The Lab: POC Ora Goggle in review
In the “The Lab” we present the latest products and put them through their paces for you. Some undergo long-term tests, while we check others out only briefly. This time we reveal how the POC Ora Goggle fared.
POC’s Ora goggle is designed to perfectly fit their range of helmets and comes in either DH, with pins for rip offs, or this model the trail/enduro version, which has no foam in the vents to aid airflow at slower speeds (A tear off compatible DH lens is available aftermarket for €29). POCs Carl Zeiss lenses are crisp and the Ora’s field of vision is excellent, with no frame sneaking into your peripheral vision. We rode the slightly tinted Zeiss lense in every light condition: from a six 6 hour enduro race on a hot summer’s day on open mountain – where it did a great job of cutting out glare – to the near total darkness of the deep woods in winter, where the grey tint is barely noticeable. Because the tint is subtle, It copes well with transitions from light into the shade and visa-versa, and would only be unsuitable for night riding.
We used the goggle on both an open face lid for trail riding and on a full face helmet for racing and uplift days, the fit was comfortable in both applications with no pressure on the bridge of the nose. The Ora Goggles fill the gap in your helmet and give good face coverage; without the extra foam airflow was really good and we experienced much less fogging than other goggles we have used.
€70 is premium pricing for a goggle, so we wanted them to last. Ultimately, the longevity of a set of goggles will require care and also some luck; with no tear-offs to protect the lens, we washed off dried mud before cleaning the lens with the bag and kept them, we experienced no issues with scratching over the test period, despite riding in some seriously muddy conditions.
Whether you wear them with a trail or full-face helmet, the comfort, breathability and uninterrupted vision of the POC Ora make them a goggle that you’ll soon forget that you’re wearing: with their subtle but versatile lens tint they will become your go-to google no matter what the riding conditions.
Strengths
- Excellent vision
Weaknesses
- Slight tint hinders low light visibility
Tester Tom
Duration 5 months
Price € 70
More info pocsports.com
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Words & Photos: Thomas Corfield
