Buying Guide: Ski Goggles
When buying new ski goggles, you need to choose a frame, lens colour and lens shape. You should also think about the strap, the lens properties and how to look after them. In this guide we go through these points to make it easier for you to choose the right goggles for you. At the end you will also find a glossary of common goggle terms.
Choosing a frame
When choosing a frame, it is important that it suits the shape of your face. It is also important that it sits flush against your helmet without leaving a gap – otherwise the cold can get in at your forehead and chill you. The goggles should not pinch anywhere either. When it comes to size, start from the size of your head and helmet. If you have a small head and helmet, look at goggles with a slightly smaller frame, and vice versa. Goggles with a thin or completely hidden frame give better peripheral vision, which is useful in most situations.
If you wear glasses when you ski, OTG goggles are a great choice. This type of frame is designed to fit a pair of glasses underneath. Some "regular" frames also fit glasses underneath – it simply depends on the model and size of your glasses. OTG frames have a cut-out in the foam edge for the arms of your glasses and are usually deeper than regular frames.
Lens shape
The lens shape describes how the lens is curved. A lens is either spherical or cylindrical.
Spherical lenses are curved both vertically and horizontally. This gives better peripheral vision and less risk of dazzling reflections. They also fog up less easily, as there is more air between the lens and your face.
Cylindrical lenses are curved horizontally but flat vertically. This lens shape is cheaper to make, which means a lower price.
Lens colour
Lens colour can matter more than you might think. It is not just about looks, but also about light transmission and contrast enhancement. When it comes to light transmission, always check the VLT, which shows as a percentage how much light gets through. The higher the figure, the more light the lens lets through.
If it is overcast, foggy or the weather keeps changing, you should wear goggles that let plenty of light through while also enhancing contrast. Generally speaking, clear, yellow, pink or light blue lenses tend to work well in these weather and light conditions. In this kind of weather and light, a lens with a light transmission (VLT) of 60–90% is a good choice.
If, on the other hand, it is very sunny, your lens should have lower light transmission. On the whole, lenses in brown, grey, black, gold or orange are preferable in these conditions, and they often have some form of mirror coating on the outside. In this kind of weather and light, a lens with a light transmission (VLT) of 5–20% is a good choice.
If you want a lens that works as a kind of all-round lens, dark pink and orange lenses are generally the best option.
You can either have different lenses to switch between, or two different pairs of goggles to use depending on the weather. How you go about it is a matter of taste. A spare lens is easier to carry, but more fiddly to remove and fit than simply swapping goggles. Some goggles come with two lenses included, which is worth knowing.
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Handy features
When it comes to the strap and fit, there are a few features that make life easier. For example, it helps if the strap is adjustable and has silicone strips on the inside – especially if your helmet has no goggle clip. Some goggles have side attachments for the strap to give a better fit against the helmet. These attachments matter less today, as most goggles are already designed to sit well against a helmet.
Goggle care tips:
- Never put your goggles down on a hard surface, as this can scratch the lens, for example.
- Wipe your goggles (especially the lens) with a microfibre cloth or the storage bag they came with.
- If the inside gets wet, dab it gently rather than wiping, so you do not damage the anti-fog coating on the lens.
- Keep your goggles in the bag they came with when you are not using them.
- The plastic in goggles can dry out if they are left, for example, on a radiator or in a drying cabinet. If the plastic dries out, there is a high risk of it cracking.
Glossary of goggle terms:
VLT (Visible Light Transmission) – Shows as a percentage how much light a lens lets through.
OTG (Over The Glasses) – Means you can wear the goggles over your regular glasses.
Light transmission – Tells you how much light the lens lets through to the eye. It is usually given as VLT and shows the percentage that gets through. The scale runs from 0 – 100, so the higher the percentage, the more light the lens lets through.
Contrast-enhancing – Boosts contrast, giving better visibility in fog, snowfall and flat light (poor visibility in the mountains), for example. Yellow, orange and pink lenses usually provide this kind of contrast enhancement.
Mirrored lens – This lens filters out harsh sunlight and is ideal when it is really sunny. However, it becomes very dark in dimmer conditions, such as in the evening or when it is overcast.
Polarised – Means the lens removes reflections, from the snow for example, and so improves contrast.
Photochromic lenses – These lenses adapt to the light conditions by becoming lighter or darker. They are ideal if you ski where the light can change a lot, or if you want to use the same goggles and lens all the time.
