Your FPV goggles are your window into the flight experience, and the right accessories can dramatically improve comfort, functionality, and convenience. From custom face plates that block out light to active cooling fans that prevent fogging, 3D printing unlocks a world of goggle upgrades that commercial manufacturers either charge a premium for or simply do not make. This guide covers the most impactful 3D printed goggle accessories you can make yourself.
Why Print Your Own Goggle Accessories?
Commercial goggle accessories are expensive and often generic. A branded face plate can cost $30–50, a fan module another $25–40, and a patch antenna holder $15–20. Printing your own costs pennies in filament and gives you complete control over fit, color, and functionality. More importantly, you can iterate on designs — print a prototype, test it, tweak the CAD file, and print the improved version the same day.
Custom Face Plates for Perfect Fit
The stock face plate on most goggles is designed for an average face that does not exist. A 3D printed replacement can be tailored to your face shape, with extra padding in the right places and cutouts for glasses if you wear them. TPU is the material of choice — it is flexible enough to conform to your face while providing a solid light seal.
Design considerations for face plates:
- Light seal: Add an internal lip or flange that presses against your cheeks and brow to block ambient light.
- Ventilation channels: Include small channels or holes to allow air circulation without letting light in. This reduces fogging significantly.
- Padding attachment: Design a groove or slot for stick-on foam padding. Replacement foam kits are cheap and make the face plate far more comfortable.
- Nose cutout: Get the nose bridge shape right. Too tight and it is painful after 10 minutes; too loose and light leaks in.
Active Cooling: Fan Mounts and Ducts
Fogging is one of the most frustrating problems in FPV, especially in humid climates or when you are physically active. A small 25mm or 30mm fan mounted to your goggles pulls fresh air across the lenses, eliminating fog entirely. Many goggle models have accessible 5V power pads on their internal boards specifically for this purpose.
A good fan mount design includes:
- A secure clip or screw mount that attaches to the goggle body without modification
- A duct that directs airflow precisely across the lens surfaces
- A wire routing channel to keep the fan cable tidy
- A removable fan tray so you can swap fans or clean dust buildup
Popular fan choices: Noctua NF-A4x10 5V (quiet, premium), or generic 25mm 5V fans from Amazon (budget, slightly louder). Wire the fan to the goggle battery’s 5V rail with a small switch so you can turn it on and off as needed.
Antenna Holder Upgrades
Stock antenna mounts are often flimsy and limit your antenna choices. A 3D printed replacement lets you mount patch antennas at precise angles, securely hold omni antennas at 45 degrees, or even integrate a SMA extension to relocate heavy antennas off the goggle face entirely.
For diversity setups (one patch + one omni), print a bracket that angles the patch antenna forward at 0–15 degrees and the omni antenna upward at 45 degrees. This gives you the best coverage for most flying scenarios — the patch handles the forward direction while the omni covers overhead and behind.
Storage and Organization
Goggles are expensive and fragile. A 3D printed hard case insert or storage dock keeps them safe during transport and organized on your workbench. Design a dock that holds the goggles face-down with cutouts for the antennas and straps. Add compartments for spare batteries, lens cleaning wipes, and SD cards.
For field use, print a lens cap that snaps onto the front of the goggles. This protects the lenses from scratches when the goggles are tossed in a backpack. A simple friction-fit cap printed in TPU works perfectly and takes 30 minutes to print.
Where to Find Designs
The FPV community has created thousands of goggle accessory designs. Start your search here:
- Thingiverse: Search for your goggle model (e.g., “Fat Shark HDO2 face plate” or “DJI Goggles 2 fan mount”)
- Printables: Often has more refined designs than Thingiverse, with better documentation
- FPV forums and Discord servers: Many designers share their STLs directly in community channels before uploading them to repositories
- GitHub: Some designers version-control their designs and publish the Fusion 360 or STEP files for remixing
Conclusion
Your goggles are on your face for hours at a time — they should fit perfectly, never fog, and have exactly the accessories you need. 3D printing makes this achievable for the cost of a spool of filament and some tinkering time. Start with a face plate that fits your face, add a fan to eliminate fogging, and print the antenna mounts and storage solutions that make your goggle setup work for you. The difference in comfort and convenience is transformative.
What 3D printed goggle accessory has made the biggest difference for you? Share your designs and mods in the comments.
