Skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling are a rush, but they throw a lot of damaging factors at your eyes: snow, sun, wind and glare off snow. Don’t let these conditions slow you down or stop you from hitting the slopes when all you need is some eye protection. For a day on the slopes, you should be prepared with a pair of sunglasses and a pair of goggles. Read on to learn what conditions call for ski sunglasses, as well as what conditions call for ski goggles. You’ll learn what to look for in each of these forms of protective eye wear. Also, be sure to shop before you get to the mountain so you don’t end up paying an inflated price.
Ski Sunglasses
For many skiers, a perfect day involves bright, clear skies, or even a day with some clouds, but no precipitation. A day like this calls for a pair of ski sunglasses. Sunglasses for skiing should have the following qualities:
Polarization
Polarized sunglasses reduce glare off surfaces like water or snow. They will improve your vision by aiding in improved definition so you can see differences in the surface of the snow. Polarized lenses also reduce the obtrusive “bounce-back” effect that occurs when UV rays reflect off snow and ice.
Note: There is some contention on the polarization issue. Some opticians advise against wearing polarized lenses because you may be unable to see the icy patches in snow you’ll want to avoid. Consider the safety aspects when making your decision.
Proper UV Protection
Skiing sunglasses should protect your eyes from 99 to 100 percent of UV rays. This is absolutely crucial for winter sports as the UV rays are reflected off the snow, magnified and directed at your eyes from all directions.
Mirror Lenses
Consider adding a mirror coating to the front of your sport sunglasses to enhance the effectiveness of tinted lenses by reflecting sunlight so that it doesn’t penetrate the lens. This is great for a bright day.
Shatter-Resistant lenses
Because you’ll be zooming through trees, kicking up ice and maybe even rocks, your ski sunglasses should have lenses made from plastic or polycarbonate.
Wrap-Around Sport Sunglasses
Since skiing involves reaching fast speeds and sudden turning, skiing sunglasses should fit well. Sports sunglasses with adjustable nose pads and ear pieces will mold to the shape of your face for the best fit. No-slip grips will also help, and wrap-around styles will do the most to protect your eyes from UV rays from above and snow glare from below.
Lens Tint
Many avid skiers, snowboarders or snowmobilers have a variety of sunglasses with different lens hues so they can adjust to each day’s weather conditions.
Yellow-tinted lenses: On an overcast day with no precipitation, ski sunglasses with a yellow-tinted lens will reduce the blue color of haze to increase visibility and improve your depth perception.
Amber or rose-tinted lenses: These lens tints will reduce the blue haze of a partly cloudy day while improving contrast so you can see the snow.
Dark Amber, copper or brown-tinted lenses: Perfect for a bright day, as they block high amounts of blue, improving contrast between the blue skies and the slopes.
- Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn, wearing ski goggles.
Ski Goggles
Ski goggles are good for very cold days, as well as snowy days. If you ski a park that blows artificial snow, you’ll want ski goggles on days when they’re producing man-made snow.
UV protection
99 to 100 percent UV protection is absolutely necessary to prevent snow blindness which can occur from the sun’s reflection off snow.
Polarization
The debate about polarization of sunglasses for winter sports still applies here. Polarization can reduce glare and minimize the effects of the sun reflecting off the snow. It may make it difficult to spot icy patches of snow though.
Lens Tint
Yellow-orange: Good for low-light conditions. Yellow or orange lenses heighten contrast and sharpen focus.
Rose, amber, or red: These lenses are best for partly sunny conditions. They heighten contrast, but may cause color imbalances.
Anti-Fogging & Scratch Resistant
Look for double lenses, anti-fog coating and wide vents to prevent dangerous (and annoying) fogging. Scratch resistant coatings will help your goggles last longer especially if you like to ski through brush.
Frame size
There are size options for ski goggles. Small-framed goggles are typically lightweight, but don’t work to protect your face against the cold and snow as much as large-framed goggles. Be sure that you have good peripheral vision no matter the style you choose.
Goggle material
Goggles are typically made from rubber and are flexible so they can sit snugly across your face. An elastic strap holds the goggles in place. This strap can be worn across the back of your head or helmet, if you wear one.