Zeal Optics Nomad Review

Performance Comparison

Lens Quality

We scoured the market and were unable to find a pair of ski goggles (from a reputable company, at least) that incorporated a spherical lens into the design at a sub-$120 price. Spherical lenses provide a small optical advantage over their cylindrical counterparts, yet they are frequently only found on goggles costing significantly more. What's more, the Phoenix Mirror lens is photochromic, which means it adjusts to changes in light conditions. Zeal describes this lens as appropriate for flat light to partly cloudy skies.

When the sun came out full force, our eyes winced under these goggles. As this model only comes with a single lens, it seems like Zeal aimed for the middle of the range of possible light conditions. This makes heavy storm and bluebird skiing less visible and less pleasant, respectively. While we didn't have a way to take measurements, we felt the adjustment to changing light conditions was greater in other photochromic options.

Comfort

The initial comfort of the Nomad is on par with most other models, yet after a few hours, we started to notice significant differences. The layer of foam that rests on our cheeks and forehead became irritatingly itchy. Our testers found themselves fiddling with these goggles in every lift line to try to relieve the discomfort. This itchiness reared its uncomfortable head most on warm days.

The moderately wide construction of this model isn't ideal for narrow faces, which could result in some gaps around the frame for small faces. For the varying shapes of our testers faces, it fit all but the smallest countenances. We didn't dock points for this sizing, but it's certainly worth knowing before making a purchase decision.

While the above assessment stands, some skiers might not stay on the slopes continuously enough to notice this drop in comfort. If you tend to break up an hour or two of skiing with an hour or two in the lodge, you will likely avoid the scratchy feeling that results from hours of relentless skiing. And in all other factors of comfort, the Zeal model performs fine. The goggle and strap stay in place and the flexible frame reduces the likelihood of pressure points.

Ventilation and Breathability

The Nomad has ample breathability for resort skiing. With a forehead vent that is larger than most, two smaller vents below the eyes, and an Everclear anti-fog coating on the lens, we rarely experienced fogging. The large vent built into the frame also increases the volume inside the goggles. A greater volume requires more moist air for the lens to fog up.

The Nomad vents adequately, but can't quite match the ventilation abilities of the higher scoring models in this metric.

Ease of Changing Lenses

It isn't exactly difficult to change the lenses of the Nomad, it just isn't nearly as easy as some of the more user-friendly models on the market and in our test selection. Zeal uses a standard lens attachment style, with notched cutouts in the edge of the lens that line up and snap onto several posts within the lip of the frame. Virtually all goggles used to share this lens attachment style and it works reliably, albeit with slightly more difficulty than many modern designs. One of the drawbacks to this style of lens attachment is that when you do change lenses you can't help but get fingerprints all over them, plus you have to pull on the frame which can result in damage, especially to the vent foam.

If you're the type who likes to change lenses frequently, we suggest checking out the easier to change magnetic lenses.

Durability

These goggles still looked great at the end of the testing period. Where other models suffered minor scratches and nicks in their lenses, the Nomad emerged unscathed with an out-of-the-box look after a few months of use. The strap still has its snap, too. We don't have any reason to believe this pair was not built to last.

Style

We tested the Turquoise Clay version of this model and fell for the muted, earthy tones it shows off. Our testers and friends agreed pretty overwhelmingly that this fly pair wins in the hip department. Of course, this is subjective and you should make up your own mind on style. At least you now know our collective opinion. This pair looks great.

Value

With one of the lowest price tags, this model is a great value. You will be hard-pressed to find a quality pair of goggles with a photochromic, spherical lens that resists fog and scratches at a price even close to this low. Had it been more comfortable, it would have likely snagged our Best Buy Award. It was that close.

Conclusion

The Zeal Optics Nomad has some impressive specs that result in solid performance. They also look fantastic. If they felt as good on our faces as they appeared, it would have found its way into the winners' circle. It fell short, but this model still represents good performance at a modest price.