Am off skiing for first time in about 35 years and need some goggles.

Am on a bit of a budget so nothing too flashy, but not sure what light transmission i should look at for all purpose use?

I’ve got some normal sunglasses i can use if it gets really sunny

cheers

Oakley O Frame’s are cheap and work fine, the permission lens is good for all but the brightest of sunshine.

I just use some Oakleys I got about 15 years ago with flat light lenses, so with an orange tint. Dark enough for sunny days and work well in flat light, so if you’re skiing down a tree lined trail where you’re going from sun to shade they work great. Can’t be bothered faffing with changing between glasses and goggles or swapping lenses in goggles, so as a one lens to rule them all they work fine.

Not skiing, but I’ve got a set of these that I use on my MX bike

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/spy-optic-shield-ansi-goggle/rp-prod162443

Cheap, functional and come with 3 lenses.

If you are on a budget, just stick to your sunglasses, you’ll be fine.

On a slight high jack, has anyone replaced their goggle foam?

If so, where did you get it from? Have some Bolle goggle that are fine but the foam has started to perish.

If you are on a budget, just stick to your sunglasses, you’ll be fine.

Sunglasses aren’t much fun if it actually snows while you are skiing though. I generally prefer my persimmon Oakley goggles over sunglasses most days now anyway. Stops streaming eyes as well.

If you are on a budget, just stick to your sunglasses, you’ll be fine.

No you wont. Sunglasses work in the sun (surprisingly) and some not so good light conditions.

Just get some double lensed yellow ones with lots of ventilation. Sorry I know that doesn’t really help.

You need to buy goggles that fit your helmet, so get thee to a shop with your helmet to try some on.

Personally I have Oakley Canopy with a prizm lens but there is a good range of specs and prices. As Lunge says the O Frame is a good place to start.

Edit – sorry, reading your post again it sounds like you might not have a helmet. Will you plan to borrow or hire? In which case you can ignore what I’ve said!

Yeah, you are a tad screwed if it snows but, google are easily available in the resort and you can at least try them on if it’s forecast to snow.

We’ve been plenty of times and got away with sunglasses. It is a gamble.

You need to buy goggles that fit your helmet, so get thee to a shop with your helmet to try some on.

That would be my advice too, and if you haven’t got a helmet, probably worth you buying both together.
Even more so if like me you need to ware them over glasses.

Edit – sorry, reading your post again it sounds like you might not have a helmet. Will you plan to borrow or hire? In which case you can ignore what I’ve said!

Maybe just not wear a helmet they are not compulsory.

You need to buy goggles that fit your helmet, so get thee to a shop with your helmet to try some on.

Yes, I made that mistake – my Oakley’s didn’t work with my helmet so ended up selling them.

Most people wearing helmets for skiing now. Personally find it keeps my head warm and is more comfortable than a wooly hat so I wear one.

I only wear my goggles when it’s snowing or very poor light and they don’t get worn at all some trips.

i struggle with snow blindness even in shit light, so its either a helmet with goggles or a wooly hat with shades depending what im doing, off piste adventures v’s cruising with the kids… i dont mind the helmet, i wear it for the same reasons i do on a bike, but its never ever more comfortable than a bobhat!

Haven’t got a helmet, no one ever wore them last time I was skiing!

Will have a look at the Oakley o frames, would prefer having goggles than just glasses as from what I remember it’s not that nice skiing in glasses when it’s snowing. Trying to get stuff here before we go rather than buy it in the resort as probably be a lot more expensive out there.

I always wear goggles, even if it’s just sunny. My eyes can’t cope with the brightness and wind, plus I sweat so much glasses steam up. For that reason, I have some Smith Turbo Fans, but that’s no good to you if you’re on a budget.

You should really wear a helmet (nobody wants to see your brains smeared across a tree), if you’re renting skis the helmet won’t be much more on top.

Some generic goggles from Decathlon should be fine. Try them on with a couple of brands of helmet (even if you’re renting) and find the best fit.

Maybe just not wear a helmet they are not compulsory

Oh absolutely. They don’t half keep your head warm though!

But I wouldn’t ski without one.

Anyway – this isn’t meant to be a debate about helmets.

You should really wear a helmet (nobody wants to see your brains smeared across a tree), if you’re renting skis the helmet won’t be much more on top.

I have wondered about this. I think (waiting to be corrected) ski helmets are rated to the same standard as bike helmets. That means (again, waiting to be corrected) to protect from a collision up to about 15mph. Speed on skis tends to be a lot faster than on a bike (I’ve hit 100kmh on skis) and even a slow speed collision between two people (which a lot of ski accidents are) would have a combined closing speed way over 15mph.

Is there actually much evidence of reduced head injuries due to ski helmets being worn? Most accidents are likely to massively exceed the protection offered and there’s probably a fair bit of risk compensation to add in

If you don’t wear a helmet you will have nowhere to mount your gopro – therefore you may actually be safer in a crash…

Decathlon do a good range of goggles that don’t cost much.
If you’re on a budget don’t go in there though, we always come out £200 lighter even if we don’t really need anything.

Places like go outdoors and trespass shops do decent budget goggles as well.

its cool nothing much has changed in 35 years. There are a few more roads snaking through the resorts but its ok just send them

[video]http://youtu.be/u94-jgB1rmc[/video]

I bought some OTG goggles from Decathlon. They’ve a wide range.

I work in a resort in Austria.

I would definitely recommend buying before you come out. Prices will be RRP normally and its a lot harder to get a discount on a pair of goggles when its snowing outside and you are trying to buy them!!

With regards to the helmet debate, 99 percent wear helmets now. Speeds involved are quite high, also you never know when someone else may ski into you.

Try TK Maxx, sometimes you get lucky in there.

I just use wrap around sunglasses skiing. Has to be a real blizzard before I would consider using goggles and we’d normally stop for Vin chaud and wait for better weather….

I’ve ski’d and still do in both sun glasses and goggles depending on my mood,of you want to go down the goggles route but not sure on colour I have a set of and quite like the Nevica with interchangable lenses depending on the conditions.

think these are the up to date version of mine

I have wondered about this. I think (waiting to be corrected) ski helmets are rated to the same standard as bike helmets….

Ski helmet standard also includes a penetration test (fnnar). A quick foogle suggests ski standard is 50G better (250G vs 300G) that bike standard not sure what that equates to in real life.

FWIW, I fall off my snowboard a lot more than I fall off my bike, usually at lower speeds. A seemingly trivial bump on the head can kill you so anything that mitigates my clumsiness is a win for me.

You’re right that my example of smashing your head into a tree at speed isn’t strictly relevant. In a catastrophic accident the helmet isn’t going to be a factor.

I have Oakley O frames and use the persimmon lens most of the time. In fact i’ve pretty much stopped swapping to the dark greu mirror lens I have for sunny weather, the persimmon is so good.

Check out Freeze Pro, they have tons of Oakleys and lens options. Prices ok.

Another plus for Oakleys is good back up for replacement parts and lenses – very good customer service which ime makes them pretty cheap in the long term

Borrow some if you can for an emergency, but I am with those that say you can rely on sunglasses most of the time – I have had my googles for nigh on 20 years and I doubt I have put them on more than 5 times.

FWIW, I fall off my snowboard a lot more than I fall off my bike, usually at lower speeds. A seemingly trivial bump on the head can kill you so anything that mitigates my clumsiness is a win for me.

Likewise. I wear a Bern helmet for skiing and it’s got a very thick outer shell which takes a lot of knocks from skilifts and the like that would put a dent in a bike helmet.

learner snowboarders seem to hit their heads quite a lot (fall forward/fall backward). You’re meant to replace a helmet after any half serious knock – Bern’s hard hat probably make a lot of sense.
http://www.bernunlimited.com/innovation?_ga=2.97578399.1689264484.1510850969-1631543132.1510850969

When are you going skiing as this will affect the Likliehood of whether you’ll get away with glasses. If you’re going in Jan/Feb then it’s much more likely that you’ll benefit from goggles. Later in winter and into spring then glasses might get work better.

I prefer skiing in winter when it’s generally colder and the snow conditions are better. That means going out in poor weather and low viz so goggles are best. I’ve also done a fair bit in Canada and glasses in -20C isn’t something I’d fancy.

learner snowboarders seem to hit their heads quite a lot (fall forward/fall backward).

they also crash into people a lot! I was taken out by one last year and it totally trashed my shoulder. Took 8 months to recover!

Only goggles and helmet here.
I insist my kids wear helmets so it not really an option not to wear one myself.
It’s no great hardship, unless touring, very snug in a storm.

I love it when the slopes empty due to bit of bad weather.

Lidl are about to have their winter sports stock in soon – I’ve got a sunshine and an overcast/flat light pair of their £7.99 goggles and they’re excellent. Done a few weeks with them in various conditions and they’ve been great.

I hate wearing goggles. Sunglasses for me 99.9% of the time. I’m going to try my Oakley Jawbreaker photochromics next time out when it turns grotty instead of goggles.