Dragon might not be quite as well known by the general public as companies like Oakley and Smith, but they make some of the best eyewear on the market. In fact, it was the Dragon NFX that kicked off the frameless ski and snowboard goggle craze several years ago. At the top of the Dragon ski and snowboard goggle lineup sits the X2, a frameless, spherical goggle with optics and a lens change system to rival any snow goggle on the market.

Lens Shape and Quality

The Dragon X2 ships with two pair of Lumalens lenses, one for sunny days, and one for cloudy days and nights. Lumalens is Dragon’s take on creating a lens that matches the light condition to optimize clarity and definition, and Dragon believes that it is the new industry standard. While you would have to split hairs between technologies like Lumalens and Chromapop, the Lumalens does a great job at working across the light spectrum, regardless of which lens you are using.

Meanwhile, the spherical lens provides a distortion-free view, and the anti-fog treatment of the inner lens stays fog free so that you can enjoy the great optics provided by the Spherical Lumalens.

If there is one knock against the Dragon X2, it is that the lens is not the most durable lens out there, and it seems to scratch a bit more easily than some of its competitors.

Comfort

The Dragon X2 is a large goggle, even by the large standard of modern ski and snowboard goggles. However, Dragon also offers the X2 in the X2s variant, which is a medium sized goggle. One great feature of the X2s is that it retains the width to keep the great maximum field of view provided by the larger X2, while making sure that it still fits comfortably under the helmet of riders with smaller faces.

Meanwhile, triple-layer foam with a hypoallergenic fleece lining makes for a plush fit with the frame.

Ventilation

The “armored frame ventilation” with unidirectional airflow provides just the right amount of breathability to keep your face nice and dry without feeling drafty. It also works in perfect harmony with Dragon’s “super anti-fog coating” to keep the Dragon X2 fog free in just about any condition.

Ease of Changing Lenses

A player in every category, the Dragon X2 is absolutely one of the best when it comes to its quick and painless lens change system. Featuring Dragon’s “Swiftlock” system, the lens is fully integrated into the frame. There is a Swiftlock lever on each side of the frame. Simply pushing these levers releases the lens from the frame. This was designed to be done with the goggles on your face while wearing gloves. If you are looking for a great ski and snowboard goggle that will allow you to easily swap lenses on the chairlift without removing the goggles or your gloves, then the Dragon X2’s Swiftlock system might make it the best ski and snowboard goggle for you. In fact, Swiftlock was the only non-magnetic lens change system that came close to matching the ease of use offered by the magnetic lens change systems of the Smith I/O Mag and Anon M4 Toric.

The Bottom Line

The Dragon X2 is a heavyweight ski and snowboard goggle that offers extremely high performance in every category and features one of the easiest to use lens change systems on the market. Shipping with two sets of the ultra high-quality spherical lumens lenses, with prices generally between $132 and $200, the Dragon X2 is also a great value for a premium ski and snowboard goggle.

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