▪ Possible Brain Damage
Let me tell you about Do . . . wait, I need to change the name to protect the innocent (or stupid in this case) . . . so let’s change Doug’s name to Bob so you don’t know who he is. Um, oops, looks like I let it slip there. No matter, would the court reporter please strike any reference to Doug? Thank you.

Bob showed up at the shop one day looking for a solution to keep his glasses from fogging up when he played hockey. I suggested AFR as the solution. It is actually a product designed for keeping lenses and shields from fogging. He looked at it for a while and then decided to buy it.

Now Bob played on my team at the time . . . my very, very bad summer league team. I knew there was a problem when I showed up as a possible top star for the season. The 5 points that I had from my defensive position put me in third place for scoring in a twelve game season so it was actually worse than I thought . . . wow! Bear with me, there is some point to this . . . I think.

Bob tried out the AFR and was very happy with the results. Despite being able to see, he still didn’t connect on a single pass that night. Nonetheless, he was so happy with AFR that he bought another bottle from me the next Saturday night. I thought that it was a little odd and told him, ”Hey, you don’t need to use a whole bottle on your specs!"

He chuckled and left with his new purchase. As I passed him the next game game - I know a one legged guy who skates circles faster than Bob (for real) – I asked him how his AFR was working. I also asked him to pass the puck back to me before I was offsides. Neither of my queries received any sort of answer. I explained to him after the whistle that the winger was supposed to get to the offensive zone before the defenseman normally.

Later that night, despite obvious clear vision, Bob decided to make a great effort to keep the puck in our own zone for no explainable reason. I was looking for the breakout on a give and go, which Bob apparently understood as me giving him the puck so he could go the wrong way. He even centered it for the other team setting up a perfect one touch goal against us. I was speechless since my mother always taught me to keep my mouth shut if I didn’t have anything good to say.

The next week, right on time - Saturday night before closing, Bob showed up looking for some more AFR. By this time I was wondering if there was some secret ingredient that you could use in manufacturing Meth, or perhaps made this stuff good to drink straight out of the bottle. Certainly some sort of chemical addiction would explain why Bob skated so badly and made such horrible decisions on the ice . . . well maybe.

“Bob, what are you doing with all this AFR?” I asked.

“I keep forgetting to take it home with me.” he replied.

Aha! That explained everything! The AFR was giving him brain damage!

▪ Does it really hurt to use AFR?
In all honesty, I have to look back and think that Bob was a little (maybe a lot) impaired before he started using AFR. Granted, he is as nice a guy as you could possibly meet. But you could lock this guy in a rink with Wayne Gretzky for a year and he wouldn’t have picked up one lick of hockey sense by the end of that time.

So despite any inferences that I have drawn to AFR causing brain damage, I will have to say in all earnest that it is a good product and when used properly seems perfectly safe. This does not entail ingesting AFR in anyway!

▪ Is it worth the risk?
I have used AFR on my Itech FX 50 for a few weeks now as the anti-fog coating that was on it has given up. Despite Itech’s warning that anti-fog solution will ruin the shield, it hasn’t melted, turned opaque, burst into flames or begun to peel.

AFR keeps the mask nicely clear from fog and minor condensation. It doesn’t do anything too keep my sweat from dripping on it once it a while, but hey that would have been a remarkable trick.

My assessment is that any risk of long term exposure to AFR is much safer than the instantaneous brain damage risk of skating full tilt into the boards because I cannot see anything. I’ve done that before, it hurts and it isn’t too good for the boards if you’re my size.

▪ Is AFR habit forming?
Of course it is. AFR keeps you from being blind on the ice. Why wouldn’t you want to use it? Just a small amount on the shield is enough to get you through an entire game. It does seem rather expensive at $8 for two ounces, but that will last you a few months. Despite being habit forming, you won’t find yourself craving more and more AFR as time goes by. The same amount works every time.

▪ Is AFR hard to use or get a hold of?
Even rookies will be able to use AFR with minimal help. Simply put a couple squirts of AFR on the inside of your visor or shield and wipe it with a soft cloth. An old tee shirt or the micro-fiber cloth that came with your shield is the best choice. Once the AFR dries you are able to go out and play. Contrary to popular belief you only need to spray the inside of the shield. The outside doesn’t get fogged up, really!

You can find AFR at most hockey stores or order it online at many of the fine internet shopping establishments.

▪ I’m convinced, but what does AFR stand for?
AFR stands for Anti-Fog (duh) Revitalizing . . . Solution. I guess AFRS sounded like a dumb acronym, so they spelled out the word "solution" under AFR. Actually, the thought of people asking, “Can I get a bottle of aufers please?” does sound a little dumb. Though the product and packaging is entirely unchanged, AFR is now made by Oakley who purchased 1Xcel a few years back. It is recommended for all Oakley and 1Xcel shields, but it works on the rest as well.

▪ Should I use it then?
If you have a shield or lens that is fogging up AFR is a much cheaper solution than buying a new one. Even though the $8 price seems a bit steep for 2 ounces of this stuff, it is quite reasonable in comparison to that ounce of cologne that your girl bought you. Besides, cologne won’t help you see at all.

The bottom line is that AFR works and if your shield isn’t too scratched up it can dramatically extend the effective life. Cheaper shields that don’t come with an anti-fog coating will benefit from AFR right from the start. AFR also seems to work a bit better than the competition’s brand (Sport Crème), though I think this is primarily the result of a better application tool in the AFR spray bottle.

Some of my other completely random reviews that you just might find helpful:
Donjoy SE-4 Legend Knee Brace
Oakley Mace Gloves
CCM Vector Stick

Recommended: Yes