GOGGLE COMPARO | 100% ARMEGA VS OAKLEY AIRBRAKE

I have long owned and ridden with 100% goggles. My current pair, the “100% PERCENT ARMEGA FALCON 5 HIPER RED ” isn’t just a mouthful, it’s 100% ‘s creme de la creme model in my view. Let’s take a look. I also have the Oakley Airbrake so let’s see who wins in a 100% Armega v Oakley Airbrake comparison.

100%’s Marketing Jargon

“The ARMEGA offers unparalleled dominance for the modern racer: bringing ULTRA HD lens clarity to motocross.  Experience definition and subtlety never before viewed through the lens of a goggle.  Add to that our proprietary HiPER contrast-enhancing lens technology and you’ll feel the depth of terrain as you’re commanding past it.”

“This premium technology is injection-moulded into a shatterproof lens that boasts an enhanced field of vision and impact protection.

MY WORDS

The benefits of “HiPER” are real, and similar to premium polarised sunglasses. Comparing the HiPER lens with standard, objects appear more clearly at distance due to the heightened contrast. This helps at high speed along the Finke track when you need to spot dangerous square edges from standard bumps.

The same applies in low light conditions, even with a tint working against you the goggles work well. This specific lens from the “Falcon 5 HiPER Red” is also my favourite from 100% (after trialling 4 types). It works brilliantly both in low light and the open desert.

Ultimately the lens does feel bulletproof and the thick sweat wicking foam and solid frame gives protection and comfort. The nose guard is a nice touch when following riders in rocky terrain. Ever seen how far and fast a 500 can launch a fist sized rock, or had one hit you in the face for that matter?

These goggles have ultra-clear vision, are comfortable, do not fog, stay in place and work amazingly well in all conditions. In light misty rain the water droplets bead up and the vision is superior compared with the 100% Racecraft (we found this out training for Finke in the rain).

The only minor annoyances are; they take a little finesse to fit into your helmet but once in are rock solid and the lens changing system takes a couple of goes to perfect.

Then I bought a pair of Oakley Airbrake MTB TLD’s in a Black Friday sale. Now you might imagine that ADB journalists get endless free gear to test. Unfortunately no one is naive enough to send it my way. So instead, I buy all my own gear, use it for a long time and will happily shred any product that doesn’t live up to expectations. The Airbrakes do however.

Oakley Marketing Jargon

Prizm™ lenses help you see subtle transitions in dirt conditions so you can master all those split-second decisions. With high-impact resistance that makes you invincible, this landmark of technology is the first even MX design with a lens of pure Plutonite™.  It’s the new standard of protection and it lets you take the adapt-and-conquer approach with Oakley Switchlock™ Technology, the secret to fast and easy lens changing.  The view is wide open, the comfort is beyond reason and the performance leaves other goggles scrambling for second place.

WHAT I SAY 100% Armega v Oakley Airbrake

The lens, as you’d expect from Oakley, is nothing short of perfect. They offer great contrast, handle all light conditions and feel like an extension of your eyes except they enhance your vision. The 100% Armegas also do this. And picking between them is nigh on impossible (unless one set is cleaner than the other, which doesn’t count).

The Airbrakes slot into your helmet perfectly first go (unlike the Armegas) and from there you hardly notice them.

The only minor grievance with the Airbrakes I have is they don’t come with the Allen key needed to deconstruct the goggles. It’s tiny and I didn’t have one already in my tool box.

PRICING THEM UP

Toby Price has his own T Price signature variation of Oakley’s Airbrake. Luckily he doesn’t have to fork out each time for a new pair. Oakley would instead pay him a nice sponsorship fee. For the rest of us, the retail pricing is below along with replacement parts (do your research for deals).

The Armega’s all come with a standard nose guard, some Airbrakes do, my MTB version didn’t. This also means super vented foam for no fogging when pedalling uphill on crazy climbs which won’t filter dust out fully for rides following other bikes. For an extra $16 I bought a separate foam frame to switch these goggles from MTB to moto. A nice touch.

SO WHICH ARE BETTER?

This is really all you want to know right? It’s extremely hard to pick them apart because both are brilliant. I switched from 100% Stratas (the entry level 100%) to Armega’s after a face first crash. Once the dizziness subsided I realised they were also a safety item.

The Armega’s deliver safety in spades, so if this is your priority I’d recommend them. But if you prefer a lower profile, goggle try Oakley’s Airbrake.

I would happily have either pair as my ‘forever goggles’. I can say that when push comes to shove and I can only choose one, it’s the Oakley Airbrakes I find myself reaching for first.

WORDS AND PHOTOS ED HARTLEY