Check out the gear review from Doglotion. They have tested and fallen in loved with the Julbo Universe with the Snow Tiger lens. To read the full review click here.
I got my hands on Julbo’s award winning Universe Goggles, with a Snow Tiger photochromatic lens. First off, how can you not feel rad with the eyes of a ‘Snow Tiger’ at your disposal. When you’re done shredding the gnar, these are going to be your best weapon for easily spotting old cougars and mountain lions in the après bar.
Visibility – Back to the mountain, so far I’ve seen a mix of early season sun and flat light, and the lenses have kicked ass! No super dark storm skiing yet, but from what I’ve seen so far, these will do the trick. The lenses are rated rCat 2 – 3, which means they’re not as good at low light as Julbo’s Zebra Light lens, but excel at the mid to bright end of the spectrum.
Photochromatic – I haven’t done any scientific tests to confirm if this stuff even works, but so far my vision has been super stellar in a bunch of light conditions, so I guess that’s the point! Julbo quickly points out that there’s a lot of goggle brands out there with various ways to trade lenses when conditions change, but doesn’t it just make more sense to get a lens that does it all? Sign me up (pending my storm skiing test).
Frame/Strap/Fit – The Universe has a really pimpin’ minimalist frame, so the field of vision is great. The foam around your eyes is ultra cushy, which is awesome in the short run, we’ll see how durable it is over time though. The strap was more than wide enough to wrap around my L helmet. The only complaint is I wasn’t getting as snug a fit around my face as some other goggles. I like it tight, because I’m the fastest skier on the mountain and don’t want wind to get in.
So all around I’m pumped so far on what Julbo is doing in the goggle realm. And if Whistler’s rain storm days ever turn back into snow storm days, then I’ll find out if Snow Tiger is the best Whistler lens, or if Zebra Light trumps it. On that note, bring on the storms!
