Leatt Velocity 6.5 Goggles

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Tested: Leatt Goggle Velocity 6.5
We didn’t want to literally test the bulletproof claim of these goggles so we stuck to just riding at the moto track.
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Vital Review
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The Good
Extra thick, injection molded lenses that are bullet, and fog proof.
The Bad
There is a lot of lens material to look through, so not as crisp as fancy HD lenses.

Starting with their innovative, moto-specific neck brace, Leatt has been consistently building their catalog of protective gear for dirt bike riders. Knee, elbow, chest, hand, leg, head… and now eyes. The Velocity 6.5 is Leatt’s first goggle and it follows the current trend of having rigid, injection-molded lenses, as well as a few other stand-out features.

Leatt Goggle Velocity 6.5 Features

  • Bulletproof and impact tested to:
    • ANSI Z87.1-2015
    • Military Ballistic Impact Standard (MIL-DTL-43511D)
    • Certified CE EN 1938 :2010
  • Out-riggers with a 50mm anti-slip coated strap
  • WideVision (170°) Mirror Anti-Fog lens – Iriz
  • Permanent anti-fog function built into the inner lens polymer
  • Self-draining lens/frame design
  • Easy clip-in/out lens change
  • Dual-density frame for fit, seal and comfort
  • Tapered custom shape to fit even those difficult helmets
  • OTG – Over-the-glasses fit
  • Triple-layer, dual-density foam with anti-sweat fleece backing
  • Roll-Off ready for our WideVision 48mm system (optional)
  • Tear-Off ready with posts. Tear-off pack included
  • Removable nose guard
  • Optional lenses available from 22 to 83% light transmission (VLT)
  • MSRP: $79.99-$99.99 ($89.99 as tested)

The lens retention system is fairly simple to use. The outriggers pop forward on both sides to release the lens.

First Impression

Not just a marketing gimmick, the Velocity 6.5 really does have a bulletproof lens, which is 2.7mm thick (other pre-curved lenses are around 2mm). It is also double-paned with a thin extra layer on the inside of the goggle to prevent fogging.

Since there are so many goggles now with rigid lenses, the trick is to design a clever and convenient locking and unlocking mechanism. So far, it’s really hard to beat Oakley Airbrakes system that is by far the quickest and simplest to use. But the Velocity 6.5’s system isn’t bad. The strap outriggers pop up toward the front of the goggle allowing the lens to be removed. The sticking point is that the nose guard has to be removed and the lens has to be slotted into the top of the nose section, and with the extra thick lens, it is unwilling to bend at all. Also, the frame of the goggle is rigid as well (like the Airbrakes) making it a little finicky to swap lenses. That being said, these are first world problems because it is still way simpler to change these lenses than any conventional lexan-lensed goggle.

On The Track

First off, I’m not a nose guard guy. I always try to leave them on in hopes that some magical goggle/helmet combo will let me run them but I always end up taking them off because of helmet contact - these goggles were no exception and I ditched the nose guard right away. Other than that, they fit in all the helmets that I’ve been riding in lately (Arai, Fox V3, Alpinestars, FLY Formula) without any issues.

The fit on my face is pretty similar to other pre-curved lensed goggles I’ve worn. The curvature of the frame matches up with my head well and the three-layer foam sealed against my face properly. The goggle is definitely not small, but it isn’t as big as say the new 100% Armega or SPY Foundation, and the Velocity is wider than EKS Brand goggles and some gear-brand goggles I’ve tried. The outriggers place the goggle far enough into the helmet to be pressed evenly on your face, and the extra wide 50mm strap is easy to adjust and stays put.

Here the nose guard is popped forward to show where the lens slides into the nose section.

For the hypercritical and very easily distracted, the tear-off posts have a rectangular anchor point that is slightly larger than other tear-off posts.

Ventilation is on par with other goggles. There wasn’t any more or less airflow than what is to be expected and I definitely didn’t have any dust issues. As far as the anti-fog coating and dual-pane lens, I can’t really attest to their proper function. It hasn’t been cold enough or wet enough to have this issue arise. I can say that just trying to fog up the inside of the goggle with my breath is impossible - the coating doesn't let any moisture build up on the lens.

The foam is comfortable and soft on the skin. Sweat absorption is better than most, to be honest. I’m probably the sweatiest human alive and the foam did a pretty good job of locking up the drips so they didn’t end up on the inside of the lens.

There are a couple of cons with the Velocity 6.5 goggle. First, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Bronz lens. The look of the goggle is sweet, but looking through the lens gives everything a blueish tint that was stressful on my eyes. The tint seemed to do the opposite of what other fancy HD lenses are trying to do. Rather than increasing contrast and making colors more vibrant, the Bronz lens seemed to dial down the contrast and move all the colors into the blue color range. But, fixing this is as easy as swapping to a different lens. I also had the Smoke lens which has a grey tint and doesn’t change the way colors look at all.

Without goggle.
With goggle.

The second issue is clarity. Now, it isn’t that these goggles are unclear, but I think with the extra thick lens combined with the second layer of lens on the inside, you are just looking through a lot of material like if you have a couple tear offs on your goggles. Does this affect the riding experience? No. I only really noticed it when sitting at the truck looking through a bunch of different goggles to compare lens tints. I could tell a difference compared to the Oakley Prizm or 100% HiPER lenses, which both have incredible crispness.

Durability

This is area where I would say the Velocity 6.5 goggles stood out the most. With every mirrored-lensed goggle I’ve used, with and without pre-curved lenses, scratches and scuffs and nicks and pits have been annoyingly hard to avoid. The slightest roost, or contact with anything really, would cause the mirror finish to come off. But with the Leatt goggle, there’s been only a few tiny scratches that are not noticeable while riding at all.

The Last Word

A goggle with this level of protection for under $100 is pretty impressive. I doubt there is anything on the moto track that would be coming at you faster than a .22 caliber bullet. I would say this is a great goggle for any rider who cannot stand their goggles fogging up and puts safety higher than HD vision on their priority list. Also these are ideal for the casual riders who don’t use tear-offs for practice days, like me, since the mirrored lenses seem to be very durable and scratch resistant.

I much preferred the plain smoke lens over the Bronz.


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Specifications

Product
Leatt Velocity 6.5 Goggles
Type
Goggles
Features
WideVision (170°) Anti-Fog lens. Self-draining lens/frame design. Dual-density frame for fit, seal and comfort. Removable nose guard.
Construction
Bulletproof and impact tested to: ANSI Z87.1-2015. Out-riggers with a 50mm Anti-Slip coated strap.
Colors
Black, blue and pink, red, blue, white and black, green, white
Miscellaneous
 
Price
$79.99
More Info
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