Good goggles are an essential part of any skier’s/ winter sportsperson’s kit. Quality goggles not only protect your eyes from the sun and snow, but also improve visibility and will enhance your skiing experience. We will show you what to look out for when choosing them and what each parameter means. Properly selected glasses do not fog, do not interfere with your experience and, most importantly, protect you.
The most basic and (for the average user) the most important parameter is the size of the frame of ski goggles. They have to sit perfectly on your face, otherwise they lose a lot of their effectiveness. As standard, goggles are produced in several different men's and women's sizes.
It is important that the frame fits evenly over the entire face and does not press too hard, especially at the nose, where it can be unpleasant, even dangerous, after prolonged use.
A special type of goggles that achieve the best field of view. The frame is reduced so that it is almost completely removed. As a result, they gain a number of advantages, in particular peripheral vision, easy glass replacement and better sealing to prevent unwanted air penetration.
The lens is the glass of the goggles that we look through. They are distinguished by their curvature, color and light transmission. This is the second most important factor when choosing ski goggles.
They are curved in only one direction, so they are cheaper to manufacture. Unlike spherical lenses, however, they do not provide a peripheral view and distort more.
Spherical curvatureThey are curved both vertically and horizontally, distort less and have more expensive glass. Even the most common spherical lenses tend to be better than flat lenses.
This is a parameter that determines which weather conditions the goggles are most suitable for. It is advisable to use the following table.
Marking | Leve lof permeability | To what weather conditions |
---|---|---|
S0 | 100 % – 90 % | Lots of clouds, heavy snow, night skiing |
S1 | 89 % – 43 % | Cloudy, twilight, heavy fog |
S2 | 43 % – 18 % | Light fog, light snow, the most universal choice |
S3 | 18 % – 8 % | Clear to partly cloudy |
S4 | 8 % – 3 % | Sunny and clear days |
Photochromic glasses – glasses with lenses that respond to ambient light and adjust their transmittance themselves.
This is very important and most people have a problem with bad defogging technology, so it is important not to underestimate this part of the selection. There are currently several very effective technologies on the market to prevent fogging:
There are a lot of other useful features for ski goggles that you should keep and eye out for.
Since we always use goggles with a helmet, we should also take into account their dimensions. Although most modern goggles can adapt to the size of the helmet, it is better to try them out first. As when choosing a frame, we must be careful that the helmet does not press the goggles on to our noses too hard.
Helmets usually have a clip in the back for attaching goggles. If your helmet does not have this clip, it is a good idea to buy rubberized tape to attach your goggles. Thanks to this modification, your goggles should not slide off your helmet.
Every good skier needs ski goggles to protect their face from strong winds and falling snow while on the slopes. They are designed for both those who ski just for fun and serious athletes. Even if it is the cheapest model of ski goggles, a smart skier will not head up the slopes without them. We have prepared for you an offer of the best ski goggles on the market, from the most common to the latest technological innovations.
Yes, there are OTG (over-the-glass) goggles that can be worn comfortably over ordinary glasses without complications and loss of comfort. See our selection of OTG glasses.
We would definitely not recommend it, because ski goggles protect not only from snow, but also from dangerous mountain UV radiation. Ordinary glasses can only filter a limited amount of this and do not protect you reliably. In addition, in the event of a fall, ordinary glasses break easily and endanger your face and eyes.
No, a lot of glasses nowadays are already photochromic, so they are able to react to the surrounding environment and can adapt their color to the current weather conditions.