When it comes to enjoying snow sports, visibility, whether good or bad, can make or break your day! The ability to see changes in terrain, ice, bumps, rocks, other riders and trees, is especially important for skiers and snowboarders, who need to make instant changes in direction. They need to be able to see in bright light, dark, snowy weather, and even under the lights for night skiing. The goggles need to stay fog-free, and fit snug no matter the face. They also need to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays.
What about sunglasses? Sunglasses provide protection from UV rays but often do not keep wind completely out of your eyes. And no protection from the cold. If you’re like me, and you ski fast, wind may billow behind sunglasses and cause your eyes to water. Even worse, I used to wear contact lenses, and my watery eyes lifted the contacts completely off, and they blew off and stuck to the sunglasses! At the very least, choose 100% UV protected sunglasses and aerodynamic glasses.
A good fitting ski goggle keeps wind and snow out, and also helps with warmth. It will allow just enough venting to eliminate fogging.
Night Skiing and Very Dark, Snowy Days
At night, the lights, since they shine at a low angle on the slopes instead of overhead like the sun, create shadows that intensify the visibility of small changes in terrain and the bumps. Lenses that let in as much light as possible make for a better experience than those which cut out light. Clear lenses are ideal, and yellow lenses work well. Category 0 lenses let in 80% of the light.
On very snowy days, and in the fog, yellow, or rose bring visibility to flat light so that changes to terrain are more visible. These Category 1 lenses allow 43% of light to pass through.
Cloudy Days
These conditions call for Category 2 lenses, which let in 18% to 42% of light, depending on color. They could be blue, amber, or rose.
Bright, Sunny Days
On blue bird days, especially at higher altitudes, UV protection and eye strain protection are paramount. These are Category 3 lenses, which allow only 8% to 17% of light to pass through. They are often brown or gray. Often, these lenses are treated with 50% polarization to reduce glare.
Changing Lenses
Price will dictate the quality of lens, the ability to and ease of changing lenses, and how many lenses come with your goggles. Some goggles only come with one lens and additional lenses must be purchased separately. Then there are those that come with two lenses, but changing requires time consuming fiddling to complete the switch. To facilitate the switch, some offer “magnetic” lenses which quickly stick to the goggle frame and can be changed in a flash. For more money, there are photo-chromatic lenses which automatically change shade based upon available light.
Fit Is It
20 years ago, there were only two size of ski goggles: Adult and children. Today, there are choices for women, kids and some that fit flatter or thinner faces and noses. It’s all about comfort and sealing out the wind. Also, pick a goggle that works with your ski helmet, if you use one. There are even goggles that are made to fit over prescription glasses, and goggles with prescription lenses!
Price
Expect to pay $40 to $299 depending on features and quality. Rather than an afterthought in your ski kit, goggles should be a top priority!
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