OutdoorMaster Goggles vs Smith – Which One is The Best For You

Updated July 2nd, 2023

If you are looking for new ski goggles you have probably come across OutdoorMaster and Smith. They are both popular goggle and helmet brands. OutdoorMaster makes great high value low cost ski and snowboard gear. Smith is an established brand that makes mid to high end gear at higher prices. Which one is better when you are considering OutdoorMaster goggles vs Smith.

We recently reviewed the OutdoorMaster Pro Goggles and Kelvin helmet. We also reviewed the Smith I/O Mag goggles and Mission MIPS helmet. Keep reading to look at how these pieces of gear stack up.

You can see our full review of all the gear at the below links.

• OutdoorMaster Pro Goggles
• Smith I/O Mag Goggles
• OutdoorMaster Kelvin Helmet
• Smith Mission MIPS Helmet

OutdoorMaster Goggles vs Smith

Cost

The Outdoor Master goggles have been a great value since their release. A set of goggles will set you back $40-$50 depending on which lens you choose. A spare lens will cost you $25-$30. A set of goggles and spare lens will run $65-$80.

A set of Smith I/O Mag goggles retails for $270. These include 2 lenses so you don’t have to add the cost of an extra lens in when you buy them. You can sometimes find last year’s styles available for $190-200.

The OutdoorMaster Pro goggles are a clear winner in cost. You could buy 3 sets of goggles and extra lenses for the cost of 1 Smith I/O Mag snow goggle.

Lens clarity

Smith Chromapop lenses are among the best in the industry. Their lens technology gives them excellent color differentiation. How do the lenses in the OutdoorMaster ski goggles Pro stack up? I have the following lenses to use this winter to compare the goggles.

• OutdoorMaster Blue VLT 15%
• OutdoorMaster Blue VLT 38%
• OutdoorMaster Clear VLT 99%
• Smith ChromaPop Sun Green Mirror VLT 9%
• Smith ChromaPop Storm Rose Flash VLT 50%

Both goggles use a spherical lens shape providing less distortion than a cylindrical lens. The Smith goggles use a more advanced toric lens shape as well.

Everything is just a little more sharp looking through the Smith goggle lens. The OutdoorMaster Pro lenses appear to have a very slight haze to them when looked through right after the Smith goggles. They are good but not quite as sharp.

The OutdoorMaster Pro goggles have a little more distortion. This is noticeable when you look out the edges of the goggle lens and move your head around. You can see the distortion as objects move into the edge of the lens. There is a slight amount of distortion in the Smith lens too but not quite as much.

The Smith goggle lens will show the color of the lens more in your view. It’s very noticeable you are looking through a green or rose lens. It’s not so noticeable your looking through a blue lens on the OutdoorMaster goggle. See the images below for a comparison of what you see through the lenses.

Both goggles offer UV protection to keep your eyes safe. OutdoorMaster publishes that they meet UV400 level protection.

I would rate the Smith I/O Mag Chromapop lens as the winner over the OutdoorMaster Pro lens. The increased clarity and color differentiation will give the Smith goggles a slight edge in flat light performance.

Lens selection

Both goggles have a variety of different lens tint colors, finishes, and VLT (visible light transmission) lenses. Both have mirrored lens finishes available. Both also offer a photochromic lens. Both have clear lens options suitable for night skiing. OutdoorMaster also has a few polarized lens to choose from. You can find a perfect lens option for almost any lighting condition whether it’s bright light or a low light condition for either skiing goggle.

Both goggles are tied for available lens selection.

Field of view

Both goggles have a very similar field of view. This applies to both the vertical field of view and the horizontal field of view. I can’t notice an advantage for either pair of goggles.

Both goggles are a tie for field of view and peripheral vision.

Anti-Fog Performance

Both goggles have all the normal anti-fog features. Lots of vents. An anti fog coating on the inner side of the lens. Dual pane lenses. I expect they will perform very similarly from an anti fog perspective.

The vents on the OutdoorMaster frame have a larger surface area than the vents on the Smith goggles. This should give them a little better airflow.

Smith goggles are designed to work with the AirEvac vents on Smith helmets. This helps keep them defogged. The OutdoorMaster helmet does not have this anti-fog feature. I expect the OutdoorMaster goggles to have better anti fog performance with a helmet with anti fog vents. Helmets from Smith, Giro, Oakley, Anon, and several other manufactures have these vents.

Both goggles are a tie for anti fog performance.

Lens swapping system

Both goggles use a magnetic interchangeable lens system. The Smith I/O Mag system uses magnets along with 2 latches. The OutdoorMaster Pro uses only magnets to hold the lens on.

I think the latches on the Smith I/O Mag are unnecessary and poorly designed. They make it very difficult to swap lenses while the goggles are on your head. You can release the latch on one side but you have to work at it. Even if you insist on having latches there are much better systems. The Wildhorn Roca has latches you can easily operate with gloves on while the goggles are on your head. The I/O Mag system is an improvement over the original I/O lens swap system. It is so far behind other goggle makers.

The OutdoorMaster Pro lens swapping system works extremely well. Lenses are easy to change. You can bend the frame a bit to release the lens. To put the new lens in you just hold a lens close to the frame and let it pull into place. I know several skiers who have used these goggles for years now and never lost one in a fall.

OutdoorMaster Pro goggles are the clear winner for swapping lenses.

See the 2 videos below for a demonstration of the lens swapping systems.

Styling

Both goggles are frameless design. Both have very similar styling. They both have many available lens colors and strap options. The lenses hide most of the frame from view on both goggles.

The goggles are a tie for styling and appearance.

Comfort and fit

Both goggles use triple layer foam for comfort. Foam is similar thickness on both goggles. The inner layer foam on the Smith goggles is a little bit more smooth and soft. It feels a very small amount better against your skin.

The Smith goggles have the foam pulled in and more compressed in the nose bridge. This gives a little bit more room for your nose and a more comfortable feel.

Both goggles are a medium fit size. The frames and lenses are very close in size. The measurements of the frame and lenses are as follows:

Lens

• Smith 22cm x 9cm
• OutdoorMaster 21cm x 10cm

Frame opening

• Smith 17.5cm x 6.5cm
• OutdoorMaster 18cm x 7cm

The goggles have a different curvature. The Smith Goggles have a more rounded shape. The OutdoorMaster goggles are a little more flat. The radius of the inner side of the frame and foam is larger on the OutdoorMaster frame. If you have a more flat shape to your face the OutdoorMaster frame will feel better. If you have a more rounded shape the Smith Goggles will feel better.

For fit and comfort Smith I/O Mag gets a slight edge. This is for the softer feeling inner foam layer and the compression in the nose area.

Helmet compatibility

We tried both sets of goggles with helmets made by Smith and OutdoorMaster. In all cases, there was minimal goggle gap and the goggle bands did not block any of the vents. Both have a long enough strap to go around a helmet. Both helmets are similar for helmet compatibility.

Frame Design

Both goggles frames are made from PU plastic. They both have separate moldings for the strap attachments. Both have cutouts in the nose area for more flexibility. The moldings are very clean with no flash or release marks. I would rate the frame construction of both frames equal.

Both goggles are a tie for the frames.

Strap Design

Both goggles have a similar design to their straps. Both have silicone beads on the inner surface to keep them from sliding against the goggles. The strap on the Smith goggles is about 2mm taller. Both straps have a similar feel when pulling your goggles on and off of your head.

The Smith goggles have a latch in the back that can be released. I’m not sure what benefit this has. The latch gets in the way of the goggle clip on your helmet. Given the option, I would prefer not to have this latch.

The OutdoorMaster goggles are the winner for having a better strap design.

Goggle bag or case

Smith I/O goggles include a drawstring bag that you can use to store and clean the goggles. The microfiber bag has a divider so you can store both the spare lens and goggles. It is a tight fit but both will actually fit in the bag.

OutdoorMaster Pro goggles include a microfiber drawstring bag for storing the goggles. They also include a hard lens case with a zipper closure for storing extra lenses. The case can store 2 lenses. A similar case is available from Smith for an extra $25.

OutdoorMaster is the winner for included bags and cases.

OTG compatible

The OutdoorMaster Pro goggles are an OTG ski goggle for those who ski wearing prescription glasses. They will fit over a pair of glasses as long as the frames aren’t too large. I have tried and can comfortably wear them over my glasses.

The Smith I/O Mag goggles are not OTG compatible. My glasses will not fit through the frame openings. The larger Smith I/O Mag XL goggles are OTG compatible. If you want Smith I/O goggles then be sure to get the XL size instead of the regular size goggles.

OutdoorMaster gets a slight edge in this category for making their medium fit goggle also work as an OTG goggle.

See our guide to the best OTG goggles for other OTG options including the OutdoorMaster OTG ski goggles.

Goggle summary table

Goggle winner

The overall winner is the OutdoorMaster Goggles which come out ahead for cost, lens swapping system, goggle strap, and included lens case.

The Smith goggles have better lens clarity which puts them ahead for performance. The Smith goggles have better inner foam giving them a slight edge for comfort. Those advantages come at a high cost.

The goggles are pretty even for styling, field of view, anti fog, straps, and frame construction.

If pure performance at any cost is important to you, buy Smith I/O Mag goggles. If good performance combined with easy lens swaps and great value is your thing choose OutdoorMaster Pro goggles.

OutdoorMaster Helmet vs Smith

Cost

The OutdoorMaster Kelvin helmet retails for $39. It is currently their only ski helmet offering. The Smith Mission MIPS retails for $140. The Smith helmet is in between their very basic $80 Scout helmet and their $270 Vantage MIPS helmet.

The OutdoorMaster helmet is the winner in the cost category coming in at half the cost of the cheapest Smith offering.

Safety features

Both the OutdoorMaster and Smith helmets are ASTM 2040F certified. The Smith helmet also has several other certifications including CE EN 1077:2007 CLASS B and CE EN178.

The Smith Mission MIPS helmet also has MIPS technology. MIPS offers extra protection for glancing and angled head impacts. Learn more about MIPS here.

The Smith helmet uses Zonal Koroyd plastic honeycomb in place of the EPS foam on the sides of the helmet. Honeycomb absorbs energy by crushing and doesn’t rebound. It will reduce the impact on your head from the rebound energy that EPS foam. You can learn more about Koroyd here.

The OutdoorMaster is a safe helmet with ASTM certification. The Smith Mission goes a bit farther with MIPS optional MIPS. The Smith Mission MIPS is the winner for safety.

Comfort and fit

Both helmets feel similar while being worn. They both have similar fleece and mesh lining. The size large of both helmets has similar levels of snugness on my head.

Both helmets are tied for comfort.

Styling

Both helmets have a very similar appearance. They both have 14 vents around the top of the head. They both have a couple character lines to give them a more dynamic appearance. Both have similar profiles.

There is no clear advantage for either helmet for styling and appearance.

Ear pads

Both helmets have removable ear pads. The earpads on the OutdoorMaster are a simple design much easier to remove. They just snap in and out of the helmet. The chin strap goes through an elastic band.

To take the ear pads off of the Smith helmet is a several step ordeal. It requires you to unhook the size adjuster to remove the ear pads.

The fleece lining on the OutdoorMaster ear pads feels a little more comfortable.

The Smith helmet ear pads can accommodate Bluetooth wireless speakers. There is a removable foam pad in each earpiece that can be replaced by a speaker.

Most people will either leave the earpads in their helmet or take them out and never put them back. For this reason I give the advantage for the ear pads to the Smith Mission helmet. It has the ability to mount speakers in the pads and the OutdoorMaster doesn’t.

Ventilation

Both helmets have 14 vents of similar size and shape on top of the helmet. The similarities stop there. The Smith helmet has adjustable vents that can be closed with a slider on top of the helmet. The OutdoorMaster vents are always open. I use the adjustable vent feature on colder days to keep my head a little warmer.

The Smith helmet has its AirEvac goggle vents in the front of the helmet. These 2 extra vents channel air down into the goggle to keep them from fogging up. The system works well. If your goggles fog a bit while you are standing around, just start skiing and they will clear up right away.

The Smith helmet wins this category. It has both adjustable vents and goggle anti fog vents that the OutdoorMaster does not.

Size adjustment

Both helmets have similar size adjustment features. Both have a dial adjuster on the back of the helmets. The dial on the Smith helmet looks and feels much cheaper than the dial on the OutdoorMaster helmet. They both work okay. OutdoorMaster paid a bit more attention to this feature on their helmet.

OutdoorMaster comes out on top for its size adjuster.

Goggle clip

The OutdoorMaster helmet uses a rubber strap that snaps to the helmet to hold goggles. The Smith helmet uses a plastic clip. You slide the goggle strap into the clip to use it. The OutdoorMaster rubber strap will hold your goggles as long as the snap holds. The plastic clip on the Smith helmet opens down allowing your goggle strap to slide out of the helmet and drop.

I prefer the rubber strap and snap over the plastic clip. I question how long the plastic of the clip will last from pulling goggles in and out of it. Plastic tends to get brittle over time when exposed to the suns UV rays. The metal snap on the OutdoorMaster helmet will loosen over time.

I prefer the bungee cord goggle clip that higher up Smith helmets have. I have that on my Smith Variance helmet and it has held up for years.

I give the OutdoorMaster a slight edge in this category. The goggle strap can’t slide down and out of the rubber strap when it’s snapped in place allowing you to lose your goggles.

Chin strap

The chin strap on the Smith Mission helmet has a small neoprene pad on it. It’s very minimal padding but better than nothing. The OutdoorMaster chin strap has a bit thicker fleece lined pad.

The Smith helmet has plenty of extra chin strap for adjustment. When I wear the helmet with a hat and neckwarmer, I still have over an inch of spare chin strap. With the OutdoorMaster I am at the end of the chin strap adjustment. It could really use to be another 1/4 to 1/2 inch longer to be really comfortable.

Smith wins the chin strap category for having a long enough chin strap with slight padding. OutdoorMaster has a nicer chin strap pad but the short strap is a negative.

Helmet Summary Table

Helmet Winner

The overall winner for the helmet is the Smith Mission MIPS. It has several key advantages over the OutdoorMaster Kelvin helmet. It is worth the extra cost. The Smith helmet has MIPS and Koroyd safety technology. It also has adjustable vents and goggle anti fog vents.

The OutdoorMaster Kelvin helmet would be good for a new skier looking for a basic ski helmet. It would be a good helmet for a casual skier that wants good gear but doesn’t want to spend a lot. It has adequate safety features and better styling than other cheap helmets. It is as good or better than most other $40-$80 helmets. It is missing features that an over $100 ski helmets will have.

The Verdict

As a skier and snowboarder these days we have a lot of choices for gear. OutdoorMaster is a relatively new brand that is really killing it with their ski and snowboard goggle design. They make a great value ski goggle that has good performance and features.

Their ski helmet is a good basic design that improves on most cheap helmets available. It misses some features found on mid level and up priced helmets. It is a great value for beginner or casual skiers.

Smith has been in business since the 1950’s making top notch ski goggles. The Smith I/O Mag goggle design has excellent performing lenses and comfort. The magnetic lens swap design is a bit of a disappointment. These are a great goggle choice if you want the absolute best lens possible and are willing to pay for it.

The Smith Mission MIPS helmet is a really good value mid priced helmet. It has the latest safety innovations such as MIPS and Koroyd. It also has adjustable vents and goggle anti fog vents. It doesn’t miss any important features that more expensive helmets will have.

OutdoorMaster Discount Code

Use the Coupon Code ERO2022 for 10-20% off at OutdoorMaster.com

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