Choosing The Right Snowboarding Goggles
In terms of snowboarding safety, it could be argued that there is no more important piece of snowboard equipment as important as your goggles. When you’re speeding down the mountain, there is nothing more dangerous than suddenly not being able to see. There are many different hazards to your eyes on a mountain. Snow, or even ice, could kick up and get into your eyes. At high speeds, wind could dry your eyes out and blur your vision. And if you’re riding amongst trees, you need to protect your eyes from twigs and branches. However, the most dangerous hazard to your eyes when snowboarding is the sun. Not only are UV rays going into your eyes directly from the sun, but they are also reflecting up from the snow and back into your eyes, making the rays twice as potent. This can have not only an immediate glare effect, but a long term eye damage effect. So, it’s obvious that a quality pair of goggles is a necessity piece of snowboarding equipment.
One major factor in finding the right pair of goggles for you is Ventilation. If you’re using a pair of goggles that fog up, the potential to get injured dramatically increases. Obviously you want to be able to see, so spending a few extra dollars on a nice pair of goggles that properly ventilate should be a no brainer. Goggles with multiple layered lenses are less susceptible to fogging up than goggles with just one lens. In more expensive goggles, the lenses are coated with an anti-fogging material that drastically reduces the amount of fogging on your lenses, almost to non-existent. Vents located throughout the goggles help circulate fresh air into the goggles and reduce the amount of fog that collects on the lenses. Vents can come in all sizes and locations, but all have the same objective to keep the goggles properly ventilated. A point to keep in mind is that the bigger the vent, the better the ventilation. However, the bigger the vent, the colder the air around your eyes. Make sure you find the vent size that fits perfectly for you.
Lenses also come in different colors, and each have different attributes.
Black/Polarized: Perfect for bright days. Reduces the glare of the sun without tinting your vision.
Silver/Green: Perfect for slightly cloudy days. These goggles increase the sharpness of the horizon, allowing you to see the terrain better. Recommended for uneven slopes.
Yellow/Gold/Amber Lenses: Good for evening snowboarding, when the sunlight has dimmed.
Rose/Purple: Good for late evening/night snowboarding. These goggles bring out the light in dark areas, a nice piece of snowboarding equipment to have for those all day trips.
Clear Lenses: The ideal lens for night snowboarding.
So as you can see, a pair of goggles is definitely much more than a fashion statement. Lastly, make sure your goggles are a snug fit and allow you to see well in current mountain conditions.