How DAMO Goggles Are Made — Supply Chain and Quality Transparency

“**The bottom line:** The Original is a sealed dual-lens ski goggle (polycarbonate + cellulose acetate) with inorganic-oxide mirror coating, UV400 protection, and a sealed hydrophilic anti-fog treatment. DAMO worked hand-in-hand with its production partner to design and manufacture The Original to meet the requirements of EN ISO 18527-1:2022.”

— The bottom line:

Our Production Partner

The Original is produced in partnership with a specialised sports eyewear manufacturer based in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, China — a region with deep expertise in sealed dual-lens goggle production. DAMO worked hand-in-hand with this partner to design and engineer The Original, combining their manufacturing capability with DAMO's product vision and quality requirements.

We chose this partner for their experience with sealed dual-lens goggles, their capability for complex surface treatments (mirror, hard coat, anti-fog), and their documentation of component compositions under compliance frameworks (REACH, RoHS, SGS). Our long-term goal is to repatriate production to France, further strengthening our European roots while maintaining the quality and price positioning that makes The Original accessible.

Lens Construction

Our lenses use a **sealed dual-lens construction**, analogous to double-pane windows:

1. **Outer lens**: optical-grade polycarbonate (PC) — provides impact resistance and structural durability
2. **Inner lens**: cellulose acetate (CA) — carries the permanent anti-fog coating
3. **Air gap**: a sealed layer between the two lenses that acts as thermal insulation to reduce condensation
4. **Lens carrier frame**: holds both layers in position
5. **Adhesive bonding**: seals the assembly hermetically

The sealed air gap is calibrated to provide optimal thermal insulation — reducing condensation by keeping the inner lens above the dew point during cold-weather use.

Surface Treatments

Mirror / Revo / Full-Color Coating

The iridescent colour on the outer lens comes from a thin-film stack of inorganic oxides — **SiO₂** (silicon dioxide) and **Ti₃O₅** (trititanium pentoxide). These layers act as a dielectric mirror: specific wavelengths reinforce via constructive interference and reflect, while others pass through.

The SiO₂-to-Ti₃O₅ ratio varies by coating colour (Pink, Blue, Gold), with each colour's stack ratio defined in the production specification.

Anti-Scratch Hard Coat

A hard coat is applied to the outer PC lens surface to protect against micro-abrasions. Polycarbonate is naturally soft and scratches easily without this layer.

The hard coat is specified with defined performance acceptance criteria for thickness and abrasion resistance as part of the production specification.

Inner Anti-Fog Coating

The anti-fog coating is **silicone-based and hydrophilic**. It works by absorbing moisture and spreading it into a continuous transparent film rather than light-scattering droplets. the production partner's composition data reports approximately **50% active compounds / 50% purified water**, with constituents including silicone, isopropanol, a hydrophobic agent, and purified water.

Key advantage: this coating sits on the inner face of the CA lens, protected from the outside world by the dual-lens construction. It cannot be degraded by cleaning.

UV Protection

All DAMO lenses offer **UV400 protection**, blocking 100% of radiation up to 400 nm — covering both UV-B (280–315 nm) and UV-A (315–400 nm).

The lens material incorporates a **benzotriazole UV stabiliser** (chloro-benzotriazole derivative) that absorbs radiation before it reaches the eye. Supplier optical reports show **0.00% UV-B and UV-A transmission** across all tested variants.

DAMO Lens Variants

All three launch lenses are **category S3** (8–18% visible light transmission):

Each pack includes a **yellow S1 fog lens** (~74–75% VLT) for low-light and flat-light conditions.

A Note on Testing and Test Reports

DAMO's quality assurance relies on two separate testing streams:

**1. Supplier optical reports** (Pink.pdf, Dream blue.pdf, gold.pdf): these are the manufacturer's own measurements for the specific DAMO launch lens colours, referencing **ISO/DIS 18527-1:2022**. Measured values are reliable supplier technical data.

**2. Intertek testing (report SHAH01697484)**: The Original's reference model was tested by Intertek Testing Services (CNAS/IAS accredited laboratory) under the final **EN ISO 18527-1:2022** standard. The tested sample carried S2 tint category (~25% VLT), different from DAMO's launch S3 lenses. The test passed all applicable requirements including optical quality, UV protection, mechanical resistance, and anti-fog performance.

FAQ

Is our production partner ISO certified?

Our partner provides component compliance reports (REACH, RoHS, SGS, TSCA, PAHs, ECO, ISO). Their products and materials are tested by external laboratories including Intertek and SGS.

Why not manufacture in Europe?

DAMO's long-term goal is to bring production back to France. For our initial launch, we partnered with a specialised eyewear manufacturer abroad that has the expertise and production capacity to deliver a quality product at an accessible price (€80 presale / €100 RRP). Repatriating production is a strategic priority as the brand grows.

Is the Pink lens definitely the one that will be sold?

The Pink lens (~17% VLT) is the launch reference. A Cherry Pink sample (~11.6%) was also tested but is not a planned variant. The production colour is the Pink ~17% VLT.

Are the transmission values guaranteed?

All VLT values are measured per ISO/DIS 18527-1:2022. Uniformity differences between lenses are minimal (<4%) and all results meet the requirements of the standard.

Sources

• Supplier component specification — Ski_Goggle_Component_Specs_Lens_Foam_EVA_Box_EN.pdf
• Pink.pdf — Supplier optical report (Pink, ~17%)
• Dream blue.pdf — Supplier optical report (Blue, ~12%)
• gold.pdf — Supplier optical report (Gold, ~14%)
• Intertek SHAH01697484 — Test Report (12 Jun 2024, EN ISO 18527-1:2022)
• [DAMO INTERNAL DOC] — The Original Ski Goggles Specification & BOM summary (docs/damo-store-spec/goggle-specs/)
• [DAMO INTERNAL DOC] — 14-product-spec-lenses.md (repo document)