Ryan Ariano Enjoying Testing the Brand New Whitespace Magnetic MD Icon Goggle On a Powder Day | Photo Mountain Weekly News
Oh so clean, with style only matched by its technical wizardry – yeah, you could be talking about Shaun White the rider or his brand Whitespace’s Magnetic MD Icon Goggles. Takes my vision to the next level, whether in full sun or Targhee blizzard, with a look and colorway that turns heads. Throw in the magnetic lenses for quick switches and you have the best goggles I’ve ever owned.
Whitespace MD Icon Magnetic Fit & Features
Before we get onto the magic of the lenses, let’s talk about the goggles. The silicone-backed strap is super sticky, making it almost tough to get them over the side but that also means they don’t slide down or fall off if the back clip comes undone. Its armored venting helped to fight fogging, even on super foggy, cold, wet days up at our local Teton ski hill which has been hit by the most frustratingly warm and wet snow I’ve ever experienced.
The injection molding on the Magnetic MD Icon frames gave me a goggle that left no gap no matter what helmet I wore them with, like magic. Of course part of that helmet compatibility has to also come from the beveled-edge lens.
Whitespace Magnetic MD Icon Goggle Lens Technology
To be honest, while the frame is pretty sick, I’m all here for the lens. The injection-molded cylindrical lenses give stability to the whole goggle while still wrapping your face like your favorite blanket. Then they added in some serious high-contrast tech, meaning with the lowlight lens I could actually see the undulating terrain off the backside of Grand Targhee while other people struggled to see through the mad mist.
But what really drives the Whitespace Magnetic MD Icon Goggle home is its smooth magnetic lens switching. I’ve taken to driving to the hill with both lenses and putting them on in the parking lot.
Sometimes it starts out cloudy but goes bluebird, or vice versa; with these magnetic lenses I could switch midday while the strength of these magnets means that when I took a few egg beaters my lenses didn’t pop out. Including the many times I’ve busted through tree branches head first without losing lenses. Which is good, because at this point, I need me some Whitespace Magnetic MD Icon Goggle to get my kit dialed.
Issues
While the performance of the Whitespace MD Icon goggles was all-but unbeatable, with amazing vision and ease of lens switching, the durability brings up some questions. I’m tough on gear, admittedly. But after about half a season of riding (during which I did spend quite a bit of time ripping my goggles off and putting them back onto my helmet for backcountry expeditions), the strap started to tear from the frame. To the point that now my goggles have pink duct tape to keep them from tearing completely.
Shaun White’s Legendary Style in the Whitespace Magnetic MD Icon Goggle
It happened kids. After a couple decades of snowboarding, a random stranger complimented my goggles. These Whitespace Magnetic Md Icon Goggles are just that striking. Especially in the Lilac Purple Colorway. If you want goggles that stand out from all the also-rands adorning heads and helmets on the hill, you’re not gonna find anything more impressive than these Whitespace Magnetic MD Icon Goggles.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
Visionary Vistas: Seriously, these lenses are like cheating. The high-contrast tech is like turning up the graphics settings on real life. No more squinting through flat light – you’ll be picking out details in the terrain that others miss. It’s that good.
Magnetic Magic: Lens changes are now warp speed. Cloudy to bluebird? Boom, swapped in seconds. Tree branch to the face? Lenses stay put. It’s the kind of convenience that makes you wonder how you ever survived with anything else.
Cons:
Durability Doubts: Let’s be real, duct tape isn’t exactly the aesthetic Shaun White’s going for. While the performance is top-tier, that strap took a beating faster than I’d like. If you’re as hard on your gear as I am, this could be a concern.
Overall Impression
Shaun White is the greatest competition snowboarder of all time, period. So it makes sense that the man who would push the sport into the next stratosphere would create a brand that pushes snowboarding gear beyond anything else out there. That’s exactly what the Whitespace Magnetic MD Icon Goggle does. Unbeatable performance and versatility; enhanced vision; indelible style. Your goggles are your windows to the world so I don’t skimp here. Neither should you. Get the best eyeball armor on the market with the Whitespace Magnetic MD Icon Goggle ($299.99) and go explore.
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