Oakley’s Airwave goggles are a new breed of advanced snow sport eyewear equipped with a heads up display that simulates viewing a 14-inch screen from five feet away when a user looks in the lower right corner of their peripheral vision. That description sounds confusing, but the important thing to remember is that the technology does not obscure a rider’s direct line of sight. We had the chance to try on a pair and likened the experience to checking your cell phone discretely under the table. You can clearly see what you need to when looking at it, but sneaking a peak does require consciously directing your eyes down and to the right.
See more after the break.
OakleyCombined with a variety of sensors including an accelerometer, gyroscope, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity, this high-tech wizardry gives riders glanceable access to a suite of useful metrics including altitude, speed, and vertical descent as well as jump-related stats regarding distance traveled, height, and airtime.
The free companion Airwave app also provides wearers with pre-loaded mapping data on hundreds of ski resorts across the U.S., Europe and Canada and can display their current location, in addition to other approved “buddy” airwave users’ whereabouts in real time via GPS data. The same thing goes for incoming texts, calls and current music selections/playlists. While buyers can opt to navigate the Airwave app’s features directly on their smartphone, Oakley’s included a water-resistant wrist remote with big, glove-friendly buttons for controlling Apple and Android devices as well as the display itself. Other Oakley innovations you’ve come to expect, like Switchlock quick lens changing, F3 anti-fogging, 100 UV filtration and dual-venting, are all there too, leaving little to complain about — except the sticker shock.
Buy Now: $599
