Scott LCG

The LCG is Scott’s premium offering. The price tag is higher than some of the more basic goggles highlighted in this guide, but those willing to shell out a few extra bucks get not one but two OptiView spherical lenses (one for brighter conditions, one for low light) to make the most of Scott’s Lens Change System. Additional elements that make the LCG attractive to dedicated skiers and riders: molded 3-layer face foam for a snug yet comfortable fit, a sleek style that’s low-profile and helmet compatible, and an easily adjustable strap. Plus, it comes with a molded lens case—perfect protection when you’re on the road chasing storms.

Pros:

The sleek build of the Scott LCG makes it a standout, both in terms of style and fit. While some of the other goggles in this buyer’s guide are bulkier and more bulbous (subsequently causing helmet compatibility to be a source of strife), the LCG balances generous peripherals with optimum helmet compatibility. We always recommend trying goggles with your specific helmet before buying, or purchasing from a retailer with a good return policy, but if you don’t have a chance to do either, betting on the LCG is a smart play. And as we mentioned, despite the low-profile, helmet-friendly frame, the LCG still manages to have a wide field of vision thanks to an expansive horizontal axis.

The interchangeable lens system is not the easiest one on the market, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: It’s solid in the event of a crash and won’t release if you accidentally bump the side of the goggle frame. The toggle is low-profile enough to avoid those unwanted accidental releases, but protrudes enough to engage it with gloves on.

There’s an order of operations to the Scott system: first, you insert a protruding piece on the lens into a small slot on the left side of the frame, then you hook a set of loops on the lens onto the right side of the frame, and finally you press down on the switch to lock the lens to the frame. It sounds complicated, but it’s not. It really only takes a few seconds after familiarizing yourself with the mechanism, and we’d rather have to spend a few minutes learning the system and forgetting about it than worrying that a stray mitten or a crash could dislodge the lens from the frame.

Like the other interchangeable lenses in this buyer’s guide, the LCG includes an extra low-light lens, however, unlike most of the competition, it also includes a sleek spare lens case that makes tucking your extra lens into your pocket or backpack a stress-free, no-brainer decision.

Cons:  

In the case of a crash, a gap can form between the frame and the lens at the nose, allowing snow to enter the goggles. Also, we had to deal with some severe fog build-up when hot-lapping fresh powder in British Columbia. In fact, it got so bad as we were traversing the goods at Whitewater Ski Resort in Nelson, BC, that we had to swap lenses, and rock the darker lenses on a low-vis, high-consequence line.  This likely would have happened with another pair of goggles, too, but it’s worth noting that these lenses are far from impervious to fogging up.  

Tester Quote:

“The fit is my favorite of the bunch. It was compatible with all three helmets I tested it with--something that most of the other goggles in this guide cannot claim.”

Key Attribute: Fit