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What Should I Consider When Buying Ski Goggles?

Dee Saale
Dee Saale
Dee Saale
Dee Saale

The first time a skier attempts to ski without ski goggles, he will understand the importance of the equipment. Ski goggles are designed to protect the eyes from sun glare, wet snow, and freezing winds. Without them, even the best skier’s vision can become impaired; a very dangerous occurrence.

Ski goggles are designed in a range of sizes for men, women, and children. They can be worn on their own, or they can be specially designed to fit over prescription glasses. Some ski goggles can be quite expensive; however, even the cheaper ones work well.

Ski goggles have to provide enough visibility for a person to see where they are going.
Ski goggles have to provide enough visibility for a person to see where they are going.

Before purchasing a pair of ski goggles, it is important to consider the color of the lens which is dependent on the location, time of day, and weather. For example, yellow or gold lenses are used in low or moderate light – towards the end of the day. They allow skiers to have better depth perception, so the bumps are more visually prominent. If the skies are gray, rose-colored lenses are great; but, for sunny days, green or darker tinted goggles are best. In addition, polarized lenses will prevent glare during the majority of a day skiing – but they do not work well towards the end of the day when there are longer shadows and flat light.

Ski goggles protect the eyes from sun glare while skiing.
Ski goggles protect the eyes from sun glare while skiing.

One of the most important things to consider is to make sure the ski goggles fit well. There is an adjustable strap that fits around the skier’s head. Some have softer buckles, perfect for those skiers who dare to ski without a helmet – so the buckle will not rub against the scalp. However, for those who wear a helmet, it is important that the strap fits around it without slipping off. Wider straps usually fit better than narrower straps, as well.

The lenses in ski goggles are usually designed for specific weather and lighting conditions.
The lenses in ski goggles are usually designed for specific weather and lighting conditions.

A skier must make sure that her peripheral vision is not impaired with some models of ski goggles. Sometimes, the trendier goggles do not appropriately provide protection for peripheral vision. Seeing from side to side is important for skiing safely – without peripheral vision collisions could occur with other skiers or snowboarders.

Although purchasing ski goggles with an anti-fogging option may seem like a luxury, it can make a difference between a good day skiing and a great day skiing. Anti-fogging options will prevent condensation from occurring on the lenses due to the skier’s breath or perspiration. Some anti-fogging options include a special coating on the lens of the goggles, vents along the top, bottom and sides of the goggles, or even a tiny fan. Typically, the wider the vents are, the better they work to defog the lens.

Ask plenty of questions when purchasing a new pair of ski goggles. In addition, research the return policy -– so if the goggles do not fit well on the slopes, they can be returned. Lastly, put safety first –- over trendy styles and fun colors.

Dee Saale
Dee Saale

Dee is a freelance writer based in Colorado. She has a B.A. in English Literature, as well as a law degree. Dee is especially interested in topics relating to medicine, legal issues, and home improvement, which are her specialty when contributing to WiseGEEK.

Learn more...
Dee Saale
Dee Saale

Dee is a freelance writer based in Colorado. She has a B.A. in English Literature, as well as a law degree. Dee is especially interested in topics relating to medicine, legal issues, and home improvement, which are her specialty when contributing to WiseGEEK.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

ddljohn

The most important aspect of ski goggles for me is that they breathe well and remain clear. Foggy goggles is the last thing I want went skiing down a high slope or making a turn. It's very, very dangerous, and annoying too.

It's difficult to know beforehand whether the goggles will fog up because it depends on the temperatures. So I buy my goggles after reading customer reviews. If people say that it doesn't fog up and stays clear, then I buy it.

burcinc

@discographer-- I know people who use orange tinted ski goggles all the time, in full sun and partly cloudy. Technically, orange tint is supposed to be just for partly cloudy days. I suggest looking up the weather forecast before the trip and buying the ski goggles according to that. You will probably be okay with a green tinted one, or even an orange tinted one if it's not going to be very sunny during your trip.

You don't need very expensive ski goggles. I have owned both cheap and expensive ones and let me tell you, there isn't much difference. So if you ski a lot, get a couple with different tints for different light exposure.

discographer

I'm going on a skiing trip next week and plan to be out skiing most of the day. So do I need to get different colored ski goggles for different times of the day? Won't that be too expensive? Or can I just get a blue or green tinted one and use it all day. Will I have trouble during early morning or evening with these?

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    • Ski goggles have to provide enough visibility for a person to see where they are going.
      By: Silvano Rebai
      Ski goggles have to provide enough visibility for a person to see where they are going.
    • Ski goggles protect the eyes from sun glare while skiing.
      By: yanlev
      Ski goggles protect the eyes from sun glare while skiing.
    • The lenses in ski goggles are usually designed for specific weather and lighting conditions.
      By: rcaucino
      The lenses in ski goggles are usually designed for specific weather and lighting conditions.
    • Ski goggles ideally allow for maximum peripheral vision.
      By: camerawithlegs
      Ski goggles ideally allow for maximum peripheral vision.