Goggles are actually one of the most important things to get right. They are your window to the world, your vision of what’s around you. Get something that’s in your budget but those really cheap £20 goggles won’t do the job and protect your eyes properly.
The sun has a double effect reflecting off the snow and up into your eyes, so it is really important to have goggle lenses that give decent UV protection if you are riding in the sun.
There are three things that I consider when buying goggles:
Lens Choice – The option of having more than one lens can really make a difference to what you can see in different conditions, one low-light and one sunny lens is good.
How comfy they are – They have to be comfy, right, ensuring they fit your face and there are no gaps where snow can get in is really important.
Helmet Fit – Depending on what Helmet you have, you may want to check to see if it fits nicely with the helmet and there is no gap. Nobody likes punter gap.
Take a look around at some of the main manufacturers, Electric, Dragon, Oakley, Smith etc.. and see what sort of design you like, what lenses they have and other features. Below is a guide on what to look for.
Lenses
Once you have found some comfy goggles, then the only thing that is really important after that is the lens you chose. There are two main shapes of lenses:
Cylindrical lenses are flat lenses that just follow the curve of the goggle; they are the most common type of lens
Spherical lenses are curved in both directions, making a rounded lens. These lenses often have a ‘frameless’ design and give you a better field of vision and slightly less distortion in your field of view.
Next, you have the type of lens and what it is good for.
Polarised lenses are designed to reduce glare from the sun, protecting your eyes and reducing eye fatigue. They also do not reduce visibility in low light.
Photocromatic Lenses are designed with a technology that changes the darkness of the lens according to the current sunlight. So they get darker when it gets sunnier, protecting your eyes, and lighter when it gets darker, giving you more vision.
Clear/yellow Lenses offer no protection from the sun but maximum visibility, making them good for night and low-light riding.
The Colour of the lens also makes a difference, be sure to look up what it does and what it is designed for, ideally get two and swap.
Some other features you may want to look out for are:
Ventilation will keep your eyes cool and your goggles from fogging up.
Easy Lens changing is a useful asset if you plan to have more than one lens.
You can even buy goggles with GPS and Cameras.
Take a look around and find the perfect pair of goggles for yourself.
