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I recently acquired a set of MTB goggles. Both the lens it came with and an alternate lens I purchased claim to have "posts," which I understand to be two small hourglass shapes protruding outward from the lens, one on each side of my face. If I have the nomenclature wrong, please tell me.

The image below (borrowed from this answer) shows "posts" on it, too, although that's not the brand I have. Knowing that it's a feature on competing models makes me all the more certain it has a significant purpose.

Goggle picture

What are they for? Changing out the lens? Protection? Something else?

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Some environments are much dirtier than others, and goggles are continually getting soiled. Sometimes a large amount suddenly gets deposited, effectively blinding the rider.

One solution is to have a thin plastic sheet attached across the goggles. It gets dirty, but not the goggle lens itself, and it can be pulled off and replaced.

Even better, to avoid the time required to apply another cover, a stack of them can be installed, and only the dirty top layer is removed each time.

Tear-offs are thin plastic sheets that are installed onto the goggles and torn off when they get too dirty to see through. They protect goggles from scratching and ensure a safer and uninterrupted riding experience. They’re attached to pegs on goggles with only the top tear-off’s tab hanging out on the left for easy reach and tearing.

— What are Goggle Tear-Offs and How to Install Them - Risk Racing

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    These are in Motocross as well, and might be referred to as "tearoffs"
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Nov 13, 2022 at 2:30
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    that sounds like a sure way to loose some of those "tearoffs" along the trail, though
    – njzk2
    Commented Nov 13, 2022 at 17:02
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    @njzk2, they're supposed to be one-use disposable. But it's far worse than that, especially in the automobile racing world: Visor tear-off which spoiled Leclerc's race was Verstappen's - Ferrari · RaceFans
    – Ray Butterworth
    Commented Nov 13, 2022 at 17:07
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    It sounds like a recipe for plastic litter all over the trails
    – Chris H
    Commented Nov 13, 2022 at 21:55
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    @ChrisH the sport is moving towards "roll-offs" for this very reason. There's a continuous roll of plastic on one side of the google, and you pull a draw string on the other to roll the dirt plastic to the other side and fresh plastic over the lens.
    – Paul H
    Commented Nov 14, 2022 at 20:30

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