Coast Optics Alta 2 goggles: Lens changes don’t get simpler

With sustainability at the forefront, Coast Optics has created a cracking set of goggles with the Alta 2. Not only is every part replaceable and much of it is made of recycled materials, but these goggles also pack an excellent field of view, fog-free performance, comfort, and the easiest lens change I’ve ever come across. And at £79.99, they’re well worth the cost.

Coast Optics Alta 2 goggles – Technical details

Coast Optics is all about providing top-performing kit, while making everything as friendly to the environment as possible. As such, the Alta 2’s frame is built from a co-injected combination of bio-TPU and polycarbonate. The lens features a polycarbonate build.

Alright, so polycarbonate isn’t really an environmentally friendly material, Coast admits, but the brand recognises how good it is for creating lenses; plus, the lens is an important safety feature, so the material has been chosen for its blend of impact resistance, durability and clarity.

However, the strap is made from recycled polyester sourced from used plastic bottles, reducing the reliance on petroleum used to create regular ol’ polyester. What’s also cool is that the strap is replaceable and interchangeable, with new straps costing £24.99.

Circling back to the lens, it benefits from an anti-fog and anti-scratch coating, and Coast has laser-cut holes in it to promote extra airflow. The lens is held in place thanks to a rapid mag lens change system. I’m a huge fan, but I’ll get onto that a little later.

Wrapping up with the triple-layer face foam, it’s perforated, and it’s designed to wick sweat while helping to avoid fog.

The Alta 2 is available with a black or driftwood coloured frame, with each option offering three choices of strap colour. It can then be picked up with a photochromic lens for £129.99, smoke and pink lenses for £109.99, and a clear lens for £79.99. Smoke and pink lens options come with a clear lens in the pack, and each lens can be purchased aftermarket, with prices starting at £34.99 and going up to £59.99.

Coast Optics Alta 2 goggles – Performance

After having a mostly positive time with Nita XL glasses from Coast, I approached the Alta 2 with fairly high expectations, and the brand’s just gone ahead and knocked it out of the park. That said, a familiar issue arose.

I first tested the Alta 2 with a photochromic lens, and as I experienced with the Nita XL, it was a little hazy. It didn’t offer the contrast that you would expect from any lens, and when facing the sun over a horizon or through trees, vision got a little murkier. I have spoken with the Coast guys about this, and they’ve said that it was an experimental coating that caused this, and since then, the lens uses the clearer coating used before. So if you picked a set of these goggles up now, it’s very unlikely that you’ll get the lens batch I did. Even then, this is something that would be sorted under warranty.

However, I moved towards the pink lens, and it’s great; vision is clear and contrasty enough, while the pink hue boosts the difference between the brown mud or dirt of the trail and the greens of any foliage that lines the trail. Unlike lenses used on pricier alternatives, Coast’s don’t use any fancy technologies to boost contrast further, but I never found myself missing such tech while using the Alta 2.

When it comes to swapping lenses, the Alta 2’s magnetic clip lens system is the best I’ve used. It’s incredibly simple, as it relies on a pair of clips that hold the lens in a notch and the power of magnets to keep it in place. It’s super secure, but importantly, it’s easy to use. There’s no wrestling with the goggles frame to slip the lens into any grooves that line it, or any difficulty popping the lens from the frame. Just push on the magnetic tabs, pull on the lens, and it’s out. No force is required.

A really considerate feature of this whole process is that the lens overextends the frame just under the magnetic clip, so it creates a bit of a tab where you can pull it away from the frame and push it back in. Better still, this part of the lens is completely hidden from the field of vision. I’m gushing a bit here because these tabs make for a place where you can touch and handle the lens without smudging it in areas you’ll see, keeping fingerprints well out of the goggle’s field of view. As you might have guessed, smudging a lens when swapping it around is a huge pet peeve of mine, and the Alta 2 completely avoids it.

The Alta 2 diverts from regular goggle design in its face foam and the amount it uses. Usually, there’s face foam, but also foam around the goggle’s perimeter, but these goggles do away with it. The result, when combined with the laser-cut vents in the lens, is superb fog resistance. This all allows air to circulate around and inside the goggles, keeping fog at bay even with the slightest of breezes. But that airflow never gets in the eyes. Granted, there have been moments when, standing still, a bit of perspiration would settle on the inside of the goggles, but it’s very quickly cleared once rolling on the bike.

Covered with a felt-like material, the face foam is comfortable, too.

Wrapping up with the field of view, it’s up there with the best. It’s wide and uninterrupted, and it’s left me riding without thinking about them. Oh, and removing the strap is super straightforward, too.

Coast Optics Alta 2 goggles – Verdict

With prices starting at £80, the Alta 2 is pretty darn good for the cash, although there are more affordable options around that pack a punch. For example, Melon Optics’ Parker goggle starts at £45 with a clear lens and costs £50 for a tinted lens. It’s competitive against the Alta 2, but although its lens swaps are simple, they’re not quite as pain-free as the Alta 2’s.
POC’s Opsin is also worth a look. It comes with a smoked, dual-pane lens with POC’s Clarity tech as standard at a price of £65. As much as I liked the Opsin, it isn’t as comfortable, its lens changes aren’t as simple, and it’s not as breathable.

But at the higher end of the spectrum is Giro’s Dropline. This goggle is packed with features and is a real favourite. £115 gets you a Dropline with Giro’s Vivid lens tech, which does bring a touch more clarity when compared to the Alta 2’s pink lens. But like with many others, the Alta 2 provides easier lens changes again.

If you’re looking for all of the premium features but at a more affordable price, Coast Optics has done an awesome job with the Alta 2. Although the lens doesn’t get any clarity-enhancing tech, it’s more than good enough. Its breathability is exactly what you would want from a goggle, I can never moan about eco-friendly features, and lens changes have never been so easy.