Top 10 Snowboarding Goggles

Whether you are a beginner snowboarder or the most aggressive freerider in the country, you’re going to need a good pair of snowboard goggles to protect your eyes from the sun and wind. The first thing to do is look at the weather conditions of the place where you’re going to be snowboarding. This will help you choose the right lenses depending on the sun’s intensity.

There are hundreds of models on the market, and it’s not easy to make a choice. Don’t worry! In this article, I am going to talk about types of lenses, foam qualities, ventilation systems, and other important features that you must consider when choosing your goggles. In addition, I will review the best models of the year so that you can find the one that best suits your needs.

Take a look at other articles to find the best beginner snowboards, boots, jackets, helmets, and snow pants.

THE BEST SNOWBOARD GOGGLES

---

ANON M4

DESCRIPTION: The Anon M 4 stands out for its advanced features: Sonar Zeiss toric lenses that provide excellent optical performance, a Magna-Tech Quick magnetic frame that allows you to change lenses in a matter of seconds, Integral Clarity technology that prevents fogging, full perimeter channel venting for improved airflow, and triple-layer foam for greater comfort. In addition, it offers great peripheral vision thanks to the large frame design. The main disadvantage: Its price is not at all budget-friendly.

---

GIRO CONTACT

DESCRIPTION: The Giro Contact combines high-quality Vivid Zeiss lenses, a semi-frameless design, and a magnetic lens-change system to provide a terrific performance. Thanks to the larger frame construction, it delivers an excellent, wide field of view. This model includes two lenses, one for bright light and one for cloudy skies, which can be quickly changed, thus offering great visibility in any type of weather.

---

SMITH I / O MAG

DESCRIPTION: The Smith I / O Mag has one of the best optical performances on the list thanks to its premium-quality Chromapop lenses. This model includes two magnetic lenses (bright light and low light) that can be easily and quickly changed, even while you’re wearing your gloves. In addition, it features efficient vents, a wide design, great visibility, and really comfortable foam.

MID RANGE AND BUDGET RANGE

---

OAKLEY FLIGHT DECK XM

DESCRIPTION: The Oakley Flight Deck is one of the best-selling goggles of the year because it offers premium features at a more affordable price. The Prizm lenses offer great optical quality and extraordinary performance in different weather conditions. Furthermore, the frameless lenses are easy to change thanks to the Ridge Lock system. The integrated ventilation system and anti-fog treatment guarantee great visibility throughout the activity.

---

OAKLEY LINE MINER

DESCRIPTION: The Oakley Line Miner is probably the best value for the money on this list. This model has advanced features, but it’s not as expensive as premium models. The Prizm lenses (favorites of many snowboarders) maximize clarity and enhance contrast. The flexible O Matter frame provides a great fit for different face shapes and, like most large-frame designs, it is compatible with prescription eyewear. In addition, it offers a wide field of view and is compatible with most snowboard helmets.

---

SPY OPTIC MARSHALL

DESCRIPTION: The Spy Optic Marshall stands out for its optical quality, helmet compatibility, and comfortable fit. This model features HD lenses that combine clarity, high definition, and distortion-free vision. The Scoop ventilation system, along with the anti-fog treatment, prevent the lens from fogging up. It comes with two lenses (for different light conditions), has a modern design, and is available in lots of colors.

---

OAKLEY CANOPY

DESCRIPTION: The Oakley Canopy is a popular mid-range model that features a large volume for greater peripheral vision, high-definition Prizm lenses, O-Flow Arch technology for a comfortable fit on your nose, an O-Matter frame for greater flexibility, a dual vented lens system, and F3 anti-fog treatment for clear vision.

---

SMITH RANGE

DESCRIPTION: The Smith Range features cylindrical lenses that provide wide, sharp peripheral vision. The lightweight, flexible frame and comfortable two-layer foam provide for a great fit. This budget model doesn’t have premium features, but it performs incredibly well for its price.

---

BOLLÉ

DESCRIPTION: The Bollé M features great-quality lenses, effective vents, and a comfortable fit. This model offers great overall performance, although it’s best suited for cloudy days with low visibility. It’s an excellent option for beginner snowboarders or as backup goggles.

---

OUTMASTER

DESCRIPTION: The Outdoor Master has a large, comfortable frame, peripheral vision lenses, and an effective anti-fog treatment. This model is compatible with prescription glasses and with most helmets on the market. Also, it’s available in lots of colors. Obviously, it doesn’t offer the optical quality or durability of high-end models, but it performs fairly well and is inexpensive.

---

ADVANTAGES OF WEARING SNOW GOGGLES

They protect your eyes from the sun’s rays and reflected light:

As you know, fresh snow can reflect a high percentage of UV rays that directly reach your eyes from different angles. Snowboard goggles use protective lenses that block ultraviolet rays, thus protecting your eyes from the risk of eye injury.

They reduce glare:

The final result will depend on the type of lens, but overall, snow goggles will significantly reduce glare. This improves your vision and allows you to ski safely and comfortably.

They improve contrasts and colors:

Quality lenses, like the Chromapop, considerably improve contrast, which is helpful when you’re snowboarding. Lenses offering good contrast and colors will help you better distinguish contours, level changes on the slopes, or possible moguls.

They protect your eyes from the wind, snow, and other hazards:

In addition to all the benefits provided by the lenses, snowboard goggles have a physical barrier function that protects your eyes from wind, snow, and debris. Also, they protect your eyes if you hit a tree, a branch, a rail, or other obstacles.

GOGGLE SHAPE

Cylindrical

Cylindrical lenses have been on the market for decades because they are inexpensive, efficient, and good-looking. This type of lens is curved horizontally along the face, but not vertically.

Overall performance is fairly good, although it can produce small optical distortions (common in budget models). This lens shape is popular among entry-level, intermediate, and advanced snowboarders because it has a nice, vintage look and is usually available at attractive prices.

Spherical

As its name implies, this type of lens has a spherical, rounded shape. Spherical lenses are curved vertically and horizontally, which makes them look like big eyeballs. The optical result is a high-performing lens, in which glare or distortion is barely noticeable. This type of lens is common among advanced skiers and snowboarders, as generally it is quite expensive.

Toric

Toric lenses also have a bubble-like spherical design, but less pronounced than spherical lenses. This type of lens has high optical performance while keeping a more discreet look. Many high-end models have toric lenses.

FACE SHAPE AND FRAME DESIGN

Some models are made in a single size, while other models are available in three sizes: S, M, and L. To find the right size, you have to think about your face shape and size. Keep in mind that the frame size will affect the field of view. If you like freestyle snowboarding, I recommend that you choose a large model with a wide field of view that will allow you to easily see the boxes, tabletops, and rails around you.

If you have doubts, you can follow this size recommendation:

Small: This is recommended for young riders, children, or people with small faces.

Medium: This is a really popular size because it fits most people’s faces.

Large: This size is also very comfortable to wear for most skiers, especially men and people with larger faces. In addition, it offers greater peripheral vision.

LENS TYPE

Photochromic

Photochromic lenses protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays and reduce snow glare. The most distinctive characteristic is that these lenses become clearer in low light conditions and darker as the sunlight intensity increases. This ability to change color makes them especially versatile and highly appreciated among all types of athletes.

Polarized

Polarized lenses block part of the sunlight depending on the angle of incidence. Because they reflect much of the light, the result is sharp vision with enhanced contrasts and no glare. This type of lenses protects your eyes from UV rays and reduces eye fatigue. A polarized lens does a really good job on sunny days, but it also has some disadvantages: You might have trouble seeing ice patches on the slope because polarized lenses block ice glare.

Chromapop and Prizm lenses

Some manufacturers have developed special lenses, like Chromapop and Prizm, which offer excellent optical results: These lenses significantly improve contrast and color quality, even on cloudy days.

Mirrored

Mirrored lenses have an outside reflective treatment that blocks much of the sunlight, thus greatly reducing snow glare. These lenses are usually pretty affordable, which makes them popular among beginner riders. Keep in mind that the reflective coating doesn’t resist scratches very well.

ANTI-FOG TREATMENTS AND VENTILATION

Even if your goggles have the best lenses in the market, that will be of no help if the lenses fog up often. Fortunately, most goggles are built with dual lenses, which are less prone to fogging. In addition, most have anti-fog treatments that improve vision.

Your goggles should have an efficient ventilation system that ensures sufficient airflow inside the frame. These vents can be placed in different parts of the frame or the foam, depending on the model. Large designs are generally less likely to fog-up because they allow more air inside the frame.

I recommend that you wear your goggles all the time. If you take them off or place them on your forehead, they could quickly fog up.

WHY DIFFERENT LENS COLORS?

Lenses feature different colors that help optimize performance under certain weather conditions. Lenses designed for low light conditions are usually tinted light blue, orange, yellow, or and pink. For very sunny days, you should go for gray, black, dark brown, or dark green lenses.

LIGHT TRANSMISSION

All goggles let a certain percentage of visible light pass through the lens. This is known as visible light transmission. Lenses with a high percentage allow more light to pass through, while lenses with a low percentage allow only a little light to pass through.

If you are going to snowboard on very sunny days, I recommend that you get lenses with 10-25% light transmission. For low-light conditions, you may need a model with 45-70% light transmission.

INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES

Weather changes are unpredictable, and sunshine can suddenly become a snowstorm. That’s why your goggles must have interchangeable lenses.

Some models have fantastic systems that allow you to change lenses in seconds. For many riders, the magnetic system featured in Anon goggles is the best on the market. I recommend that you bring at least two different lenses (bright and dark) so that you’ll be able to practice in both sunny weather and cloudy weather.

FOAM PADDING

The quality of the foam around the frame will directly affect the overall comfort. Most of the time, the quality of the padding increases proportionally with the price. Really comfortable models are usually quite expensive, as, in addition to high-quality lenses, they use triple-layer foam that ensures an effective seal and comfortable fit.

The foam in some budget models can feel comfortable during the first few days, but it’s very likely to wear down as time goes on.

STRAPS

All snowboarding goggles include an adjustable strap that helps you get a comfortable and secure fit. If you want to check that you got the right size, you should adjust the strap to the last point, and then verify that it doesn’t remain loose. If you are using a snowboard helmet (which I recommend), you should check that the strap also provides a good fit with the helmet on.

WHAT DO I DO IF I WEAR PRESCRIPTION GLASSES?

If you are a snowboarder who wears prescription glasses, you should look for OTG models. OTG goggles (over the glasses) allow for more space inside the frame, so you can wear your glasses comfortably.

The product descriptions of some models make it clear that they are eyewear-compatible. Some other models don’t state whether or not they are OTG, but most large models are. In case of doubt, check the manufacturer’s specifications.

HELMET-COMPATIBLE DESIGN

Besides ensuring a good seal with your face, make sure your goggles fit the shape of your helmet. Today, most models are helmet-compatible, so this shouldn’t be a big problem. Keep in mind that helmets with long brims are more likely to have incompatibility issues, so try to avoid those in case of doubt.

UNISEX MODELS

If you like a model, have tried it, and the size is correct, you can wear it! Men’s and women’s models are pretty much the same thing, except for the colors. Most snowboard goggles are unisex.

---

Did you like “The Best Snowboarding Goggles”? Leave a comment!