One of the most vital parts of ski and snowboard equipment is goggles. Any skier or snowboarder will tell you that impaired vision can spoil a day as quickly as poorly fitted boots or a subpar chilli dog. All ski and snowboard goggles provide some degree of protection from wind and cold, but there are other elements to consider: lens type, lens color/tint, replaceable lenses, frame size, and frame fit. Let’s examine the many components and characteristics of goggles to find the answer how to choose the best ski goggles!
How Do You Choose The Best Ski Goggles?
When you start looking for ski goggles that look good and fit well, you will probably have to choose between hundreds of different kinds. But what are the essential parts of the ski goggles, and how do we find them? This blog article will tell you everything you must know to decide between ski goggles.
Does Your Ski Goggle Fit With Your Helmet?
The most vital thing to assume when choosing goggles is whether or not they will fit with your helmet. If it doesn’t work, it won’t help, so let’s look at the details.
Look where your goggles will rest on the smooth curve of your helmet. This curve should be almost the same as the goggles curve for a good fit. The picture below shows a Large helmet (58-61 cm) with our one-size-fits-all ski goggles.
Since these two markets have been working together for a while, you’ll find that most ski goggles and helmets will fit well together. But that doesn’t mean that every size will fit. It’s essential to have a helmet that fits; not everyone has the same size.
Most likely, ski goggles with a regular fit will fit sizes medium and up. But they don’t always work on miniature helmets and helmets for kids. You’ll have to try them on or measure the helmet and goggles to find out if they will fit.
There are also goggles with an oversized fit that are a little bit bigger and will fit on large and even bigger helmets. And a one-size-fits-all model is made to fit helmets of all sizes, from small to large.
How Do You Know If A Pair Of Goggles Will Fit Your Face?
The second thing is how the ski goggles fit. Every face is different, so it can be hard to tell if they will work or not. Two things, though, that make up 95% of the fit.
The first thing to look at is how flexible the frame is. An adjustable frame will fit any face shape well. More rigid structures will bend less than flexible ones to fit fewer face shapes.
The second part is the foam backing that it put on. The foam serves many purposes, like letting air in and absorbing sweat and moisture, but the most important one is that it will fit your face all the way around.
Which foam, though, will fit better? Foams with multiple layers can be used for more than one thing and probably have the best overall quality. But the fit is based on how firm it is—it can’t be too firm or too soft. It relies on what you like and what feels right.
A lot of the time, the foam might feel cheap or low-quality, but it might be better than you think. The foam will look and feel cheap if it is porous, but it will do its job best if it is passable.
How To Choose The Best Ski Goggles And Ski Goggle Lenses
The lenses are what make each pair of goggles unique. When looking for ski and snowboard goggles with the right lenses, there are a few essential things to remember: the lens type, color, and other features like glare protection and fog protection.
Types Of Ski Goggle Lenses
There are two lens options available when purchasing new goggles.
- Cylindrical (Flat) Lenses
These lenses are curved on the side but flat on the top and bottom. Cylindrical lenses work well and cost less than other types.
- Spherical Lenses
Spherical goggles, on the other hand, have lenses that curve around your face horizontally and vertically. This gives the goggles a bubbled look. Besides how they look, cylindrical lenses have many benefits, such as better peripheral vision, less glare, less fogging, and less distortion.
How To Choose The Best Ski Goggles And Ski Goggle Lens Color & Tint?
Nothing is worse (or riskier) than having clouded vision on a powder day or being blinded on a beautiful bluebird day. There are hundreds of ski and snowboard goggle lens colors to select from. Although one hue may complement your jacket better, each color filters light differently and gives various benefits in different weather and light circumstances.
Ski Goggle Visual Light Transmission (VLT)
Visible Light Transmission refers to the quantity of light that may flow through a goggle lens (VLT). VLT is the proportion of light permitted through the lens between 0% and 100%.
Some lenses are engineered to operate much better in low-light, low-visibility conditions, such as when it is foggy, snowing, or the light is flat. These lenses will support a more significant proportion of VLT. Yellow, pink, and blue are typical hues for low-light lenses. The most acceptable flat-light ski goggles have a VLT range of 60-90%.
Other lenses will perform better on bright days with excellent visibility when it is more important to keep the light out. These lenses feature a lower VLT % and are often available in dark hues such as black, grey, and gold and mirrored. VLT varies from 5-20% in the finest ski goggles lenses for bright sunny days.
Of course, lenses in the centre of the spectrum work quite well in all settings and are ideal if your light conditions change throughout the day. Each manufacturer offers a diverse selection of lens colors for sunny days, stormy days, and everything.
Interchangeable Lens Ski Goggles
The longer you stay in the mountains, the more weather you’ll see. The truth is that no single goggle lens can give you the best visibility in all lighting and weather conditions. Different lens colours can help you see better and perform better at different times of the day and in other situations.
Manufacturers of goggles have devised many clever ways to make it easy to switch lenses, like toggles and magnets. These systems can be more expensive, but they make it easy to switch lenses quickly and usually come with a second lens. With interchangeable lenses, you can change the lenses rapidly without having to carry a second pair of goggles.
How Many Ski Goggles Or Lenses Do You Need?
Many folks can get by with only one decent pair of goggles and one lens selection. For example, a black lens will suffice if you exclusively ski or ride in Colorado on bright, sunny days. If you ski in various circumstances, you should have two sets of goggles or one pair with multiple lenses to switch out.
Ski Lens Technologies
Goggle makers add more features to their products than just the type and color of the lenses to make them better at their jobs. Some things to keep an eye out for in a lens are:
- UV shielding
Almost all new goggles, even the ones on the cheaper end of the price range, block 100% UV light. UV rays are more potent at elevated altitudes, so protecting your eyes from them will keep them from getting tired and prevent damage to your retinas.
The coating on the outside of the lens reflects more light than a lens that doesn’t have a layer. By letting in less light, there will be less glare and better visibility in bright conditions. You also look like a cool aviator from Top Gun, though you should take off your mirrored goggles in the bar.
When light bounces off some surfaces, it tends to bounce back with more force at angles that are perpendicular to the surface. Polarized lenses cut down on glare much better than regular mirrored lenses because they act as a filter for vertical light. This makes your vision clearer and gives you more contrast and definition. Polarized lenses are great for snow sports because they help keep your eyes from getting tired.
These create a thermal barrier that makes fogging much less likely than its single-lens counterpart, which isn’t good enough for skiing or snowboarding. All new ski goggles and snowboard goggles have double lenses.
Chemical treatment on the inside of the lenses that attracts water can make goggles much less likely to fog up. Some finishes last longer than others. Make sure to read the instructions because if you don’t take care of your goggles properly, you could wipe off the coating that keeps fog from forming.
When there is more ultraviolet (UV) light, these lenses get darker, and when there is less UV light, they get lighter. The best thing about this kind of lens is that it can adapt to changing conditions, which makes it very useful. Photochromic lenses don’t change right away, though. The lens could take a few minutes to adjust to the changing light.
Ventilation
Almost all high-quality goggles contain vents. However, some are better than others. In general, more excellent ventilation is preferable to avoid fogging. It is critical to ensure that your goggles’ venting system matches your helmet’s form. In other words, don’t obstruct the vents; otherwise, your goggles may get fogged up. Some goggles even include battery-powered blowers that circulate air and defog the lenses.
How To Choose The Best Ski Goggles And Goggle Frames for Skiing
There are hundreds of goggles, shapes, and sizes to pick from, and one may suit your face and sense of style more than the others. The frames of your ski and snowboard goggles affect their fit and field of vision. While goggle frames come in various sizes and designs, they all serve the same purpose: to keep your lens in place, keep snow out, and keep your face as comfortable as possible. Any frame should be able to accommodate the first two sections. Thus, the fit is critical. Here are some things to remember:
Size of the Frame
Many individuals can wear numerous sizes of goggles comfortably, but here are some basic suggestions. If you use a tiny helmet, consider a small frame; if you wear a big or extra-large helmet, consider a larger structure; and if you wear a medium to large helmet, feel a medium frame size. Here are some other approaches to considering frame size:
This size is appropriate for children, teens, and adults with smaller faces.
Most individuals will be able to wear medium-sized frames. It should also be noted that, except color schemes and forms, most goggles are virtually unisex.
Before buying your ski goggles
- It’s best to get an essential pair that will keep your eyes safe but won’t break the bank. But if you plan to use them a lot, spending more money on goggles with better technology might be worth it. They will last longer and save you cash in the long run.
- Think about when you’ll use the ski goggles. If you want to use them in all kinds of weather, you should consider getting a pair of lenses that it can switch out. These will save you money and let you change your ski goggles to suit the weather.
- Think about what you want your ski goggles to do. Do you want them to work with your helmet? Do you want spherical lenses? This will make it easier to choose the proper ski goggles.
- Taking measurements of your face will help you choose the correct size of ski goggles.
- If you order goggles early, you’ll have time to try them on and decide if they fit and feel right. Vision3k will return or exchange products that don’t work for you, so if the ski goggles think right, you can try something else.
- Don’t be afraid to try things on before you decide what to buy. At Vision3k, we have a service that lets you try out products before settling (for a fee). Check out our Returns Policy in the Customer Service section for more information.
Learn More With Our Other Accessories Guides:
How To Clean Snow Goggles To Keep Streaks Scratches
How to Choose Best Ski Goggles to Hit the Slopes This Season
