Ski goggles
Ski goggles
Ski or snowboard goggles, also called goggles, offer you protection from UV rays, reflections and cool temperatures. A goggle helps you to see the slope better in poor visibility conditions. Some manufacturers rely on interchangeable lenses. Others try to offer a goggle lens for all conditions with their lens technologies. Among them are the technologies such as Prizm, Chromapop, Transitions or Vivid. Many manufacturers offer goggles with OTG technology. Thanks to this "over-the-glass" technology, you can wear prescription glasses under your ski goggles.
Lenses come in two forms: spherical and cylindrical. Spherical lenses are curved horizontally and vertically. They allow a very wide field of vision, imitating the shape of the eyeball. The advantage of these glasses is that they can reduce particularly bright light. Spherical glasses are rather voluminous glasses, which in turn provides more air circulation and thus prevents fogging of the lenses. Cylindrical glasses are horizontally curved but vertically flat. The lenses restrict the field of vision a bit more and are less good at absorbing glare. On the other hand, cylindrical lenses are less expensive.
The light transmission of the lenses is decisive for good vision when skiing and snowboarding. Color tints and mirroring influence this light transmission enormously. A very dark and mirrored lens is suitable for nice weather because it has a low light transmission. Lighter and non-mirrored lenses let in a lot of light, making them ideal for cloudy or foggy conditions. Manufacturers classify their glasses according to their light transmittance. The universal measure is the "Visible Light Transmission" values. VLT for short. Lenses with a low light transmission have a VLT of 3% - 18% and are therefore the right choice in fine weather. Lenses with a high light transmission have a VLT of 44% -100% and are suitable for poor visibility conditions in snow, fog or at night. Goggles with a VLT around 30% work relatively well in all conditions. However, even then compromises must be made as conditions change.
Many ski and snowboard goggles have excellent interchangeable systems. These systems give you the ability to use the perfect lens for the appropriate conditions. Goggles with quick-change systems with magnet inserts, for example, make changing easier. Because changing lenses is sometimes cumbersome, some manufacturers like Oakley, Giro or Smith are trying to develop multifunctional lenses. Technologies such as Prizm TM or Vivid TM filter out certain color tones from the light and thus increase contrast. Other manufacturers, such as Uvex, rely on photochromic lenses. This technology automatically adjusts the color tone to the light conditions. In addition to color filtering, some manufacturers use polarized lenses and anti-fog coatings. Polarized lenses reduce glare from reflections on surfaces and are suitable for days with icy slopes.
No matter what lens shape or lens technology you choose: The important thing when choosing a goggle is that it fits your face. The goggle shouldn't slip off your nose, shouldn't create uncomfortable pressure points, and shouldn't be too big or too small. You can recognize these model sizes by the designations Oversized Fit, Medium Fit, Small Fit and Asian Fit. In the case of oversized models, it is important to note whether the glasses fit together with the helmet. They usually offer an oversized field of vision. Medium Fit glasses usually fit all face shapes. Small Fit are geared more towards women's and children's faces. Asian Fit goggles are suitable for people with small noses, as the distance between the bridge of the nose and the goggle is smaller.