Ski goggles
Why Wear Ski Goggles?
Ski goggles, also known as snow goggles or simply goggles, protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Even on cloudy days, about half of the UV radiation can still penetrate the cloud cover, so it’s essential to wear goggles regardless of the weather. In addition to protecting against UV rays, ski goggles shield your eyes from wind and snow. Cold wind can freeze your eyes, but goggles fit snugly on your face, preventing wind, snow, or sunlight from slipping in underneath the lenses.
If you're skiing off-piste, ski goggles also protect your eyes from low-hanging branches. They are made of plastic, and the lenses are crafted from unbreakable polycarbonate, which won’t shatter if you fall.
How Do I Choose Ski Goggles?
While skiing, you may encounter various weather conditions. The sun can be shining brightly one day, while it may snow or be foggy the next. Goggles are designed to provide good visibility, even in challenging conditions such as snow and fog. The lens enhances contrasts, helping you see better. Without good goggles on a foggy day, you may not notice bumps and dips on the slopes, which can lead to accidents.
Choose your goggles based on the weather conditions. Goggles are divided into different protection categories:
- Category 1: Suitable for heavy cloud cover and precipitation.
- Category 2: Suitable for light cloud cover.
- Category 3: Suitable for sunny conditions.
Some goggles offer protection in various weather conditions.
It’s important that you have clear visibility with your ski goggles on, with a 180° field of view. The more curved the lenses, the broader your view. Curved lenses follow the shape of your eyes, providing a wider field of vision and sharper perception. These are called spherical lenses. Ski goggles with flat lenses or lenses that curve slightly from left to right are called cylindrical lenses.
Polarized lenses help reduce glare from the snow.
What Lens Color Do I Need for My Ski Goggles?
The color of the goggle lens also affects your visibility. The general rule is: the brighter the sun, the darker the lens, and the worse the weather, the lighter the lens. Yellow lenses allow 43% to 80% of sunlight to pass through, making them suitable for heavily overcast days. Orange or red lenses let 19% to 56% of sunlight through and can be worn on partly cloudy days. Pink or amber (orange-yellow) lenses allow 8% to 18% of sunlight through, making them ideal for sunny days. Finally, dark lenses filter out almost all sunlight and are only suitable for very bright conditions, such as when hiking on a glacier where the sun reflects off the ice.
Some goggles have interchangeable lenses. Depending on the weather, you can switch out the lenses, so you don’t need a different pair of goggles for each type of weather. When swapping lenses, always use the provided pouch. Never touch the lens with your hands, as it can cause damage.
What Standards Should My Ski Goggles Meet?
A CE marking is required for ski goggles in Europe. Goggles with a CE mark meet the European Union’s guidelines. The CE marking is followed by a number indicating the degree of protection the lenses provide against glare.
How Do I Clean My Ski Goggles?
Only clean the lenses when they are completely dry, and use the provided pouch or cleaning cloth. Never wipe the inside of the lenses. The inside has an anti-fog coating that prevents the lenses from fogging up. This layer can be damaged if you try to wipe it.
Tips
The ski goggles should fit snugly on your face, ensuring that snow, wind, dust, and sunlight cannot get inside. Adjust the goggles so they fit tightly enough to stay in place during movement, but not so tight that they pinch your nose.
Ventilation helps prevent the goggles from fogging up. Most goggles are already slightly ventilated, and some have special ventilation holes. Try to keep the goggles on your face as much as possible to reduce the chance of fogging.