Review: Oakley Line Miner Pro M Goggles - with Prizm Snow Argon Iridium & Prizm Snow Iced Iridium lenses
Price
£259 RRP, 2024/2025
Gender
Unisex
Brand // Manufacturer
Oakley
What we liked
Definition through the lens
No fogging
Aesthetic
Sustainability
What we didn’t
Field of view
How large the carry case was, for touring
The red colour-base on the low light lens was too dark
The Verdict
THE SHORT READ…
The Line Miner Pro can elevate your riding. It is a goggle that performs to a high level, with excellent definition through the lens, anti-fogging capabilities and a quick lens-change mechanism. The only weakness is the restricted peripheral vision - which is contentious, as we’ve also reviewed the Yu Ming Signature Series variant (in L) and liked the side-view in those - but who needs to turn anyway?
THE LONG READ …
Marketed as the “best goggle of all time” the Line Miner Pro has some big boots to fill and while it has some great features, we are not sure it quite hits the mark on all of those promises.
This goggle is however very sexy and sleek and will get you all the attention on those alpine aprés tables. I tested this “ultimate goggle” on mountains across Europe, while freeriding, splitboarding and hitting the park, and one of its tech features definitely blows other goggles out of the water… the single-layer lens. I tried as hard as I could, wearing the goggle uphill, taking it out on the most humid days, putting it on my forehead where I thought it was a sure thing that the lens would fog up, but it didn’t. As a competitive free ride athlete I have actually messed up competitions because of goggles fogging, so to have a goggle that can not fog up is a revelation.
It was also super easy to change between my lenses and the definition from the Prism Lens Technology is insanely good, I can see every little bump and hole, making it easier for me to ride faster and jib off of more features.
The biggest let down for me in these goggles was definitely the field of view. I felt that the the M stuck quite far out on my face so that even with the claimed 20% extra field of view compared the standard Line Miner), I had limited peripheral vision, and I felt a little boxed in when wearing them.
This goggle may not have achieved “best of all time” but it is definitely more advanced than most other goggles on the market right now and I love that it was built with the environment in mind.
With the Argon Iridium lens
With the Iced Iridium lens
Lens tech - The Prizm™ Lens Technology from Oakley uses colours to enhance contrast and in turn give you better definition of details in the snow. However they do it, I found that it really works - I am able to see small undulations in the snow better and avoid hazards earlier. On their webpage you can try it out to see the difference between your natural vision and your vision with this technology.
Single-Layer Lens - Is apparently for decreased optical distortion, refraction, and reflection. It was hard for me to separate these effects from that of the Prizm technology, however the greatest benefit of the single lens for me was the reduced fogging effect which can really impact your ride. It is a huge benefit to not have to worry about lens fogging anymore. Maybe the best feature of these goggles, or any googles.
Lens selection - The two lenses that I tested were the Iced Iridium (low-light days) and the Argon Iridium (bright days), and both have a red colour-base. For me the Iced Iridium low-light lens was actually too dark on actua low-light days. There are other lenses to choose from and the Persimmon might be more suitable, with a yellow/ orange base colour - a shame they aren’t included for this model. For brighter white-out days the Iced Iridium was great however, and the definition was really good in these conditions. The Argon Iridium lens was good on all sunny days and with mixed clouds but again too dark if the clouds started to come over.
Impact protection - The lens has been specially designed with faceplants in mind, so that they are less likely to be damaged or to break while you’re taking those tumbles while perfecting your skills.
Comfort - The goggles have a large amount of padding making them really comfortable to wear and also potential protecting from black eyes in an accidental faceplant. I would give these goggles 9/10 on comfort. It does mean that they project forward from your face more than some other goggles, which might have led, in the M at least, to that feeling of lack of peripheral vision.
Lens-changing - I found these goggles to have one of the easiest systems that I have come across for changing lenses Oakley’s Switch Lock technology. The system uses six magnets placed around the frame and the lens is released by pressing the bright red buttons on each side of the frame. It is simple and effective and super easy to find the buttons.
Field of view - The Line Miner Pro differs from the standard Line Miner in that it has been developed to have 20% more field of view. I wasn’t able to compare the two models to verify this, however I found, compared to other brands I’ve used, that the field of view was much narrower and the google stuck out from my face more so I could really see the frame in my peripheral vision. Check out our review of the Yu Ming model-variant, in L, where that larger size at least seemed to offer good field of view.
Aesthetic & helmet fit - The design of the goggles has a retro feel, and it worked well with my helmet, fitting nicely under the brim. They framed my face nicely and didn’t push down on my nose which as a petite female can sometimes be an issue. This model also comes in three sizes so that you can choose the right fit for your face.
Sustainability - This model is one of their most sustainable goggle products, according to Oakley. The Line Miner Pro is made with a bio-resin frame, recycled polyester strap, and is housed in a recycled polyester micro bag.The only part that is made from virgin products is the lens.
Glasses compatability - Very nicely, there are discreet frame notches at the temples which provide compatibility for prescription glasses arms, although I do not use glasses I did test them with my sunglasses and it actually worked - they were comfortable.
Storage pouch - This is very bulky and wasn’t easy to fit in my bag, plus because it was also soft I am not sure how much protection it actually gave.
SUMMARY…
The Line Miner Pros have proven to be one of the best goggles on the market right now, and have a price tag that says exactly that. They offer you the best vision definition, fantastic anti-fogging, top user-friendliness, style and sustainability. In the M at least, these Oakleys only fall short of their field of view.