This winter, I had the chance to try the 509 Sinister X6 Ignite goggles. Here are my impressions of them throughout the season.
First of all, I must point out the attention to detail given by 509 for these goggles. They’re flawless. Even before opening the case, I feel like I have a quality item in my hands. Usually, the goggles I buy come in a cardboard box and a small cloth bag. These come in a nice hard case with the 509 logo on it.
When I opened the case, I was thrilled knowing that I was now going to bring this pair of goggles in my snowmobile without being afraid of breaking them or scratching the lens. The sponge follows the shape of the goggles and protects them during transport. In my opinion, this is a must for backcountry enthusiasts who use more than one pair throughout the day.
The case contains space to put the battery but also space for the charger. The top portion of the case includes a place to put at least two spare visors. There’s also enough room to put a cleaning cloth, a second battery and an extension cable if we don’t want to wear the battery on the helmet. The goggles have a small Velcro to hold the battery in place and small squares to prevent the helmet from scratching as it rubs against the battery.
When I take the goggles in my hands, I notice the quality of their manufacturing and the color blends perfectly with the outfit that was provided to me. The goggles’ frame is solid, and the design is stunning. Now we need to see if they deliver the goods.
When I wear these goggles with the Altitude helmet, I notice that they fit perfectly with the helmet’s shape and protect well from the wind; the nose is also well protected. When it’s cold outside, these goggles don’t let in much air compared to other helmet/goggles combinations I’ve worn in the past.
They are comfortable to wear, even for long hours. Their streamlined design ensures that the snow doesn’t stick. Small observation, the battery allows snow and ice to accumulate on the side of the goggles. This is not a problem for my use, but for those for whom it would be, I suggest that you get an extendable cable and put the battery in a pocket inside the jacket. I noticed that the goggles don’t fog up very often when I ride on trails. Off-trail, this helmet/goggles combo also works great, but you will definitely need to use the battery more often.
Not having a charging cable for the visor connected to the snowmobile is a definite must. It’s awesome for backcountry riding as you don’t get caught in a cable anymore. It makes movement easier, but it’s also handy when you have to get off the snowmobile regularly to help when someone gets stuck. I even found this aspect particularly interesting for trail riding.
The battery has two modes, i.e. it can operate for a period of two minutes or run continuously. To start it, you simply press a button that can be activated quite easily without taking off your gloves. The sound signal tells us whether the heated goggles are on or we turn them off differently. On several occasions, I didn’t need to leave the battery running to remove the fog; I’m impressed.
We’re promised that the battery has a runtime rating of up to five hours, but I never ran out of battery power during my outings. If it ever happened to me, I’d get a second battery pack, reconnect it and off we go again. The weight of the battery is reasonable and did not hinder my head movements. Complete charging takes less than four hours, and I would have liked a USB connector for the charger.
The goggles have a large glass surface, which allows excellent vision on all sides. Vision is also very clear with the photochromatic lens that darkens when it’s sunny and allows clear vision at all times. I liked wearing these goggles even in the early evening. I’ve never worn goggles with a lens that provided such visibility and clarity in different weather conditions.
To conclude, these goggles totally deliver the goods, and all aspects of these goggles have been well thought out. Manufacturing quality is not only in the casing but in the overall quality of the product. There is a whole range of eyewear colors, lenses and even combinations that will fit perfectly with your 509 outfit. The price range is also variable because you can get some goggles with the same design, but without the battery. These goggles are quite a find for me and probably won’t be the last pair in my inventory.
I’m not fogged up in the picture below and have not used the heated visor all day. Many thanks to SledMagazine.com and 509 for this trial.
