Giro Roam Review

The Giro Roam is a medium-sized goggle that is an excellent value for casual riders. While its performance didn't stack up to its higher-priced competitors, it stands out as a great value for casual riders looking to save money while still getting a goggle that will serve them across a wide range of light conditions.

Performance Comparison

Lens Quality

The Roam comes with two lenses that substantially enhance the value of this functional goggle. We tested the lorden green lens. This tint was a touch light for early winter full-sun days but was great for partly cloudy conditions. It highlighted shadows very well and made transitions or disturbances easier to identify in the snow. This lens was accurate in color and had no distinct shifting of colors in the natural environment or our color wheel test. The yellow lens is supplied with every Roam goggle purchase and it brightens but also puts a yellow filter across the landscape. While we prefer lenses that maintain color accuracy, we are excited to have this lens included at this price point because the color shift is a better optical experience than using a sunny day lens in low light conditions.

The Roam has a decent field of view compared to other budget introductory goggles. It uses Giro's Expansion View Technology to increase peripheral vision, and we feel it is better when compared to other introductory goggles. This technology focuses on spherical lenses and generally involves goggles that are frameless near the bottom. Since these goggles have a full-wrap frame, its effectiveness can only go so far. There is still some frame and foam in our field of view.

Regardless, we were thoroughly pleased with the optical clarity and extra lens inclusion of the Roam, even more so when you consider the price.

Comfort

The Roam is a comfortable goggle that we feel is best suited for small to medium facial structures. The frame size would be a bit small and be less comfortable for individuals with larger facial structures. The double-layer foam provides a nice and supportive fit with a nice next-to-skin feel. The general shape of the goggles allows for a versatile fit across individual needs. The strap has two thin beads of silicon to help keep the goggle strap positioned where you want it on the head. The strap offers a large size adjustment range but would be tight going around an XL helmet.

Venatilation and Breathability

The Roam has a standard full channel ventilation system. It has a full-length foam vent along the top of the frame and also medium-sized vents running along the bottom and up the side of the frame. It provides moderate levels of ventilation and the lens is treated with an anti-fog coating. This model should resist fogging in most instances but could fog during exertion or when the inside of the lens has been exposed to moisture.

Ease of Changing Lenses

The Roam requires a medium amount of time to change the lens. Once you get good at it, you could expect to change the lens in about 1 minute. While you are learning expect 2-3 minutes and some fingerprints on the lens. It isn't particularly difficult, but it is a bit more fiddly than some. The lens has eight 3 mm notches that hold the lens. These notches can be hard to line up and secure due to the small size and subsequent low margin for accuracy when inserting them within the lip of the frame. The lens changing process is best done at home or in the lodge, as opposed to on the chairlift or at the top of the mountain.

Durability

This model is well built using quality plastics and should last for multiple seasons with good care. The Roam has a strong frame that resists bends which will help maintain its shape over time. The lenses offer a standard degree of scratch resistance similar to other models with a basic scratch coating. Giro also backs this product with a one-year warranty from the date of purchase.

Style

The Roam is offered in 8 different colorways, so you should be able to find a color option to match your style. Since style is subjective, we asked friends and other riders to rank the goggles in terms of style. These were commonly ranked in the middle of the pack, and people were often indifferent to them. The model blends new school and old school styling with a medium frame to create a decent-looking goggle.

Value

We feel the Roam is a great value. These goggles are very reasonably priced, and their optical clarity and inclusion of two lenses are impressive when compared to other models in this price range.

Conclusion

The Roam is an excellent value in an introductory goggle. It has good optical performance, a comfortable fit, and provides two lenses for varying light conditions. These are the most important aspects and that is what makes it stand out as an introductory goggle. The other aspects of the goggle are fairly standard and that is perfectly fine given their more basic nature. We feel this goggle is a great value for the recreational skier looking to get 10-20 days on the mountain and wanting a function goggle for their kit.