Anon Hawkeye Goggle Review

Anon Optics founded in 2001 by The Machine (aka Burton Snowboards) has come along way since its start in 2001. Originally, the Anon line was produced by Idaho's Smith Optics but production was quickly shifted to Burton's Burlington headquaters. Four years later, in 2005, Anon introduced a robust line of fifteen sunglasses, as well as a smattering of soft goods.

Fast forward to 2010, and Anon has held it's own with a line of twenty-five sunglasses and seven different goggles. My friend, Mike Carr at Gravis, was kind enough to get a top shelf offering into my hands and onto my face.

Anon's flagship Hawkeye model features:

• A TPU frame (Thermoplastic polyurethane or fancy speak for heated plastic)
• Dual Lenses
• Shield Technology™ (a baked on coating that helps prevent scratching of the two lenses that come with the goggle)
• Polycarbonate Lenses which exceed ANSI Z87.1 standards
• 100% UVA and B protection
• VLT (visible light transmissions); basically a variety of different lenses that will keep the rider seeing straight in all conditions
• Interchangeable Straps
• Spherical Lenses (on the Hawkeye, Realm and Solace) which increase the riders' 360 degree field of vision
• Anon Panoramic Profile (in a nut shell this means the polycarbonate lens is thickest in the center of the goggle and thins its lens profile as it extends to the exterior of the frame areas to reduce distortion)
• Hinge Straps that allow both straps to over-open and fit helmets for those who wear their strap externally on just about any model

These goggles are light on the face, as I can barely feel them. The mirrored Green Solex lens is on-par for day-to-day Utah conditions; enough light is let through the lens for low-light days allowing snow aspects/variations to be viewed with ease and with an 18% VLT tinting bluebird days become even more perfect. The additional (yellow) low-light lens works well for those Baker/Bird/Jay flat light days but to be frank, the Solex lens works equally as well.

Coming from twenty-plus years of wearing Smith's I would be lying to you all if I did not mention that I miss the clasp device that Smith has on most all of it's higher-end offerings. This clasp gives me the feeling of being able to adjust each left and right side of the strap to fit my face snug... but again, I have been used to the Smith fit for sometime. I am now, however, driving a new ride-she's nice, pretty to look at, weighs nothing and goes with the flow in all conditions. (*And insert cheesy closing sentence) This relationship is going to work out well.

MSRP $99.95-139.95