Who is Utopia Optics ? if you have been living underneth a rock for the past year then you will probably be asking this question but even if you do know the name maybe you have been wondering where the hell it's come from ?

Utopia Optics is one of the fastest growing Sunglass and everything extreme eye-wear companies in the world. If you browse to their website and take a look at the “Team” area you will be dumbfounded at how many big names this company is sponsoring! Names like Lenny Kravitz, NOFX, Bad Religion to sporting heros Shaun Palmer, Taylor Knox , Ronnie Faisst , Nathan Rennie , Mik Hannah, Jusso , Graves to name just a few Mtb racers. Whilst obviously provided sweet looking spectacles for these rad rock stars Utopia also provide sporting equipment to give their athletes the edge in their respective sporting environments.

Id been watching more and more people strapping Utopia goggles to their helmets and although getting used to the %5 visability remaning in my current goggles I thought I might gamble and find out if actually being able to see in a down hill race might improve my riding ? unlikely ! When the boys at Fortheriders.com hooked me up with set to test I was keen to see what this whole Utopia thing was about and what better conditions to test the goggles in, then at a freezing cold wet and muddy down hill. My test environment with the Utopia’s was almost Worldcup style ! If you were at the Toowoomba downhill you would know what im talking about. Looking out over the Woomba bushland whilst waiting for your turn to bomb down the hill was spectacular and the wet weather combined with cold tempretures and a hearty walk up the steepest part of the course meant the elements needed to create fog especially with goggles was perfect !

Vision

The viewing space inside the Utopia’s is generous and they havent cramped up the goggles to produce some far out wicked new homeboy style but simply used a popular goggle design which works and focused on making the materials and features of the goggles of a high standard. The Lens are an anti-fog anti-scratch combo which are also 100% UVA and UVB protective offering your eyes some protection whilst out doing runs at 12 midday ! During the test I had little problems with vision other then some mud which was normal for the conditions I was riding in, however tear off posts are standard on the Utopia’s so if you keep a set in your bag avoiding the muddy conditions shouldn’t be a problem. I was pleased with the way the googles felt and my prereferral vision was good. Replacement Lens for the Utopia's are around the $20 - $25 mark depending on style.

Frame/Straps/Foam

There is very little product info available on the Utopia website but ive been told the foam is a triple layered long-life foam with the outer most layer made of illustrious felt which offers unparrelled comfort and moisture wicking properties … sounds ok to me! It felt good on my face and didn’t cause any itching or give me some life threatening skin disease so ill give the foam a thumbs up !

The frame of the googles seems durable and depending on your choice of colour looks like it will hold up against scratches or nicks. Obviously the transperant colours look awesome in the utopia range but they may show evidence of your intimate encounters with the dirt more so then the matte finish. My test set were the black matte finish and after bending them around in the palm of my hands they look like they can withstand some serious punishment. After the Toowoomba race was cancelled I threw these things into the back of my car all covered in mud along with my other riding gear and to find them in one peice without scratching was a releif.

The Utopia’s come with the usual silicon strips on the inside of the straps to ensure there is no movement whilst strapped around the outside of your helmet. The silicon seems durable (picking at it with my finger nail) and doesn’t look like it will come off easily if you happen to treat your goggles like crap. The straps also contain a sizing clip similar to most goggles you will find. The clip is also of a durable build and faith can be placed in it whilst your adjusting the straps to the size of your melon.

Style / Looks

Colour combinations is something Utopia has really concentrated on whilst designing these goggles. Their choice of different combinations and fades are awesome and you are sure to find a set to compliment your equally awesome looking helmet. If you want to see style check out some photos of Rennie or Graves with their TLD lids and youll see how well the two go together ! At time of print http://www.fortheriders.com/ said they had most combinations available.

• Transparent Red to Clear fade with White strap
• Transparent Blue to Clear fade with White strap
• Matte Black with Black strap
• Black to Silver fade
• Carbon Fibre
• White

Other combinations are available so I suggest you check out http://www.utopiaoptics.com/ to find out which colour your looking for and ask the boys to sort you out

Overall.

There really isnt a hell of alot to say about a pair of goggles ? If they are affordable and have the features you are looking for and come in the funky colours you are seeking then your winner. All I can say is that these goggles did the job and did it well.

With positive comments from pro riders and a very impressive list of sponsored athletes it looks like Utopia is not going to stop until it dominates the optics market ! If your on the hunt for another set of goggles and are afraid to steer away from the brand you’ve been using since you started think again as Utopia’s MTB goggles will not only provide great visibility, features and comfort but they will also be friendly to your bank account offering all of the features you expect from a pro level goggle for under $85

Special Thanks to Timmy and Tomac at Fortheriders.com for making this review possible.

http://www.fortheriders.com/