Wearing quality eyewear on the mountain is essential to protect your vision…
Ultra violet rays attack the eyes just like they do the skin, so it is important that at altitude where the UV rays are much stronger, that your eyes are protected. With bright conditions it is easy to get snow blind, or in a whiteout situation it can be difficult to find your way, neither of which is safe.
For bright conditions a darker lens often mirrored will block harmful light and give a good clarity of vision. For whiteout conditions and low light, a light enhancing lens, often
in a yellow or orange colour enhances the definition between the ground, snow and the sky, to allow you to safely navigate when skiing in poor visibility.
Fitting Tips
Do try the goggles you are interested in with your helmet or the helmet you are intending to buy, although these days goggles and helmets are highly compatible with each other.
There are various size options offering a model to suit your face shape and size, and even adjustable frame model.
OTG Models (Over The Glass)
Over The Glass (OTG) models are available that allow skiers and snowboarders to wear their regular glasses whilst on the mountain. They offer special foam shaping on the sides for your spectacle arms to fit without discomfort, and additional ventilation to reduce fogging as much as possible.
Lens Types – Categories and Colours
Goggles come with a variety of colour options, but most important is the category rating of the lens that tells you how much light is transmitted to indicate the suitability for the conditions you are skiing in:
Category 0 – A clear lens just offering eye protection from objects, with no light blocking, and little UV protection
Category 1 – For flat light days to help define the slope versus the skyline, and pick up changes in the terrain. Essential in whiteouts
Category 2 – For cloudy days with generally good visibility otherwise, where you can still define between the snowy ground and the horizon and other piste features
Category 3 – Ideal for changeable days with a forecast of snow and cloud
Category 4 – For blue sky days with sun throughout
Category 5 – For maximum high altitude protection, ideal for mountain climbing and high altitude ski touring
Useful Tips- We recommend using Holmenkol NoFog to help further prevent any fogging, especially in damp high humidity skiing conditions such as in Whistler when the infamous "Inversion" is across the mountain range.
- Always use the included microfibre cloth or bag or a decent goggle wipe to clean and store your eyewear and only use water to clean your goggle lens to protect the coatings, using just a little washing up liquid if there is grease to remove.
- We actually recommend carrying 2 pairs of goggles or a spare additional lens, so that you have your main goggle/lens for all round conditions, and an additional option for Category 1 light conditions - whiteouts