Writing a review based on a four year olds opinion, rather than my own, is an interesting challenge. However that is what I have had to do for this review of SPY Cadet kids ski goggles.
My youngest needed his first ski goggles for a Christmas trip to Lapland. I had made the mistake of buying cheap goggles for my eldest a few years ago had to buy better once in resort after they kept fogging.
So this time I decided to go for kids ski goggles that are as good as adult ones I would buy. Having done a bit of research I came across the SPY Cadet which seemed good quality and retail at just £40 – less than half I last paid for adult goggles.
Review of SPY Cadet goggles
When I asked Coby by what he liked best about the goggles his answer was pizza and chips. My first thought was he’s telling me what he wants for dinner (food is never far from a four year olds mind).
As I started telling him he needs to have something healthy I realised that the funky pattern on the strap is actually lots of pictures of pizza and chips. I should have guessed really and as the colour scheme we went for is ‘Pizza Vs French Fries’ (but I hadn’t put two and two together).
So having having ascertained he likes how they look I asked more specifically can you see well. To this question I got a ‘silly daddy’ look, and he answered “yes because my eyes are open”.
Based on him not once saying he could not see properly I’d say the anti-fog cylindrical dual-lens with increased optical clarity does a good job. Also that the S3 bronze/silver lens gives good enough contrast even in the relatively low light we experienced in Finland. Alternatively the cadets also come in persimmon (orange) low light lens.
With 100% UV protection (I’d never buy anything less) his eyes were protected from harmful rays. Also with temps dropping to minus thirty in Lapland the goggles protected his eyes from the cold.
For a four year old he has a pretty big head (apologies Mrs Rees) and the SPY Cadet kids ski goggles still looked pretty big on him. They are aimed at youth and small headed adults so I guess it’s surprising they fit him at all.
Despite there sometimes being a bit of a ‘punter gap’ between the rental helmet and goggles most of the time they fit him really well. When I asked if “are your goggles comfy” he replied “yes”. From this I assume he means that the Ergonomic Isotron™ face foam with moisture-wicking Dri-Force™ fleece is nice and soft.
Unlike the cheap goggles we had bought my eldest I never had to sort our fogging issues. This is probably because of the aforementioned anti-fog lens treatment and the innovative Scoop ventilation system helps move moisture away from the lens.
A very useful feature worth noting in this review of SPY Cadet kids snow goggles is the lens has anti-scratch protection. Both our kids spent a lot of time falling over and rolling in the snow, but the Cadet goggles remained scratch free even after a disagreement with a bush….
As with most goggles the SPY Cadets have a silicone backed strap to keep it in place on your helmet. This was of particular importance to Coby as it where the pizza and chips could be seen.
Conclusion: Great kids ski goggles
These SPY Cadet goggles do all the important things well. They are comfy, protect the eyes, don’t fog up and are well made for long lasting wear.
They also look good. The only downside is the constant reminder of pizza and chips made me hungry and was used as an excuse by the kids to choose less healthy food. But don’t worry about that as the Cadets also come in a range of plain colour options.
To conclude this review of SPY Cadet kids snow goggles I’d say if you have a large headed child they are perfect. Likewise they would be good for older children, and small headed teens and adults.
If you would like to find out more or by a pair of Spy Cadets go to: www.spyoptic.eu/snow-goggles/cadet
