100% Racecraft + Goggles

(discontinued)

We’ve been fans of the Racecraft goggle since it was first launched, won over by a comfortable design and good compatibility with most helmets. When 100% introduced the Racecraft +, we were particularly intrigued by the appearance of an injection molded lens, said to offer better impact resistance and improved optical clarity. Since those are both features we value, we wanted to put them to the test. No sooner said than done.

100% Racecraft + Highlights

• Outrigger design to achieve better fit with helmet
• Removable nose guard (more relevant for MX)
• Four-layer moisture managing foam
• Pre-curved injected polycarbonate shield lens
• Elevated inner wall for better lens retention
• 9 pin lens retention system
• 45mm wide silicon coated strap eliminates slippage
• Patent pending technology channels air into the foam, aiding in moisture management
• MSRP: $85 USD

Initial Impressions

The original Racecraft ticks quite a few boxes for us: it is comfortable, looks good, and it fits a large number of fullface helmets. It has a raised central top section which provides a field of view that is both tall and wide. It manages heat and sweat well, and last but not least there are a number of different designs and colors to choose from. When we first heard about the Racecraft +, it was the injection molded lens that caught our attention. An injection molded lens is already curved to the exact shape of the goggle, whereas a traditional lens is produced flat, and then held in a bent shape by the goggle frame. The injection molded version is supposed to provide better optical clarity, thanks to the lack of distortion that a traditional lens can cause when it is bent.

Because it does not need to suffer bending, an injection molded lens can be made thicker than its classic counterpart, and 100% also took the redesign opportunity to raise the inner lens retention walls of the frame. Both of these aspects together conspire to create a more secure and impact resistant goggle.

The final change made to the Racecraft + concerns moisture management. 100% added a fourth (!) layer of foam that is said to improve the moisture absorption and elimination capabilities of the new goggle. All in all, the improvements add up to an impressive piece of equipment, which sits at the top of the 100% goggle line up with a fairly hefty price tag of $85. For now, the Racecraft + is only available in three different colors, but it’s fair to assume that more will be coming shortly. Also note that you can buy the new injection molded lens by itself, and it will fit the older generation Racecraft frame just fine.

On The Trail

The first job of a goggle is to shield your eyes from wind and debris, and help you see the trail ahead more clearly. We tested the new Racecraft + in the “Daffed” finish, with a silver mirror lens. We also tested a new blue mirror injection molded lens in the old Racecraft frame, as well as a couple of classic lenses for reference. Whilst the difference between a classic, bending lens and the new injection molded version isn’t staggering, there is a bit less noticeable distortion with the new lens, particularly towards the edges. Both the silver and the blue lenses also produce a very neutral image, without much discoloration if any.

When it comes to comfort and fit, the Racecraft + delivers. The shape is easy to live with even for people with different facial structure, and the goggle fits most full frame helmets easily. The “outrigger” design helps keep the goggle pressed against your face even with a thick helmet that would otherwise lift the goggle off your face via the strap. The foam is soft to the touch, and we found its moisture management capabilities impressive. We tested during a couple of particularly hot days with excellent results – very little fogging if any, and no running sweat. We did note that the Racecraft + works less well with a half-shell helmet for this tester, due to the raised central top section pushing the helmet too far up on the head (your mileage may vary).

The second job of a goggle is to protect you. Whether it’s a stray branch or an unexpected, close encounter with the ground, the goggle should ward off the impact so your eyes don’t have to. On this aspect the Racecraft + once again scores highly. The injection molded lens is said to be stronger than a classic lens, and whilst we can’t offer any scientific observations to validate this point, we do have anecdotal evidence that it works: during testing, we managed to use our face as landing gear on a rocky slope, and both our full face helmet and the goggle were left with some scars as a result. The goggle lens suffered 4-5 fairly significant scratches, but it did not deform around the impact points at all. In our experience, similar crashes with classic lenses have often left them a bit deformed and distorted. In this case, the Racecraft + lens still has some life left in it.

Things That Could Be Improved

The Racecraft + is $10 more expensive than the regular Racecraft, which is fair enough given the extra features, but 100% also removed the extra clear lens that was always included with the old version. 

At present, the Racecraft + is only available in three colorways, so it might be a bit hard to match this goggle up to every helmet out there. Given how bright and diversified 100%’s collections usually are, we’d expect this to evolve over time.

Long Term Durability

We’ve run the classic Racecraft goggles for quite some time by now, and in general we have always been satisfied with regards to quality and longevity. Mirrored lenses are always a bit delicate and prone to losing their shiny surface treatment with time, and our oldest Racecraft goggle (more than two years old now) has patches where the mirror coating has come off. We’d love to see some improvement in this aspect, but it’s probably too much to ask for (this has been an issue with mirrored lenses from many brands going back a long time). Whether the new, injection molded lens turns out to do better in this regard is too early to tell. We do know that it will take a knock and keep going.

What’s The Bottom Line?

100%’s Racecraft goggle has always been one of our favorites, thanks to a comfortable fit and good optical performance. The + version takes everything we like about the regular Racecraft and makes it better. Yes, the price went up a bit, but on balance we think the new goggle also delivers enough extra value to make it worth it.

More information at: www.ride100percent.com.

About The Reviewer

Johan Hjord - Age: 45 // Years Riding MTB: 13 // Weight: 190-pounds (86kg) // Height: 6'0" (1.84m)

Johan loves bikes, which strangely doesn’t make him any better at riding them. After many years spent practicing falling off cliffs with his snowboard, he took up mountain biking in 2005. Ever since, he’s mostly been riding bikes with too much suspension travel to cover up his many flaws as a rider. His 200-pound body weight coupled with unique skill for poor line choice and clumsy landings make him an expert on durability - if parts survive Johan, they’re pretty much okay for anybody. Johan rides flat pedals with a riding style that he describes as "none" (when in actuality he rips!). Having found most trail features to be not to his liking, Johan uses much of his spare time building his own. Johan’s other accomplishments include surviving this far and helping keep the Vital Media Machine’s stoke dial firmly on 11.

Photos by Nils Hjord and Johan Hjord