Ski Goggles Buying Guide

Ski Goggles Buying Guide

Jan 26, 2018 · Gear Guides

Ski goggles provide essential protection for your eyes in conditions that can be extremely challenging and harsh.  

Whilst skiing, the brightness of the sun is amplified due to altitude and the higher you go the stronger the Ultra Violet (UV) light.  The sunlight also reflects off the snow, intensifying brightness and making the glare really uncomfortable at times.  

Whatever time of year you go skiing, the weather conditions can change drammatically during the day as well as over the course of a week.  If the weather is cloudy, overcast or snowing you are unlikely to be able to see too much and the light is very flat making it difficult to see the bumps on the piste making falls more likely.

Most sunglasses are also designed to work best in bright sunny conditions so aren't particularly good when the weather conditions worsen.

A good pair of ski goggles will help to protect your eyes, prevent snow getting in, help increase contrast in flat light conditions so you can see the changes in the terrain of the piste and also prevent damage caused by the UV from the sun.

All our ski goggles, no matter what brand, offer full protection from UVA and UVB light. UVA is lower energy light but penetrates more deeply than UVB. UVB is stronger and is the light which causes most damage to the eyes.  The choice is down to a personal preference but here are the answers to the most common questions we get asked by customers:

What do the different categories of lenses mean?

Category 0 - clear lens, protects the eys against wind and ideal for night skiing

Category 1 - Ideal for poor skiing conditions such as white outs where the terrain features, bumps and lumps of snow are more visible

Category 2 - Ideal for mixed weather conditions, brings out the contrasts yet also reduce the glare in sunnier conditions

What lens colour is the best?

What does VLT mean?

What difference does a single or double lens make?

What other features are worth looking for?

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