‘You’ve only got one pair of eyes’ - or so the saying goes, and outdoor sports can put your precious eyes at risk for damage. While many people reserve their sunglasses for summer use, you should consider using them year-round to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Over time, this sun damage can lead to or worsen cataracts as well as macular degeneration. But wearing a simple pair of sunglasses during winter sports can be unmanageable and even unsafe, so many opt for winter goggles for their cold-weather activities.
Snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiling, and any other sports reserved for treacherous winter conditions can up the ante when it comes to protecting your eyes. There are many hazards that can impact your vision. UV rays cut through the thinner mountain air and can be amplified by the bright snow’s reflection causing snow blindness. Additionally, wind, ice particles, branches, and twigs are all hazards that can make for a dangerous outdoor trek, especially if you aren’t taking steps to protecting your eyes.
Choosing winter goggles can be made easy if you know what you’re looking for. Not only can they improve your comfort, but they add another layer of safety to make your trip all the more enjoyable.
Shop our extensive selection of ski/winter goggles at Outdoor Shopping.
Design
Simplicity and form is the name of the game when it comes to winter goggles. There are few pieces - and even fewer ‘working’ parts to bother with - but knowing what each piece does and where it’s located can help you to choose the right overall style, shape, and goggle type for your face.
Lens : This is the most noticable part of your goggles, as it’s the primary protection barrier for your eyes. There are many variations to the lens that can be designed for any variety of situations - but we’ll go into detail in the ‘Lens Features’ Section below.
Frame : Your frame is the connection of your lens to the straps. The frame of your goggles can ensure a more aerodynamic fit and can drastically improve (or dampen) the comfort of your goggles.
Foam : Attached to the inner portions of your frame is a foam barrier to improve comfort and give your goggles a snug fit against your face. The foam padding should be thick to ensure comfort but not so much so that it promotes fogging, as this can become hazardous itself. You’ll notice that some goggles may have multiple layers of foam padding, and this can further improve ventilation.
Straps : Your straps are what keeps the frame securely connected to your face, and they’re available in traditional, anti-slip, or silicone constructions.
Shop our extensive selection of ski/winter goggles at Outdoor Shopping.
Lens Features
The lenses bear the brunt of the action when it comes to protecting your eyes, thus requiring a variety of designs and options to cater to a multitude of outdoor situations and user needs. When shopping through our selection, you’ll notice many of these variations and should take note based on their intended best uses.
Shape
Let’s start with the lens shape and how it can impact your outing:
Lens Shape | Guidelines | Best for: |
Flat | While the lens still curves around your face, it’s flat from nose to forehead. These can cause more glare and reduce peripheral vision. |
|
Spherical/Curved | Curving both horizontally across your face and vertically, curved lenses provide better peripheral vision, less glare, and less distortion. |
|
Tints and Protections
If goggles only offered protection from debris and snow, they’d be missing one of the biggest hazards: sunlight. Due to brighter conditions with thinner air, the sun’s rays can potentially be more harmful to those who are trekking outdoors for winter sports. Thus, winter goggles are designed with this in mind and have many additional protections in place to ensure safe use.
Double Layers : To address issues of fogging, most goggles are designed with double-layer lenses to create a thermal barrier that prevents fogging.
Anti-Fog Coatings : While most mid- and high-level goggles have an anti-fog coating, there are separate coatings that can be added to achieve similar results for non-coated goggles as well.
UV Protection : For sun protection, virtually all winter goggles are designed with lenses that protect the user 100% from UVA, UVB, and UVC rays.
Tints : While tint doesn’t necessarily affect UV protection, it can improve your sight in specific situations. Filtering and emphasizing certain colors, the tint on your lenses affects the visible light transmission - and this can impact your excursion.
Tint Type | Guidelines | Best for: |
Clear Lens | No tint with no additional benefits to user vision. |
|
Lighter Tints | These are typically yellow, gold, amber, green, or rose-colored and allow more light to pass through the lens. |
|
Darker Tints | These are typically brown, green, or copper-colored and allow less light to pass. |
|
Lens Type
There are many types of lenses with specialized designs to further improve your winter activity experiences.
Lens Type | Guidelines | Best for: |
Polarized | Reduces glare and sunlight |
|
Photochromic | Change tint according to UV intensity. |
|
Mirrored | Reflects more light and allows less VLT (by between 10% and 50%) |
|
Interchangeable | Swappable lenses |
|
Digital Display | May pair with GPS, bluetooth, or other navigational devices |
|
Shop our extensive selection of ski/winter goggles at Outdoor Shopping.
Frames and Fit
While the lenses may be important, even the best lens can be rendered practically useless if the frame and fit are off. Your goggles should fit tightly to your face without causing pinching or discomfort. While most frames are made of polyurethane for flexibility, there are still many additional details to consider.
Vents : Many frames and lenses are designed to vent air which helps to reduce fogging. While wider vents are better at reducing fogging, remember that it also means your face will probably get colder - so opt for anti-fog lenses and other anti-fog measures if you’re concerned with temperatures.
Fans : Some high-end models include fans to circulate moisture, and the fan speed can be adjusted based on your activity level and needs.
Helmet Compatibility : While most goggles are designed with frames and straps that are compatible with a helmet, be sure to check before hitting the slopes by test-fitting your goggles.
OTG (Over the Glass) Frames : Some frames are designed for those who wear glasses. These frames include additional padding and have space to accommodate glasses without making the wearer uncomfortable.
