The right ski goggles are an essential part a successful ski excursion. Goggles that fog up or have poor optics are an annoying safety hazard, and it is impossible to evaluate these qualities without lots of testing. So every year the ADS Sports Eyewear staff tests dozens of the most popular ski goggles. This is not just a way to write off our ski trips. We really do some serious testing.
Ski Goggles that have the most potential are tested in a variety of lighting and weather conditions, and test results are gathered from several people. Goggles that have the least potential are sent back to the manufacturer and taken off of our web site. This year we tested more than just goggles. We added several helmets and some sunglasses that are uniquely designed for snow sports. Our most relevant findings are published below.
Once again, the Smith Phenom Turbo Fan scored extremely well in every category. The most impressive feature was the tiny 2-speed fan that clears up a fogged lens in just a few seconds. The Phenom also has a dual spherical lens that reduces distortion, and the Rose Copper lens tint that is the foundation for most of the Smith ski goggle lenses provided exceptional contrast. The venting is so well designed in the Phenom that it hardly ever fogged up, even with the fan off most of the time. When we came to a stop in the lift line or trying to read a trail map was when we really appreciated the ability to keep the lens clear.
The Smith Prodigy Turbo is another of the Smith Ski Goggles that has exceptional anti-fogging characteristics. The Prodigy has the same universal fit as the Phenom, but it is a larger volume goggle. This means there is more air space behind the lens. Since it will take longer to heat up a larger volume of air, larger volume goggles will fog less. But the fan was so effective in reducing fog that most people didn’t feel the larger air volume was necessary. The Smith Prophecy Turbo is very similar to the Prodigy, and is new for the 2011 season. The Prophecy has a new design for the prescription insert that makes it easier snap in and out. This insert also fits in the Smith Pivlock sunglasses.
Any Smith Ski Goggle is Rx-able, and we often add a small bifocal for people who need help seeing a trail map. Smith has asked us to only list the Turbo goggles as Rx-able because these anti-fog properties are even more critical when you have an additional lens.
Both the Phenom and Prodigy fit a medium or average head. The Smith Knowledge Turbo goggle fits larger heads. The Knowledge is an OTG goggle, but this is not relevant if you just need a larger fit. (OTG = Over The Glasses)
Smith Lenses:
The Smith Ignitor Mirror lens was easily our favorite. This lens provides the same outstanding contrast and light transmission as their popular Rose Copper lens, but it also has a slight mirrored quality. The Ignitor Mirror lenses cost about $20.00 more than the Rose Copper lenses, but we thought they looked cooler. Prescription lenses wearers will like these because it hides the prescription insert behind the lens.
The Sensor Mirror lens was fine for very overcast days or low-light conditions. But it does not block enough light for an average sunny day. We are not sure what “Sensor” refers to, but this is not a Transitions lens. Skiers who want a lens for occasional low-light conditions may like the Smith I/O. This goggle has an impressive quick change lens system, and it comes with both an Ignitor Mirror lens and a Sensor Mirror lens. This year there is also a Smaller I/O goggle called I/OS with the same quick-change system as the original I/O.
Smith Helmets:
This is only the second year we included helmets in our test results. Normally helmets would not be a part of eyewear testing, but the new Smith Helmets are so perfectly integrated into the anti-fog elements of the Smith Goggles that we wanted to include them. Besides, these were so much fun to wear we needed an excuse to bring them.
The Smith Variant Brim was a favorite with men. The Smith Intrigue was the women’s favorite. The air vents in these helmets are aligned with the air vents in the Smith goggles. Most helmets would restrict air flow through the goggle by preventing air from flowing freely out of the vents on the top of the goggle. These new Smith helmets actually increase the airflow through the goggle by pulling air into the helmet through the air vents in the goggle. This is the only helmet that we know of that can reduce fogging in a goggle.
The exterior vents in these helmets were easy to find and adjust with gloves on. This made the helmet comfortable in any temperature. The SkullCandy™ accessories were exceptionally well designed and added to the adventure. These include links to your iPod and cell phone, as well as Bluetooth links to the same devices. (We only used these on the way up the hill. So quit sending me obnoxious emails.)
Other ski goggles that got lots of positive responses were the polarized goggles from Native Eyewear. Everything Native makes is polarized, and they have made a great lens for snow conditions. These goggles eliminated glare better than anything else we tried, and each goggles comes with a spare lens for low-light conditions. Our favorite Native ski lens was the Polarized Chrome Reflex. Native only makes two goggles: the Native Mission fits smaller to medium adult faces; the Native Siege fits medium to larger adult faces. All Native goggles come with a Lifetime Warranty. These goggles will be in short supply in the 2011 season. We will start to label some colors as SOLD OUT as soon as we run out.
We still occasionally hear from people who believe that polarized lenses should not be worn on a ski slope because they make it more difficult to see ice patches. This is horribly inaccurate. Relying on glare to identify a dangerous patch of ice is a bad idea. Polarized lenses will not only eliminate the glare and allow you to clearly see icy surfaces, you will also be able to see dirt or rocks hidden in the ice.
The Bolle Ski Goggles were also comfortable and relatively fog free. The Bolle Simmer was the most popular women’s goggle, and this year it is available in even more great colors. The Vermillion lens provided excellent contrast in all lighting conditions.
Ski Sunglasses:
Occasionally goggles may feel like overkill. Spring skiing or unseasonably warm days can be more comfortable wearing sunglasses instead of a traditional goggle. We tested two types of glasses that are well suited to these conditions.
The Panoptx Ski Goggles are kind of a hybrid between a goggle and sunglasses. Originally designed for motorcyclists, these glasses have a foam eyecup to protect eyes from the wind and cold. The ventilation is well designed and works great as an anti-fog system. The foam eye cup is removable in many models, so when you are not skiing these can be worn as regular sunglasses. The Polarized Copper lens in the Panoptx Ski Goggles provided the sharpest, clear view of the terrain ahead, regardless of how sunny or cloudy it was.
Important Note:
Grey lenses are offered in many of the sunglasses the Panoptx (7-Eye). While this is Ok for motorcycling, grey provides no contrast at all on a ski slope. Polarized grey, regular grey, or Transitions grey should all be avoided in ski eyewear.
The Panoptx/7-Eye frames that performed the best in our tests were the Diablo CV and Churada CV. The Churada CV eye cup is the only one that slides in from the bottom of the fame, as opposed to snapping it in from the back. This Churada design proved to be the most effective at holding the eye cup in place for people who wore the temples outside of a hat. This was a non-issue for people wearing a helmet.
Last year this company was Panoptx. This year they changed their name to 7-Eye. We use these names interchangeably.
The Panoptx glasses were a great choice on more mild days. On colder days fog was difficult to avoid. The lower air volume behind the lens contributed to this problem. More traditional goggles provide more protection from the elements in extreme conditions. But as soon as the sun came out everyone in our group was switching back to the Panoptx glasses
The Basics of Fogging:
In this guide we focus lots of attention on fogging without much explanation as to the causes or cures. Basically, if it is cold on one side of a lens and hot on the other, it is likely to fog. The cleaner a lens is, the less it will fog because the fog has less to attach to. (Fog that cannot attach itself to a lens runs off as condensation.) The dual-lens design minimizes fog by reducing this temperature difference with an extra layer of air. (All of the goggles recommended on this page have a Duel, Spherical lens) Ski goggles labeled “Large Volume” reduce fog by putting more air between your warm face and the cold lens. Venting outside air across the lens is another important anti fog feature. That’s why we are so impressed with the Smith Phenom that clears fog with a built in micro-fan. This is a medium volume goggle, but the tiny fan keeps it more fog free than any of the large volume goggles. (Excluding the Smith Prodigy Turbo of course.)
Why are Spherical lenses so important?
The spherical lens design has been around for several years, but many people are unaware of how important this is. The spherical (rounded) lens design allows light to pass in a straighter line though the lens material to your eye. A prescription lens alters the direction of light using an angled surface. When a ski goggle lens is not spherical, light at the top or bottom of the lens hits the lens at a much different angle than it does in the middle. This alters the true position of objects as they move from top to bottom in the lens.
Prescription Ski Goggles:
Many of these goggles were also tested with prescription lenses. The Panoptx Ski Goggles/Glasses have a lens that is small enough to accept a prescription lens right in the frame in place of the regular lens. All of the others utilize an optical insert that fits behind the lens. It is generally not possible, or not practical, to make a prescription lens larger than 70mm.
CAUTION:
Wearing a progressive lens for sports like skiing can distort the terrain just in front of you, or under your skies. A couple years ago we would recmmend a bifocal over a progressive lens because we can fit the bifocal reading add in less space than a progressive lens. But now that digita;l lenses are available we never recommend a bifocal lens. Digital lenses are only available as a Single Vision lens or a Progressive lens. You can't get a digital bifocal.
Our goal when putting a multifocal lens in ski goggles or motorcycle eyewear is to provide just enough reading area to read a trail map or a menu while leaving the largest possible viewing area for distance vision. You may need to hold your head in exactly the right position to read a map, but skiing down the mountain will be much safer.
If you have any questions, just ask. You will have no problem finding a person that has used the prescription goggle you are looking at. And we're all here to help.
