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I recently picked up a pair of Gordini SureShot 2 goggles to test out (full disclosure: they were provided free from Gordini). I have long been a fan of Smith and Arnette, and even an occasional pair of Scott or Oakley goggles. But this was my first chance to try out an offering from Gordini.
Gordini has long been known for their gloves (at our house we have a couple of pairs, including our favorite all-around winter glove the Gordini Deerskin Lavawool: http://gordini.com/products/men/gloves). The Gordini brand has also made a solid space for themselves in the goggle market. The model I tried out, the SureShot 2, is a testament to why that is.
GOOD GORDINI:
The Gordini SureShot 2 is well-priced, very solid goggle that is sure to please because it doesn’t miss on critical areas like standard helmet compatibility (with the face frame) and good ventilation. The SureShot 2 has vents along the front-top of the lens, and standard foam-covered vents along the top and bottom of the frame. No fogging for me when I used them on a cold day. As is to be expected, the SureShot 2 boasts 100% UVA and UVB protection. While testing these goggles I spoke with a retinal surgeon from the University of Iowa (the top ophthalmology program in the US) and he said that you don’t need to get the expensive brands of sunglasses and goggles to get all the sun protection you would ever need. As long as it has 100% UV protection, you’re good on that front. So the SureShot 2 fits the bill there, and for half the price of premium brands (msrp: $60)!
The peripheral vision is good, though the frame of the goggle itself is a bit big for my small face (see accompanying photo of me at Alta). The goggle strap is very burly – much wider width than most other goggles on the market – which makes it quite comfortable when worn over a beanie. While the face foam isn’t as plush-perfect as more spendy goggles, it isn’t uncomfortable either. It uses two different layers of foam, and a third soft layer of material against the skin. The lens is a bit of a rose tint, which gives it great versatility. The metallic lens coating is effective but makes the goggles look a little eighties, in this author’s opinion. However, there are many different styles for the SureShot 2, so you don’t have to get what I got. I got the Gun Metal gray color with the blue mirror lens. Click here to see all Gordini goggles, including the more aggressive treatments of the SureShot 2.
BAD GORDINI:
No clip on the strap. I don’t know why Smith is the only goggle maker that seems to make their goggle straps with clips – perhaps other goggle makers are just cutting costs? Regardless, I always think that the lack of a strap clip is a huge downfall because you can’t extend the strap to fit larger-sized helmets. To complicate matters further, the Gordini goggle strap is shorter than most other brands I’ve tried. While the SureShot 2 fit very well on my Smith Variant Brim helmet, my helmet is only a size Medium and I had to extend the Gordini goggle strap all the way just to work with my helmet. Without the possibility of extending the goggle strap, I wonder if the goggle frame would sit flat on your face or if the short strap would cause pulling. Also, the lens worked well for me but I wish it had a system like the Smith I/O for swapping out other tints. Granted, this is only a $60 dollar goggle – not $180 like the Smith. But for only $60, you’re not going to get a distortion-free spherical lens like the Smith either. But in reality many folks don’t care about that, when it comes right down to it.
All in all, for the price ($60) the Gordini SureShot 2 is a great goggle in lots of cool colors with just a few key shortcomings – mostly revolving around the goggle strap’s lack of extendability.
BUY NOW: Click here to search for goggles.
;)
