Know which Goggle Lens to Choose

Many goggles come with an array of lenses for different snow and cloud conditions.  Lenses can let in 81% of light in the case of clear all the way down to just 4% of light for blinding ice on a super sunny day.

Here are the best tints for given conditions.

Clear Ski Goggle Lenses

Clear ski goggle lenses lack color.  This makes clear lenses ideal for any low light condition. Choose clear lenses for goggles you use for night skiing or on very overcast days. They will help keep the snow out of your eyes.

Rose, amber, red or orange Ski Goggle lenses

You can choose rose lenses for your ski goggles for a variety of light levels ranging from low to moderate. Rose ski goggle lenses will tend to let a fair amount of light in, so they might not be ideal for very sunny days.

Amber, red, and orange ski goggles are also good for lower light conditions. While amber or red goggle lenses might be fine in high light conditions, you will ideally want to opt for a darker lens color if you’re skiing in bright sunlight most of the time.

Yellow Ski Goggle Lenses

Yellow ski goggle lenses are particularly effective at allowing you to see detail better. Yellow ski goggle lenses function well in flat, low lighting. If you frequently ski moguls or other types of uneven terrain in low light situations, yellow lenses might be ideal for you. They can help you see detail in lighting situations where it might be hard to see shadows and other indications of bumps or irregularities on the ground.

Black, Brown or Bronze Ski Goggle Lenses

Black, brown and bronze ski goggle lenses are best for very bright light conditions. That’s because they tend to provide a good amount of shade and typically have high VLT ratings. VLT is expressed as the percentage of light allowed through the lens falling somewhere between 0% and 100%

Brown ski goggle lenses are not only known for handling bright sunlight well, but they also can enhance your depth perception as you ski.

Blue, Green or Violet Ski Goggle Lenses

Blue, green and violet ski goggle lenses are all generally best for higher light conditions. If you choose blue lenses, you can take advantage of the fact that your goggles will help to reduce glare while you’re skiing. If you choose violet, you can enjoy greater detail in your vision. That’s because violet lenses are good for creating contrast in flat lighting situations so that you can make out jumps and moguls.

Gray Ski Goggle Lenses

If you ski in a wide variety of different conditions and want a goggle lens that can handle them all, you might want to opt for gray lenses. Gray lenses are known for handling diverse lighting conditions fairly well.

Photochromic Ski Goggle Lenses

If you can afford to invest in photochromic ski goggle lenses, you’ll enjoy the greatest amount of convenience out on the slopes. That’s because photochromic lenses change how dark or light they are depending on the lighting conditions.

Photochromic ski goggles will become darker in bright light and lighter in low light. This allows them to handle numerous light levels all with one lens.

Mirror coating on Your Ski Goggle Lenses

In addition to color, you can also consider ski goggle lens coatings and other features to best handle the conditions you’re skiing in. For example, you can opt for mirror coating on your ski goggle lenses if you ski in particularly bright lighting conditions a lot.

Mirror coating on your ski goggles will reflect excess light to reduce glare and prevent you from being overwhelmed by the brightness of the sun as you ski.

If the weather is all over the place, take several types with you so you can enjoy better clarity come clouds or sun.