terabyte

Hey everyone,

Just a little background info: This is my first season snowboarding and so far I love it! The problem is, the goggles I currently have are terrible; it's kind of hard see with them on and they tend to fog up.

So, I am looking into buying new goggles. On the mountain, I have seen people wearing goggles which you can't see their eyes and those are the kind of goggles I want.

Anyone have any suggestions? If possible, a maximum price of below $200.

Thanks.

Milo303

Dam you've got a big budget for goggles.... I don't remember how much they are but Zeal makes some super sick photochromactic goggles...

I personally like my Oakley A-Frames with a fire lens in them for bright conditions... I have 2 pairs of A-Frames, one with the fire lens in them and the other with a really light colored lens for when it's cloudy out.

If your wanting to drop some cash on some goggles though, check out those Zeal goggles.

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JSnow

There are tons of Goggle comps out there,for sure shop around and see which offers what you are looking for. Style, fit and conditions you are riding in? Some comp give you 2 lenses when you buy them, for sunny and cloudy days. Spherical goggles are real popular right now and also pricey, so if you do go that route make sure the lens is perfect for your enviroment..

Also new lenses can cost as much as a new pair of goggles so do your homework, also if you keep the foam lining part of the goggles against your face and not on your beenie that helps with the fogging..

best of luck.

Mr.V

Get some electric EG.5S or EG.2S.

Tarzanman

A lot of people are going to tell you a lot of things about goggles. In the end, you should care about two things

1.Do the goggles fit correctly
2. Can I see out of them properly

#1 - Fit. Fit doesn't just mean 'do they fit around my head'. You want a goggle that is
-Big enough for your face
-Big enough or small enough for your nose bridge (too small and you'll have problems breathing when the goggles are positioned on your face properly)
-Roughly matching the curvature of your face (othewise you will have gaps where the goggle gasketing doesn't seal against your head well enough
-Will fit over (or under, depending on how you wear stuff) your helmet, mask, or balaclava

#2 - Optics This just boils down to 'can I see properly'. I wouldn't pay any attention to 'spherical' vs 'cylindrical'. The refractive index of the plastic lenses is not enough to make a noticeable difference. Some people may disagree, but physics disagrees with them. After all, you are snowboarding, not shooting clay ducks at 100 yards away.
-Do you have a good, wild field of view or do the frames cut off important angles of vision
-Do they fog up quickly and take foever to de-fog (some goggles have venting adjustments to help with this)
-Are the lenses the appropriate shade I am looking for (I suggest 2 pairs of goggles instead of fooling around with switching lenses)

Most shops carry EITHER Smith or Scott. I've never been to a shop that I saw carrying both of those two brands. Of the shops that do carry Smith, most of them say that Smith tends to sell a little better. Most people I go to the mountain with have Smith, Oakley or Anon goggles. Remember, brand is less important than fit & function. Make sure to try on as many pairs as you can and try to determine the differences you can feel.... (which admittedly, is hard to do until you've worn goggles for a bit).

Leo

I'll have to disagree with you on that Spherical comment. The difference between a spherical lens and a flat lens is night and day. It's not about the material (plastic). It is about the manner in which the lens is thinned. I'm not saying flat lenses are going to ruin your experience (at least at your local hill, can't speak for backcountry), but once you ride a few times with a spherical lens, you won't want to go back to a flat lens.

I also disagree with your comment about shops carrying either Smith or Scott, but not both. I can only speak for Michigan, but I see both Smith and Scott regularly. The company I work for owns 7 brick and mortar shops and we carry all major brands. Scott beats Smith on for their entry level flat goggles, but Smith outsells Scott's spherical thanks to the I/O and I/Os.

Another thing to consider with buying spherical is the anti-fog. Since spherical goggles are more expensive, they utilize better anti-fog technology. Take Smith for example. They burn the anti-fog coating into their spherical lenses. Their flat lenses just have basic coating. Along the same logic, the more expensive spherical series goggles will have a much better design. This means better ventilation to further fight condensation and fog.

Goggles are definitely not created equal. Spherical is superior to flat for many other reasons than just the curvature.

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Tarzanman

If you were talking about a material with a high refractive index, then this would be true. These are thin, plastic lenses... and *not* camera glass. At the end of the day, the question is "Is that tree/rock actually where it appears to be looking through these lenses". The answer is yes. Given the small vertical FOV angle (i'd say about 90º) with snow goggles, there's little reason to pay the extra $$ for a spherically shaped lens. Its a case of diminishing returns. Do the calculations yourself if you don't believe me.

I don't have a problem with this statement. Like anything else, its complete personal preference.

I have only been in one shop (in Breckenridge, actually) that had enough goggles in there for me to suspect that they just might carry EVERY major brand (this place was bursting at the seams with goggles). All the other ski shops and sporting goods stores I have ever been to carry one or the other in their individual locations. To date, I have never seen a Scott goggle share a shelf with a Smith goggle.


Not quite. Check your product listing yourself - Smith Optics : Technology - Smith uses the hydrophobic coating on their spherical AND regulator series lenses. I have 2 pairs of regulators, they are most certainly cylindrical lenses.

Only in your mind. I am not knocking your preference, but don't incorrectly inform others that they are getting some huge advantage with a spherical lens. The fact is that they are not. An unnoticeable difference in aberration and an few degrees more on their FOV (field of view), depending on which frame they buy.

Leo

Well, I've already made my comment as to spherical being preference by stating that a flat lens isn't going to kill you (again, on a normal trail, can't speak for backcountry). And you were right about the anti-fog thing. Sorry. I thought I read on one of the company's catalogs that the tech was different. Looking through it again, it a difference between the years and not the current lines.

But, I still stand firmly on getting spherical goggles for many other reasons. You will get a better designed goggle. One other thing to note. Flat lenses are just fine, but there is a reason why you don't see goggles with a large coverage with flat lenses. Like an Electric EG 1 with flat lens. When you have that much lens coverage, spherical makes a factual difference. Top down vision would be distorted with a flat lens. With a flat lens, light travels through the top and bottom of the lens differently than when it travels through the center of it. This causes distortions which is why flat lens goggles have less coverage.

Edit: forgot to mention the top down thing with flat lenses is due to cylindrical lenses being tapered from only the center to the sides. Spherical lenses are tapered from the center to the top, bottom, sides, diagonal, etc...

Spherical goggles = more field of vision because of a larger lens coverage area, better designed frames, more technology on the actual lens i.e. Smith Vaporator (Regulator and Airflow do not have this)

All of those mentioned are huge advantages to me. I love goggles that minimize obstruction of vision and I have gone through many flat lens goggles and they all intruded in on my vision due to the smaller coverage area of the lens. That's just me though. Maybe seeing the plastic of the frame in all of your peripherals doesn't bother you.

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braden717

I'll second the a-frames. I absolutely love mine. I tried on a ton of goggles and they fit me the best. My lense never fogs up, even when I take my goggles off my head.

NWBoarder

I have to third them. I love my A Frames as well. Fogging is not an issue at all. Oakley may be a little pricey, but you get what you pay for in their case.

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