How to choose snowboard goggles

Fit is the first test when you buy snowboard goggles. Smith’s anti-fog advice is to make sure goggles form a tight seal on your face and to wear your helmet or hat when you try on new goggles; it notes that frames come in sizes from small to XL.

With your helmet on, check that:

• the foam touches your face all around, with no gaps at the cheeks or nose bridge;
• there’s no heavy pressure on your nose;
• the frame meets the helmet brim without a strip of bare forehead and without the helmet pushing the goggles down;
• your side and downward view is wide when you glance around.

Some frames come in low-bridge or smaller-face versions, worth trying if standard frames gap around your nose. If you haven’t settled on a helmet yet, our helmet sizing and fit guide covers the other half of the pairing.

Anon explains that visible light transmission (VLT) is the percentage of light a lens lets through, and that low-VLT, darker lenses suit sunny days while high-VLT, lighter lenses are best in low light. Anon groups lenses into filter categories like this:

Check each lens’s stated VLT or category instead of judging by color; a mirror finish can make a lens look darker than it is. If you ride in all kinds of weather, goggles with interchangeable lenses let you carry a spare, and photochromic lenses change tint with the light. Our page on mountain snow and weather conditions explains how quickly the light can change.

• OTG (over-the-glasses) goggles have extra room and cut-outs in the frame for your glasses’ arms. Smith’s OTG guide says you can put your glasses on first and the goggles over them, or nest the glasses in the goggle’s lens chamber and put both on together, then tighten the strap so the foam fits snugly against your face.
• Prescription inserts clip inside some goggles; check which models support them.
• Contact lenses let you wear any goggles. Ask your optician whether they suit you for snow sports.

Try OTG goggles with your actual glasses, as frame size and shape affect comfort and fogging.

1. Put the strap around the outside of the helmet, not under it. Many helmets have a clip at the back to hold it.
2. Tighten the strap with the slider until the foam seals evenly.
3. Stop before it hurts. Over-tightening presses the frame onto your nose and cheeks and can cause headaches.
4. Even up both sides so the goggles sit straight.

When you take them off, don’t push goggles up onto your forehead. Smith says this traps heat and moisture inside; wear them on your helmet or carry them instead.

Whether you shop in person or online, run through this list before you pay:

• Frame size suits your face, and the foam seals with no gaps at the nose or cheeks
• Tried on with your own helmet: no forehead gap, no pressure on your nose
• Strap long enough to go around the outside of your helmet
• Lens VLT or category matches where and when you usually ride
• A spare lens or photochromic option if your weather changes a lot
• OTG design or insert option if you ride in prescription glasses
• Replacement lenses available for that model
• Returns policy checked if you can’t try them in a store first

If you’re putting together a whole outfit at once, it helps to buy goggles and helmet together so you can test the pairing on the spot.

Lens-change systems vary: magnets, levers or clips, or flexing the frame to ease the lens out. Follow the instructions for your exact model; the wrong technique can crack a lens or frame.

• Swap lenses indoors or somewhere sheltered, with clean, dry hands.
• Hold lenses by the edges and avoid touching the inside surface, which usually carries an anti-fog coating.
• Keep the spare lens in its own soft bag or case.
• Use only replacement lenses made for your goggle model.

Taking care of your goggles between rides matters just as much as the lens you choose; our advice on cleaning lenses and stopping fog covers drying and storage. For the rest of your outfit, from layers to gloves, see our snowboard clothing and layering guide.