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Smith 4D MAG 2019-2020 Snowboard Goggles Review

  • LENS: Spherical
  • SYSTEM: MAG
  • TINT SHOWN: Everyday Green
  • FRAME SHOWN: Black
  • PRICE: £250
  • BUY ONLINE

Why we chose the SMITH 4D MAG Snowboard Goggles: Birdseye views and a lens that can just about change the weather.

At the start of every season, social newsfeeds are bursting at the seams with all the latest buzz and hype over minor upgrades in sidecuts, lighter-weight buckles, new and improved waterproof membranes. Not Smith. Not this year. They’ve just one-upped the entire industry and only gone and bloody entered the Fourth Dimension. That’s right. See you later, real world. The 4D MAG goggles just changed the game.

“Birdseye Vision technology enables the lens to curve right around to the underside of the goggles”

Okay, that’s a bit of a reach, but the technology on offer here is an industry first and will no doubt be mimicked by the competition in the coming seasons. Birdseye Vision technology enables the lens to curve right around to the underside of the goggles. The result, Smith claim, is a 25% increase to your overall field of view compared to the I/O MAG. Whether you’re spotting your landing in the park, or looking for your foothold on a bootpack in the backcountry, the increased field of view allows you to spot what’s happening right underneath your nose without so much as a tilt of the head.

The clarity remains as sharp as before, with Smith’s ChromaPop Technology. Like much of the competition these days, the lens is able to filter out certain lightwaves and amplify those that increase contrast and definition in the mountain environment. The Everyday lens (featured here) will handle most conditions with aplomb, but there’s still the option to switch out for the additional Sun or Storm lenses (of which you’ll get one of with each pair).

Swapping out the lenses is as easy as comes with Smith’s MAG tech. Two locking mechanisms are built into the outriggers of the frame and seven magnets help to align the lens in a matter of seconds with the piece of mind that they won’t be coming loose throughout the day. Both lenses are made from Carbonic-X material, making them mighty tough and scratch-resistant, as well as featuring Smiths 5X Anti Fog treatment which, they claim, is up to five times more effective than most of the competition.

“It all adds up to one of the most comfortable and functional goggles on the market this season”

Convenience is backed by comfort, too. The 4D MAGS are helmet-compatible, feature a three-layer DriWix face foam to wick the sweat away from your brow whilst keeping the elements at bay. With quick-adjust straps and a fastening clip, you’ll be ready to go in no time. They also come included with a hard case micro fibre bag to keep them safely stowed and not risk scratching the lens.

It all adds up to one of the most comfortable and functional goggles on the market this season, backed up with a unique look that quite genuinely adds a whole new dimension to your riding.

Tester’s Verdict

Rob McCreathWhitelines

“Of everything I was lucky enough to test on snow this winter, I don’t think any product gathered quite as much attention or questions as the 4D MAG goggles. They’re really eye-catching. Fortunately, it’s a design that serves a function instead of being an aesthetic gimmick.

The Birdseye Vision deserves all the attention it gets. There’s no doubt they increase your peripheral field of view, and arguably where it matters the most – looking downwards. Whenever you’re spotting you landing in a rotation, or hiking the back of the backside a line in pretty precarious conditions, you’ll definitely notice that extra room to view under your eyes. For the park, this could actually find you more balanced through the air by not needing to tilt your head right down to see what’s happening underneath your feet.

I have to say, they took a bit of getting used to. The first few days of wearing these I was aware of a couple of things: the first is that a lot more light gets into the lens as it bounces off the snow and comes right up through the bottom (a conventional frame would normally limit this). The second is that the curve of the lens doesn’t overly distort the view, but initially, it tricked me into thinking there was a droplet of water pooling at the bottom and warping my vision. Definitely not a deal-breaker, it’s just such a different style of goggle to anything I’d worn before that it took a bit of time to get familiar with.

Once you’re on the move though, the picture starts to make sense. There is no feeling of being “closed in” by the frame, and the field of view is genuinely in a class of its own.

“If you want something properly original, with the best construction available, there are really few others to contend with”

Swapping out the lenses takes a matter of seconds, but I rode the Everyday one, well… every day, and encountered no real issues with visibility even when the clouds rolled in.

There are so many goggles with knock-out performance on the market today, and many of them come a lot cheaper than these. But if you want something properly original, with the best construction available, there are really few others to contend with.”

Trade Secrets

Eric Carlson – Global Brand Director, Smith

“We are so proud of the 4D MAG – it started as a crazy idea on how to expand field of view while simplifying the interchangeable lens system. There were some ideas based on anti-fog science, some on magnetic systems, and even a few using electronics. In the end, we followed the classic design principle that ‘less is more’ and pushed our manufacturing teams to develop a never-seen-before lens curvature that opened the field of view without compromising fit.

The benefit of seeing more is immediately appreciated as is the new aesthetic of the lens. When you first see it you notice something is new and different, but you’re not quite sure what. As soon as you pick it up or see it on someone’s face, you appreciate the innovation.”

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