Which ski goggles should you choose? What should you consider when choosing?
Ski goggles are an essential piece of equipment for every winter sports enthusiast. Choosing the right accessory impacts both safety and comfort. Therefore, it's worth carefully examining the solutions available on the market and choosing the most optimal goggle model.
Ski goggles - what are they for?
Before you start considering which ski goggles to choose, it's worth understanding what you can expect from this piece of equipment. Good ski goggles can significantly impact not only your safety but also your comfort. Of course, their primary function is to protect your eyes from snow, rain, and ice crystals.
Ski goggles also protect your eyes from drying out, which is often caused by wind on the slopes. Finally, goggles equipped with UV filters reflect sunlight, significantly improving your skiing comfort. You can choose ski goggles with advanced features that enhance contrast on cloudy days (e.g., the Line Miner XM Prizm Sapphire ski goggles ), further improving your visibility. Well-fitting goggles can adapt to changing weather conditions and provide comfort in snow, rain, overcast, or very sunny conditions. Much depends on the type of ski goggles you choose and how well they fit both your helmet and the shape of your face.
The most universal or the perfect fit?
Perfect visibility will be ensured primarily by ski goggles that perfectly fit your face shape and your chosen helmet. It's worth considering both these factors when choosing goggles. You can primarily choose junior-sized helmets for children (e.g., the Pocito Retina ski goggles ), while for adults, there are S and M/L models. The former are suitable for women with slim faces, while the M/L model is considered a universal goggle size for adults. However, it's always worth double-checking that the goggles fit your helmet and face.
Frame construction in ski goggles
The properties of the lens in ski goggles are, of course, very important, but their shape and form are equally important. There are primarily two possibilities:
- goggles with spherical lenses – a rounded model with rounded lenses, providing a wider viewing angle, its frame is shallower, the glass is closer to the face; this model is not only very comfortable, but also interesting in terms of design; one downside is the higher risk of damaging the convex lens.
- cylindrical goggles - a model created based on a flat glass with a higher frame, often also more massive, which reduces the risk of scratching the glass.
You can choose from frameless goggles or those with a solid frame. A separate category is OTG goggles, designed for prescription glasses. This solution allows you to wear glasses on the slopes without having to swap them for contact lenses.
Ventilation in ski goggles
Another essential element to consider when choosing goggles is ventilation holes. First, they prevent the lenses from fogging by allowing moisture to escape from the skin. Various solutions are used.
Most goggles feature slits at the top and bottom filled with foam for ventilation. Some models have a frame design that is raised on the side closest to the face, which further separates the goggles from the helmet edge, further ensuring proper ventilation. Some models feature an additional vent on the front of the goggles.
Lenses - what to pay attention to?
Lens color, and especially lens clarity, has a huge impact on driving comfort. It's worth remembering that clear or slightly tinted lenses are best for night driving. On cloudy days, clear lenses with a slight tint are best. Lenses marked S2 are considered the most versatile. On sunny days, S3 lenses are recommended. However, the best solution seems to be photochromic lenses, which adopt an initial tint of S1, meaning they are slightly tinted, and gradually darken when exposed to UV radiation.
Ski goggle lenses
The lens brightness range is most often S1-S3, which ensures comfortable riding in a wide range of conditions. However, it's important to remember that the lens response isn't instantaneous. An alternative solution for those who don't want to buy multiple pairs of goggles is models with interchangeable lenses.
When choosing ski goggles, it's also worth remembering that the lenses should have a UV filter. Another good solution is an anti-fog coating, which further prevents the lenses from fogging.
