10 Best Snowboard Goggles In 2023

How To Choose Snowboarding Goggles – Buying Guide

Having the best snowboard goggles is really important, in fact, they are a highly important part of your gear that will significantly improve your time on the slopes. They will help you see better, avoid crashes, and protect your face from nature’s elements. Choosing the right pair of snow goggles isn’t usually easy – there are a lot of factors that you should consider. That is why our buying guide is here for you. By reading everything in detail, you will be well on your path to choosing the best goggles for snowboarding.

Related Post: How To Choose Ski Goggles

VLT

Visible Light Transmission, or VLT, is a measure of how much a goggles’ lens lets light in. The lower the visible light transmission, the less light will be let in. In contrast, the higher the VLT, the more light will be let in. The VLT scale goes from 0% to 100%. So, naturally, a lower VLT is better for bright, sunny days, whereas a higher VLT is better for gloomy and low visibility days. For bright days, the lenses usually have somewhere between 5% and 20% VLT. For low light days, lenses usually have somewhere between 60% and 90% visible light transmission.

When choosing a lens, you need to find the one that will give you enough contrast, light, and depth perception, but not too much to have you squinting all day on a sunny day. This is another reason why having a pair of snowboarding goggles with interchangeable lenses is optimal. Of course, there are some lenses which are happy to be the best of both worlds – they are good on bright days and good on dark days. The problem is that they are not highly optimal in either of these conditions. So, when choosing the most efficient snowboard goggles for you, make sure to think about the conditions you will be skiing in. Don’t forget that having interchangeable lenses will save you from a lot of problems.

Lens Color

The lens color also affects you how well you see in different conditions. Different lens colors filter light differently. Ultimately, the lens color you use should depend on the conditions you will be using it in.

In low light conditions, you will want a goggle that features a yellow, amber, or light rose base. These colors will give you as much light as possible and provide you with enhanced contrast throughout those darker days. Also, most of them have a mirror coating that protects you from glare and reflection.

For those who prefer to hit the slopes on brighter days, a darker lens will be your best bet. This way, less light will pass through your lens. Look for the colors dark brown, dark grey, or rose. They are coupled with a heavy mirror, which helps deflect glare, while the dark color gives contrast which is useful for seeing definition in the snow.

If you don’t know the conditions you will be snowboarding in, try getting a pair of universal lens. They have the following colors: medium copper rose or brown tint. They perform fairly well in nearly all conditions but don’t excel in any one of them. Overall, they’re your best bet no matter what conditions you face.

Lens Shape

One of the most important factors you should consider when purchasing a pair of lens is the lens’s shape. There are three basic types of lenses in the goggles world:

Cylindrical lenses are most entry-level lenses, meaning that they curve your face horizontally, but are flat vertically. This shape is cheaper and easier to manufacture but often results in loss of peripheral vision and minor distortion. The primary reason to opt for cylindrical lenses is the cost. With some new advantages in lens technology, the negative impacts of cylindrical lenses can be minimized, but they will still remain the latter in quality.

Spherical lenses are curved both horizontally and vertically. The curve is intended to mimic the shape of your eyes to give you a natural field of vision. The optics of a spherical lens are superior and clearer. They give the goggle a taller profile. While looks are often a matter of personal preference, the main reason to choose a pair of spherical lenses should be the quality they provide. If you are willing to pay extra, make sure to opt for these ones.

Toric lenses are a third shape that has become popular in recent years. They are a midway split between the two previous types of lenses – they are curved both vertically and horizontally. They look similar to spherical lenses but are less pronounced and bulky. The advantage of toric lenses is mostly aesthetic. They are medium-priced, and they provide good performance and minimize distortion.

Night Riding

If you like to snowboard at night under lights, then it’s definitely a good idea to get a pair of clear lensed goggles, with at least 80% VLT. You need to make sure that they are glare-free under lights. Most often, they should be a pair of spherical lensed goggles. If you can, try out the goggles in a dark room with one light on before purchasing them.

When you’re in the store, try them on, and see how artificial lighting affects your vision. They should be optimized to prevent glare from happening, so the lighting will be in this way similar to the one on the slopes. Also, make sure the color either yellow, gold, or amber. These colors will give you as much light as possible and enhance contrast, which will be needed for the night ride.

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Fit

The goggles should fit you to a point of comfort that you won’t notice that they’re on. They can be very uncomfortable if they don’t suit your face shape. Sometimes, a certain model or brand might fit better. The best way to sure that they fit is by trying them on with your helmet. Certain helmets and goggles aren’t a good fit together. Make sure to experiment until you find the ones that fit best.

In terms of the length of the strap, the goggles are almost guaranteed to fit with the helmet. However, they need to fit comfortably between your nose and the top of the helmet. Try to not have a gap between the helmet and the top of your goggles. Ensure that they fit your face properly with and without your helmet on. Don’t feel embarrassed about taking your helmet into a store with you just to try them out – the embarrassment is worth the right fit.

Field of View

FOV, or field of view, is the area you can see with the goggles while your eyes are fixed. Ideally, the best snowboarding goggles should enable you to see 180 degrees from side to side. In recent years, goggles with a large frame have noticeably grown in popularity. Wide and tall lenses with a thin, or rimless frame don’t impede your view and enhance peripheral vision. This way, the snowboarder can see details better and be overall safer on the mountain. Premium goggles with a large-size frame are almost as good as not wearing a goggle at all. Whether they are spherical or cylindrical, your goggles should do a good job retaining visibility.

Interchangeable Lenses

Interchangeable lenses help snowboarders easily adapt to changing light conditions. From day to day, or hour to hour, the light and weather conditions on the slopes can change rapidly. With a clear lens, a sunny day can damage your eyes. However, with a dark lens, a cloudy stormy day becomes dangerous as visibility is reduced to zero. By changing lenses on the go you can quickly and easily adapt to all light conditions. You should always keep a dark lens and a light lens with you at all times. Snowboarding with dark lenses in blizzard conditions is not fun at all.

Lens Padding

Proper lens padding makes the difference between a comfortable fit and wear, versus a sweaty and scratchy day on the mountain. The type of inside padding matters a lot, and there are three basic types of padding, including:

Single layer face foam – this is a type of foam padding that older goggles were made with. It’s just one open-cell foam that absorbs sweat but deteriorates over time. It’s remarkably cheap but very low in quality. It’s not recommended even for beginners since most times it feels gross and quite uncomfortable.

Double layer face foam is slightly pricier and not nearly as good as multi-layered foams. It will also retain more smell and break down quicker. It’s okay for beginners and those who do not spend a lot of time on the slopes.

Multi-layered face foam is the way to go for modern goggles. This type of padding consists of open-cell foam – the first layer, soft foam – the second layer, and absorbent microfleece – the third layer. These layers together make a soft and sweat-resistant goggle seal. Thick foam padding significantly improves your level of comfort.

Anti-Fog Coatings

The kind of lenses you use does not matter at all if your goggles are all fogged up, to begin with. To start off, make sure to choose a double lens – they are much less prone to fogging than a cheap, single lens. Ventilation comes from both sides, top, and bottom, and the more air moves through the less fogging occurs. Other ways to avoid fogging is to avoid overdressing and keep your goggles on during your snowboard day. Moving goggles to your forehead will cause heat and moisture.

The vast majority of ski goggles have an anti-fog coating on the inside of the lenses. It’s important that you avoid continuously wiping the fog off the inside of your goggles since this can degrade the lens. If you wipe them, make sure to do that with something soft that won’t scratch the lens. Air-drying is the best solution, or you can bring an extra pair of goggles with you. For those snowboarders with persistent fogging issues, you can find goggles with small electric fans that promote airflow.

Straps

Almost all straps today are coating with a silicone bead. The sticky silicone layer helps the goggle strap stay in place on the helmet – it’s a very small feature that makes a huge difference. The other thing to keep in mind when buying goggles is the strap size. If you wear a big helmet, some goggles will struggle to properly fit. This leaves the goggles uncomfortably tight on your face, pinching your nose. To avoid this, try the goggles with your helmet on before purchasing them.

FAQs

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A good pair of goggles will significantly improve your time on the slopes. It is very important to keep your vision clean, your face warm, and your eyes safe while snowboarding, regardless of whether you are a professional snowboarder or a beginner. The pair you get needs to be reliable. The best goggles on this list have been tried and tested in the most rigorous conditions, and it’s ensured that they’re the best snowboarding goggles available on the market. A pair of top-rated goggles will provide you with warmth, dexterity, and style.

Top-rated goggles aren’t necessarily the most expensive ones, but the ones that suit your snowboarding best. Make sure to know the conditions you will be snowboarding in, such as the length of the trip, the weather, and the frequency of use. Answering all of these questions will help you decide which is the best ski and snowboarding goggles for you. In this buying guide, you have all the information you need to make a good choice, and we have no doubt that your snowboard gear will get a great new addition.

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