How To Choose a Ski Goggles

What is a frame for ski goggles?

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.

We offer the following types of frames:

• Men's ski goggles – goggles with a larger frame designed for men's wider faces
• Women's ski goggles – a frame that fits mainly women’s and children's faces
• Unisex ski goggles – goggles with a frame and a color design that fits and suits everyone

Noframe

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.

What is a ski goggle lens?

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.

Curvature of glass

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.

They 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.

Permeability

This is a parameter that determines which weather conditions the goggles are most suitable for. It is advisable to use the following table.

Photochromic glasses – glasses with lenses that respond to ambient light and adjust their transmittance themselves.

Color

• Yellow, orange, pink and red – increase the contrast and remove the blue colors, so the snow does not look so aggressive. At the same time, we perceive bumps and obstacles on the slope much better.
• Dark – suitable for sunny days when they increase eye comfort.
• Blue, purple and green – evenly attenuates the color spectrum, so we see through them naturally.

Why is a good defogging system important?

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:

• Anti-fog – this is the basic technology for defogging . During factory production, a thin protective film is applied to the surface of the lens to prevent fogging.
• Ventilation – ventilation plays the biggest role in preventing fogging of goggles and glasses with good ventilation you won’t need any further adjustment. Therefore, there are usually ventilation holes in the frame, foam and sometimes also the lens. The best Hi-tech glasses can be equipped with a small fan.
• Double lens – works on the principle of thermal air insulation between two lens. The temperature difference between the individual surfaces is therefore not so radical and fogging does not occur.

What other useful features about ski goggles should you look for?

There are a lot of other useful features for ski goggles that you should keep and eye out for.

• Anti-scratch – glasses are made of hard, scratch-resistant material.
• Polarizing glasses – serve as protection against light reflections from shiny surfaces, such as water or frozen snow. So the eyes do not get tired so easily.
• Mirrors – reflect more light from their surface, so it’s harder for sunlight to penetrate. Ideal for skiing in high mountains and places with bright sun.
• OTG – through glasses – lenses adapted for use with prescription glasses.

Be careful when choosing a helmet

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.

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.