Rex Specs vs. Doggles Dog Goggle Comparison

I have been riding a motorcycle with my dog, Rollie, for more than six years now. I walk up to the bike, snap my fingers at the seat, and he jumps right up onto it. He now even puts his face into his goggles when he knows it’s time to go. It’s cute, it’s a great way to enjoy my favorite activity with my furry companion, and the way we do it, it’s about as safe as you can get.

With his little face into the wind, eye protection is a must. It has to fit well, be comfortable enough for him to wear for long periods of time, and protect his eyes from the wind and bugs. Two major brands are producing goggles for dogs—Doggles and Rex Specs. There are a few main deciding factors here that lead to a pretty obvious choice, so let’s get into it.

Different breeds of dogs have different face sizes and shapes, so each company here produces a range of sizes to accommodate. Doggles fit over each of the dog’s eyes individually with an accordion piece of plastic to flex in the middle–similar to swim goggles. Each eye has some neoprene foam to secure the fit against the dog’s face and there are elastic straps that go behind your dog’s head. They seem to fit well enough; my dog doesn’t shake them off or try to scrape them off of his face, and he seems pretty content cruising along. The two individual lenses secure well around his head, so it doesn’t look like any air is getting in either.

Rex Specs offers the same five sizes (XS–XL) as Doggles, but with one extra Small Wide size for breeds like French bulldogs with their wider faces. These are more of a traditional goggle style with one big lens across both eyes. Rex Specs immediately feels high quality. A rigid outer frame holds the lens with a breathable mesh portion in between the frame and foam portion that comes in contact with the dog’s face. They aren’t as flexible as Doggles, but the fit is more secure and the domed lens seems to cut through the wind a little better. I can’t tell how that ventilation works, but if I was my dog, I think I would prefer the Rex Specs here.

I have been using Rex Specs for the last two years and Doggles for about four years before that, and there’s definitely a reason I switched. It’s a combination of product quality and customer support.

After less than six months of use, my first pair of Doggles started to crack in the middle, and just a few weeks later they were cracked all the way through. This didn’t make them totally unusable, as there is a piece of string cast into the plastic for just this occurrence. Sure, nice fail-safe, I figured. But the product should last longer than a few months, so I reached out to the company. I tried multiple times to get in touch with Doggles, sent them emails and tried to contact it through its website, but was unable to reach anyone and never heard anything back.

After about two years of use, the elastic straps on the Specs have stretched out a bit, and now, tightened down as much as they can be, have become a little loose on Rollie’s face. I went on Rex Specs’ website and was instantly greeted by Mikaela, where the problem was quickly addressed. Quick and kind customer service goes a long way and I was left feeling supported, not like I was hucking my money down a black hole.

Doggles are going to cost you $25, but if you’re using them as often as Rollie and I are, expect to be moving through a couple of pairs a year. Rex Specs are $80, and come with one replaceable lens, but the main thing is that the company actually stands behind its product. Like I said, one pair has lasted us two years so far.

If you only use them every once in a while or just need them for one trip, Doggles are probably the way to go, as it runs almost a quarter of the price. But for anything more than that, the choice is clear: Rex Specs is the superior product.