WHAT IS IT? A very good goggle that very few people have heard of.
WHAT'S IT COST? $34.95 (clear lens), $44.95 (light-sensitive lens) – orwww.bluroptics.com/
WHAT'S IT DO? If you've never heard of Blur Optics, don't be ashamed. Even though Blur has been around for over a decade, the optics game is a tough business to crack. Sunglasses, for all their fancy catch phrases, are just commodities. Expensive sunglasses are nothing more than eye jewelry. Just like in the perfume business, the majority of R&D money doesn't go into the sunglasses – it goes into the advertising and promotion budget.
Blur is a sunglass company, but they are as hard-core a group of motocrossers as you will find. For the first few few years, they were offering a private-labeled Scott Series 89 goggle (without the good foam) as the Blur goggle. It's no secret that if you want to be the best at something, private labeling is a dog that won't hunt. Blur got tired of being an also-ran and their solution is simple – create a goggle that is as good as anything out there (and then sell it for a lot less).
WHAT STANDS OUT? Here's a list of things that stand out with Blur's B1 goggle.
(1) Shape. We like the overall shape of the B1 goggle. We'd be lying if we didn't tell you that portions of the design remind us of a melding of Oakley, Dragon and Spy. But no sweat; the B1 is not a clone. It is unique enough that no one is going to think you're sporting some other brand.
(2) Foam. The B1 uses a four-layer foam system. The layer closest to your face is felt (just like you find on the high-end Oakley, Dragon and Spy goggles). The next layer is standard absorptive foam. The third layer is a section of very dense foam. The final layer, before you get to the frame, is a tad less dense than layer three. How well does this four-tier system work at absorbing sweat? It's awesome, although the foam doesn't really absorb much sweat. Instead, just like the Scott's No Sweat foam that every MXA test rider loves, the B1's foam forces the sweat to go around the goggle where it gets evaporated in the process.
(3) Strap. Blur uses a solid woven strap with a single bead of silicone to hold the goggle in place.
(4) Tear-offs. The B1 uses a two-post system. The posts themselves are built into the lens, which we like a lot. The tear-offs themselves are so thin that we easily got seven tear-offs on the B1 with little to no visual degradation.
(4) Lens. The B1 is offered with either a clear lens or a light-sensitive lens. Not a single MXA test rider complained about the clear lens, but a few felt there was a slight blurring around the edges with the light-sensitive lens. Also, be very careful cleaning the light-sensitive lens. Anything but soap and water will damage the lens.
(5) Place of Manufacture. The Blur B1 goggle is made in China.
WHAT'S THE SQUAWK? We really don't have any, although we suggest going with the clear lens over the light-sensitive one.
