Oakley A-Frame Assault goggles

Oakley Assault A-Frame
review by Arnie

	Stock Specifications
RRP	unknown at this time

According to Oakley: "Our A Frame® is built to withstand long-range solar attacks and short-range meteorological raids. The anti-fog lens is optimized for a full field of peripheral clarity with POLARIC ELLIPSOID™ geometry. The flexible urethane chassis is chiseled with ram-air surge ports for a circular flow of defogging ventilation. A triple layer of face foam insulates and cushions the contact surface for the ultimate in thermal shielding and comfort. Available only to active duty military at this time." Oakley

These goggles are available in a black frame with a brown/amber tinted lense and a lightly tinted clear colour. The goggles that I reviewed are of the amber variety.

ExtremeProcurement kindly sent me these goggles for review ( a big thanks go out to the guys there), and well... they are Oakleys aren't they?

Well I could just leave it at that, but I was very critical of the ESS TurboCAM set, so I see it as only fair to treat these in the same (fair) way.

When I opened the box to have a look at these the first thing that drew my attention was the 'Ski goggle' text on the box, which worried me somewhat to say the least. As anyone that has tried ski goggles and tested them for BB safety will contest, Airsoft AEGs punch right through standard ski goggle lenses. Thankfully upon inspection your doubts are dismissed once you see the thickness of the lense in the Oakley Assault A Frames. these may be similar to a ski goggle frame, but the lense is thankfully very thick and spec'd much beyond anything you'd ever require.

I don't know if anyone knows the lengths that Oakley test these lenses to, but I have it on good authority that they'll stop a 12 gauge shot blast. Needless to say I won't be testing that theory out myself.

The first thing I did with this set was to take an upgraded rifle and bounce some shots off the lenses at point blank range. Not only did the lenses take the extended punishment, but there wasn't a single mark on the lense. The lenses passed the "Dimwit tests"* with no problem at all.

* - one of these days I'll drestroy a set of goggles/glasses I get sent for review doing this, and I'm going to feel all embaressed. ^_^ ..but it's better to test them now, than find out the awful truth on the field.

What do you get in the box? Well with the Oakley goggles you simply get a bag and the goggles themselves (oh and some instructions).

Of note is a warning that Oakley place inside the box that states:

"...Your new goggle is designed for rugged durability, but precision instruments demand proper care.

Follow these guidelines to maximize performance and longevity:

Avoid resting the goggle on your forehead or hat. This reduces the efficiency of ventilation ports and exposes the interior to moisture vapor from melting snow and perspiration. To minimize fogging, keep the goggle on your face.

For proper cleaning and storage, remember the following:

Do not use paper products, ski gloves or other abrasive materials to clean the goggle.
Allow the goggle to air dry before storing for extended periods.
Do not leave the goggle in areas of concentrated heat and sunlight, such as on a car dashboard or hanging from a rearview mirror.
Protect the lens and face foam by storing the goggle in its protective bag or case."

There's also a note about goggle care:

"No not rub inner lense when wet. If snow or water should collect inside the goggle follow these steps:

Shake excess snow from the interior. Clear all ventilation ports and lens vents
Use the Microclear bag that is included with your goggle to gently blot any remaining moisture.
Allow time for moisture to dissipate. Once the goggle is put back on, keep moving as much as possible. Airflow through the vents will help dry the goggle"

Apart from the references to snow which clearly don't have any real relevance the guidance notes are pretty clear about how to look after the goggles. These guidelines should really be taken into account for just about any goggle. Nearly all goggles are delivered inside a carry case that is made from the material recommended for cleaning the manufacturers lense. the care notes not only protect the inner lense coating, but ensure that there is no buildup of any particles that mist or dampness can condense on.

Oakley go into great depth about their lenses in terms of the UV it absorbs, it's response to certain strengths of light and the clarity and conformity of the lense. I won't bore you with details, but basically the lense is basically perfect is just about all measurable specifications. In short, it's clear and doesn't affect your vision.

What are they like? Well these are remarkably comfortable to wear, the foam is of a lighter compound than that found on the ESS range which is good an bad news. Good news is that it's actually comfier, the bad news is that is has the capability to soak up more water/sweat.

The goggles feature a one piece strap with two tightening loop rings for adjustment. They can be worn over a PASGT helmet or similar (you'll need the strap undone all the way), but I have seen side extensions that better aim fitting these goggles over helmets. Oakley's documentation on their website is somewhat minimal, so sadly I can't bring you any more detail on that option/accessory.

The frame is rather funky really, and much like any Oakley gear this shape is a blend of style and functionality. Milled along the top of the lense are a line of holes that allow air to vent through the top of the lense, and some vents can be found at the bottom of the frame to allow air in. This is quite sensible really, as hot air rises and all that, the holes are large - but not large enough for a BB to get through.

At the bottom of the goggle you'll see the two lower vents and at the top you'll see that the frame is completely vented allowing an incredibly free air flow.

Vision: The lense is for want of a better word 'perfect'. The lense is very good, with no pierceable bending of images or light, and the view from inside the mask is also very good. There's nothing worse that having your vision impaired by goggles that cramp your peripheral vision.

Fogability? Considering that these are simply treated single lenses they actually fair very well. MrsArnie field tested these out (not myself), and they were operating in the same conditions as the ESS TurboCAM goggles.

It should be noted that the Oakley goggles are brand new, whereas the age of the ESS goggles is an unknown factor. This moisture somewhat blurred the vision, but was not "blinding".

Problems? The Oakley goggles never steamed up, although after prolonged use over a 12 hour period water droplets did start to form on the inside of the lense. I say droplets as it distinctly wasn't what you'd call fog, I'd put this down to the special coating on the inside of the goggles which prevented the goggles steaming up, but couldn't cater for the dampness inside the goggles once the wearer got seriously hot. That's actually quite impressive for a single lense goggle.

The damp areas on the inside of the lense disappeared once they were used outside - the moisture started to appear indoors with limited air movement. It's quite apparent that the lenses aren't 'unmistable', but then again Oakley do not claim them to be ^_^. The frame is actually very good at venting itself while out in the open, which says a lot for the design of the goggle frame and the lense.

On other minor issue was that the strap for the goggles kept coming loose. This could be put down to the strap sliding too easily slide through the buckles.

Design issues: The only one problem that I can foresee with these goggles are the vents at the top. Unlike other pairs I have seen, the gap at the top between the lense and the wearer's face is covered with a foam lining.. that's it. There's very little to stop a stray (and very unlucky shot) coming through the foam at the top and into the goggles.

It must be said that a BB hitting the very top cover of the goggles and punching through the foam is rather unlikely, but it's not impossible. I only bring it up as the point of wearing goggles is that for Airsoft they provide wrap around protection and not allow BBs to get near the wearer's face, there is a possibility of penetration with these goggles.

Conclusion: Well these are the best single lense (non gadgety) goggles I have tried. The fact that they are Oakleys and therefore beautifully designed and fashion items is a major bonus. Sure the manufacturer shouldn't be a huge issue, but it's rather like comparing a SureFire lamp to a copy, there's just something about the label and the logo.

Looks and design aside the goggles function very well, they ventilate very well out in the open and take a long time to start condensing any droplets when indoors, the lenses are also spec'ed well above even the most intense Airsofters needs.

Apart from the two minor issues (strap loosening and the possible problem with the top vents) these goggles are extremely hard to fault. In short, niggles aside, these goggles are stylish, functional and very well (over) engineered. Nice one Oakley!

The Oakley Assault frames are only available through Oakley's military dealers. Here in the UK you can purchase them them from ExtremeProcurement.

As at 19/03/02 the goggles are not listed on ExtremeProcurement's website, but you can simply email them at their website to ask for more details.

External Links:
Oakley
ExtremeProcurement

Site links: ESS TurboCAM review

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