The Ultimate Guide to Goggles

General Notes

• We choose what we carry based on extensive research on what's the best value to our customers (e.g., price given performance & durability features) across all the top brands. We specifically do not carry every brand & model; for details on why we do/don't carry certain items in the following What To Use & How To Choose section
• Buy prices are MSRP with tax, i.e., what you see is what you pay. Prices may differ in-store due to change in models or discounts, but this is rare. If we don't sell what we rent, we list MSRP value with tax
• Rent prices are the starting prices; enter trip dates on our Catalog to get exact prices (based on total trip length, not per day!). We also don't charge sales tax, an automatic savings of almost 10%!

Goggles	Lower end	Higher end
		Entry level			Mid range					Best in class
Model
	Smith Cascade, Electra, or Transit	Smith Daredevil	Smith Drift	Smith Squad	Zeal Slate	Zeal Forecast	Zeal Fargo	Zeal Voyager	Smith Vice	Smith I/O series
Buy MSRP with tax	$30-40 value	$54	$76	$92	$150-270 value; Zeal's pricing depends on frame & lens				$157	$260
Rent	$4+	$6+	$12+
Online rental Catalog name	Adult goggles (basic)	Youth goggles (premium)	Adult goggles (premium)
Lens shape	Cylindrical				Spherical
Over-The-Glasses (OTG)**										I/OX model
Extra lens**
Photochromic lens**

**These features have extremely limited availability, please call to reserve

We do carry gear designed specifically for women (some differences mentioned throughout this guide); however, in our experience, most people do not notice the differences; i.e., actual fit & personal preference are more important than industry-average differences based on sex (e.g., not all women are shorter). Whenever considering sex-specific gear, we recommend comparing all the options, to ensure the price difference is worth it (women-specific items are often more expensive). If you do require a specific sex when renting online, please write-in on the Options page of our online order form; otherwise we will pick regardless of sex. For this gear, women-specific items available as the Smith Drift model.

When you rent online, we will pick a model for you. You can change the model if you pick-up in-store, subject to availability. On the Options page of our online order process, you can also select options or write-in any preferences. This section describes the majority of our models & options, but sometimes we carry others. We will only pick something else if it doesn't conflict with your choices indicated on the Options page; moreover, if there's a major functional difference (e.g., capacity), we will attempt to contact you first

Type or Style

Even though we strongly recommend actual goggles, we know that some people will want to use sunglasses, particularly on nice days with mild conditions. If you use sunglasses, at least use the wrap-style frame or sports-style. This wraps closer to your face to provide better peripheral protection than fashion sunglasses.

	Sunglasses	Goggles
Example images
Secure to your face
	You can get a neck strap for glasses, but that doesn't mean they'll stay on your face, a bump could jostle them off. Goggles on the other hand are by definition flush against your face. It would take a severe fall to dislocate them
Protects periphery
Insulates eyes & upper half of face
Protects wind & snow from getting in your eyes
Durable	Lens could pop out after a fall, frames are more thin & fragile
Easier to locate after a fall	Due to smaller size
Why we do/don't carry it = we rent = we sell	Doesn't offer the same level of protection & safety	This is the standard for snowsports

Technical features

The majority of users will not be concerned about these (or even notice a difference, honestly), as they're really designed to optimize for the highest levels of performance.

Lens shape

	Cylindrical	Spherical
What it means	Goggles curved in one dimension: around your face	Goggles curved in both dimensions: around your face but also vertically
Example images
Benefits	Less expensive	Less glare Less fog Less distortion More peripheral vision
Why we do/don't carry it = we rent = we sell	This is the standard	Our mission is to increase access to gear & we are proud to be the only company to rent as well as sell this type

Lens color & light transmission

A lot of physics here, but basically, 2 important concepts:

1. Color correlates with visible light transmission (VLT): lighter tints let in more light (higher VLT), and darker tints let in less light (lower VLT)
2. Color also has a secondary effect: by filtering different spectrums of light, different colors can help enhance certain aspects of vision

But because each color is good for a range of conditions & many have secondary effects that are similar (e.g., enhanced contrast vs enhanced depth perception), and goggles may have different base lens colors and tints depending on the brand (to optimize for different conditions), we've highlighted a few simple guidelines:

• Sunny, bright days: Black, gray, brown (you may also want a mirror coat, which further cuts down on VLT)
• Partly cloudy to sunny days: Green, blue, amber/ copper/ bronze/ gold/ orange (there are a lot of lenses in this color range!)
• Overcast, stormy days: Yellow, rose/ pink
• Night: Clear (can also protect from UV light, but there's no protection from brightness, which is why these are only good at night or dusk!)

Given this, there are 2 other features that may be worth the additional cost:

• Extra lenses so you always optimize for the best VLT depending on the conditions
• Photochromic lenses that lighten or darken automatically depending on the conditions outside

We do sell & rent goggles with every combination of the features above, if you have a specific request, it's best to call & reserve by phone.

How to know if your goggles & helmet fit

Source: https://www.freeride.se/kopguide-skidglasogon-goggles/

Preventing fog

Suddenly having your lenses fog up can not only be annoying but dangerous. Fogging occurs due to temperature difference, e.g., when warm air around your face hits cold lenses, causing condensation. Modern goggles, especially higher end ones, have a number of technologies to minimize fogging, up to little battery-operated fans (like a car defogger)! But it can & still does happen, so here are a few tricks, all designed to minimize the temperature differences:

• Don't overheat by over-dressing
• Don't tuck face protection under the goggles (e.g., facemask or balaclava, or a buff), this can channel your warm breath into the goggles directly
• Don't take them off frequently which causes lenses to cool down such that when you put them back on there's a temperature difference
• Don't keep goggles on your head, your head emits warm air, when you take them off your head to put them on your face, that moment of exposure to cold air will be so contrasted with the warm air from your head that goggles may fog
• Wear goggles before going outside let your body heat warm them up first; by this logic I suppose you could also cool down your face with ice water, but that's less of a good idea!
• Don't block the air vents clear away accumulated snow, or help vent by lifting them off just a little bit but not completely, while you're outside on a lift (when there's an air draft)
• Be wary of using cleaners or wiping the lenses since this may affect any anti-fog coatings. Rinse gently with water & air dry. Only if needed, dab very gently with a microfiber cloth

If fog inevitably happens, it's best to go indoors, use hand dryers to dry the condensation, then take a break and allow the goggles to come back to regular temperature.