Buying the Best Snowboard Goggles That Are Right for You
One of the most over looked pieces of skiing and snowboarding equipment is the snow goggle. Taking the time to research your purchase will help you enjoy your sessions. With the right choices, you'll get maximum visibility and protection from the UV rays bouncing off the snow, and minimum fogging of the lenses. The right purchase will provide protection from wind and snow providing you with a better experience on the slopes.
This site has been organized specifically to help you see many buying options so you can decide what brands and models are best for you. We have put some of the most popular brands from eBay, Amazon, and reputable stores together, allowing you to shop by lens type or brand. Click around and explore, and be sure to bookmark this site so you can find us quickly.
Below are some things to keep in mind when doing your comparison shopping:
When buying online, check to ensure the retailer has a return policy. You'll want to be able to return anything that doesn't fit properly. This will also give you a chance to try out multiple styles all at the same time.
Before you order, you want to make sure you are buying the correctly sized snowboard goggle. As a general rule, junior sized goggles are meant for kids 13 and younger. Women's frames are also available. They are sized a bit smaller then men's goggles to provide a more custom fit for smaller female faces.
Once your order has arrived, try on your goggle with the equipment you plan to wear with it. Try its fit while wearing a hat, and then a helmet if you ride with one.
First, you should notice its comfort - there should be no noticeable pressure points. There should be a soft, snug seal on your face. Any holes in the seal between your face and the goggles will produce a jet of air that may irritate your eyes when you are gaining speed on the downhills.
The strap should be large enough to fit around your hat or helmet while holding the goggle snug against your face. It shouldn't be overly stretched around the outside of your helmet.
The goggle should also fit against the top of your helmet so there is no gap. A nice tight seal will prevent your head from being exposed to the cold and snow. You'll want to avoid the Gaper Gap syndrome.
Over the Glasses (OTG) Goggles
For those that wear prescription glasses, one option for snowboard googles is to find one that is designed to fit over the glasses. These goggles offer more room between the lens and the face and have cutouts for the temple of your glasses providing a much better fit over traditional goggles. If you've tried wearing traditional goggles with your glasses, you know that the pressure on the temples is quite uncomfortable, and your lenses tend to fog up very quickly.
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Goggle Lenses
Shape
Flat, or Cylindrical
Cylindrical lenses do not posses a spherical shape, and tend to be found on the less expensive model of snowboard goggles. They also provide a more limited peripheral viewing angle due to the distortion the shape of the lens. Your actual viewing window may be large, but it is often magnified or misshapen.
Spherical
Spherical lenses provide for sharper peripheral vision. The lens is curved to adjust correlating the light waves entering the eye to provide a more accurate view through the lens. The flat lens causes the light to enter the lens at different angles causing distortion. You'll pay a little more for the spherical lens, but the additional benefits include reduced glare, and a more accurate view of your environment.
Single and Double Lenses
Pick a goggle utilizes a double lens.
While a single lens might be more inexpensive, the cost difference isn't enough to justify the advantages of having a double lens. Like a double paned window, the gap of air between provides insulation between the environment and your eyes. This thermal barrier does a lot to help prevent the fogging of your glasses by providing a more even temperature between the heat of your face and the cold outside air. You'll also be warmer, which means you'll be more willing to ski longer, getting your money's worth on that lift ticket.
Lens Colors
The color choice of your lens depends on your skiing conditions. There are a vast array of tint colors and we will cover the most common ones that are on the market. Different lighting conditions will determine what color lens you choose, so you may be buying more than one goggle, or buying one that offers interchangeable lenses.
Amber/Gold/Yellow
Amber and yellow colored lenses are best for medium lighting conditions. They filter out blue light and provide better contrast, bringing out the shadows.
Black/Gray
Black lenses are suitable for bright conditions, but as the sun sets, it will be harder to determine the depth of terrain since there is so little light penetration.
Purple/Rose
Best for low-light conditions, the pink tint helps enhance depth perception. These lenses also work for night skiing as they sharpen features that are lit by flat artificial light. This color, however, offers very little protection in bright conditions.
Clear
Clear lenses are best for extremely low lighting conditions. If you end up doing a lot of night riding or end up in very snowy conditions, this option is for you.
Additional Features
Mirrored and Polarized Lenses
Polarized lenses offer greater glare reduction as it only lets in light waves that are oriented in a certain direction. It's a nice option to have as it reduces eye strain after a long day on the slopes.
Mirrored lenses are great for conditions where the light is very bright. They allow in little light, meaning they provide much less visibility in cloudy conditions than the traditional lens.
Photochromatic Lens
A photochromatic lens gives you goggles a lot of versatility in changing lighting conditions. As the sun gets brighter, these lenses get darker. When there it is overcast, the lens changes to a lighter color to let in more light to your eyes.