the Birthday Bash, and they now look like they've been mauled by an angry tiger  As they're now discontinued, by only replacement lens option is directly from Oakley's store cupboard at the cost of £60 for an identical lens.
Is it worth the extra £50 to replace the lot with Prizms? @Zero_G, did you manage to test the black iridium Prizm against your old emerald lens in bright sun? Did you get one of the mid-range lenses too, or are you ok with the black/rose combo?
Has anyone else who has a small face tested Prizms in one of the smaller frames? The website suggests the A-frame 2.0 and Crowbar for women.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Oops, got my prices wrong - £108 is the cheapest I can see for Flight Deck XM with a Prizm lens (rose), but I'll need another £72 for a bright lens, so it's an additional £120 over the replacement for the Stockholms. Hmm...
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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If you're willing to forgo the Flight Deck XM, the A-Frame's with Prizm Rose are £88 at Igero, VIP1516 will take another 15% off that...
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@Oobie38, possibly, I like the look of the Flight Deck XM, but I'm not set on it. My requirements are more that it must fit my almost child-size head and easy to swap the lens without destroying the frame. Thanks for the code though, I'll have a look.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Scarlet wrote: |
| Has anyone else who has a small face tested Prizms in one of the smaller frames? The website suggests the A-frame 2.0 and Crowbar for women. |
I have just started using Crowbar with rose prizm. Pretty impressed overall, though currently skiing in low cloud & very low light & have swapped to Smith S1 yellow lens. Small face wise I still find Crowbar too big: sits really low on my nose, can't breathe unless push 'em right up, but then they hit helmet brim, so have to push that back too
Far from ideal, but worth it for the visibility definition.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Scarlet, haven't had the chance to test the Prizm black iridium lens. Hopefully we'll have a bit of sunshine in Gressoney in a few weeks' time, so will report back.
My old standard green iridium replacement lens was £70 from the Oakley store, so you wouldn't be doing too badly paying £60 for a new lens for a discontinued frame.
The goggles I bought are the flight deck XM model. Compared to the Stockholm, they look ginormous and felt odd at first because their size means they sit lower on your nose. That said, they fit my tiny face, so all good.
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@Zero_G, as discussed, I'm still interested in your offer should you decide to sell. When I posted this, I was under the impression that Oakley had some Emerald Iridiums available, but they were VR50 Emerald Iridium which is totally different. The darkest they can offer me is Fire.
I'm not sure what the thinking is behind the discontinuation of their only women specific frame — do they think we've all given up skiing or something? Grown bigger heads? I'll have to try some on in a shop.
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Have just updated my original post with my views on the Prizm black iridium lens. Overall, the Prizm lenses outperformed the non-Prizm lenses I compared them against.
@Scarlet, who knows, perhaps it has something to do with consolidating their product offering down to a few, solidly-performing models? The Flightdeck MX model, although looks huge on my head, fits almost as well as the Stockholm model and now that I've worn them for a few weeks they feel totally comfortable.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I am trying to find some Airbrake Prizm Pink lenses, but most places seem not to have this/sold out. Anyone know anywhere that still may have it in stock?
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FAQ
