How to Buy Ski / Snowboard Goggles

You may think that buying goggles should be very easy, how much can really go into a pair of goggles? In reality, purchasing the right pair of goggles is an extremely important decision for skiers and snowboarders. The wrong goggles can cloud your vision, fit uncomfortably, and basically ruin your time on the mountain. This guide will help you learn about the various specifications and types, ensuring that you will be ready to enjoy the slopes.

Goggle Lens Types

The first thing you should decide is what type of lens you need. In terms of ski and snowboard goggles, there are two main shapes of lenses:

1. Flat Lens - This type contains a typical horizontal curve, but it is vertically flat. Since there is no vertical curve, your peripheral vision is greatly diminished. Also, because of the shape sunlight can sneak in the goggles at weird angles, causing glare. For the casual skier, a good pair of flat lenses may be the best choice since they are cheaper.
2. Spherical Lens - This lens curves both horizontally and vertically. Unlike the flat lens, the spherical lens specializes in reducing glare and improving your peripheral vision. However, as you can guess these are more expensive. If you are an average to advanced skier, it may be worth it to buy spherical lenses. On more difficult mountains, reducing glare and increasing your vision are important in terms of safety and performance.

Along with the shape of the lens, there number of lenses layered on the goggles also comes into play.

• Single Lens - A single lens only has one sheet of plastic or polycarbonate, providing a minimal barrier between the elements and your eyes. These lenses are mostly found on kids goggles and cheaper adult models.
• Double Lens - It should be noted that double lens goggles are simply better, which is why almost all goggles have two lenses. If you are remotely serious about skiing or snowboarding, you need to purchase goggles with a double lens. The outer lens protects against the sun, while the inner lens combats fogging. Because of the air space between the two lenses, the cold air does not reach your face making sure that you stay warm and comfortable.

Lens Tints

In terms of buying goggles from The Ski Bum, the tint color of your lens can be very important, so this guide will help you learn about the differences among the many tints.

• Yellow/Amber/Brown - These tints are designed to eliminate the blue light, so naturally these are a very popular choice. These tints make shadows appear brighter, thus providing better contrast to improve your vision. If you ski in typically overcast or grey conditions, these colors work best.
• Black/Grey - The opposite of the yellow set, the dark lenses work best on bright days. When the sun is fully out, these eliminate the glare from the light hitting the powder. However, in darker conditions, dark tints do not function properly.
• Purple/Pink/Rose - These work best during low light conditions, like dusk, when visibility may be difficult to manage. They improve your depth perception against the low light and help make other objects appear sharper. However, these tints do not perform well in bright lights, so this is a specialized tint selection.
• Orange - The orange lens is a solid all-purpose tint selection, they work in various light conditions. During low light, they perform well and they work best during bright conditions. As a result, if you are looking for a lens that will adapt to lighting and weather changes throughout an entire day, an orange lens should be your choice.
• Clear - These are designed to be worn during nighttime or when there are extremely dark clouds present. These allow the light to shine through, creating a contrast to the dark to increase your visibility.

When choosing your lens color, remember to pick make your primary tint one that you would use the most depending on your typical ski or snowboard conditions. The good news is that with most goggles have removable lenses, so if you plan on spending an entire day on the mountain, it may be smart to come equipped with multiple tints. As well some models come with 2 lenses, usually one for brighter days and one for low light conditions.

Goggle Fit

Finally, you need to make sure your goggles fit properly. This is actually not too difficult, but there are some things you should take note of. For instance, ensure that your goggles are compatible with helmets (if you plan on wearing a helmet) that way they fit correctly. Goggles only come in two basic sizes, adult and junior, but they have adjustable straps to make sure they fit snugly on your head. Children typically switch to adult goggles around ages 12-13, so keep that in mind when buying for children.

With the information given above, you should be ready to purchase your goggles from The Ski Bum. With your goggles in place, you are ready to traverse the mountains no matter what elements are in place!