Man and woman snowboarding with Decathlon ski helmet and goggles

How to choose ski and snowboard goggles?

Ski and snowboard goggles are an essential accessory for doing sport safely: as well as protecting your eyes from the light, they improve your perception of the terrain, etc. Several criteria must be taken into account.

Woman skiing with a decathlon leopard ski mask and helmet

Safety & ski goggles, what does that mean?

Ski goggles are a key safety item, just like body protection.

Whatever the season, the higher you go, the more UV there is (+10% every 1000 meters!). In winter, the reflection on the snow makes UV more aggressive on the eyes, even in overcast weather. For young teenagers/adults:

Also, your perception of the terrain depends on the conditions: glare in bright light, low visibility in fog... Having a suitable mask means you can have better vision and so plan further ahead.

Finally, ski goggles protect you from the outside elements. Airtight, they prevent air from getting in, and so avoid your eyes watering, which can be bad for them in cold weather (as well as being very unpleasant). Of course, they also prevent contact with foreign bodies (branches, small stones, etc.).

Main criteria: the categories and colours of ski goggle lenses.

In the mountains, the weather can change (very) quickly. Depending on the conditions, visibility will be more or less good, and the criteria for seeing clearly through the “lenses” of ski goggles (= the glass) vary. Here at Decathlon, we offer 2 categories of goggles.

S1 lens: for days with low visibility.

By letting a lot of light through, these lenses are perfect for days with limited brightness: snow, fog etc. Generally, the colours of these lenses are relatively light to highlight the contrasts.
S3 lens: for clear blue skies!

Exceptional weather means extreme brightness: as well as protecting against UV rays, this type of lens will highlight variations in the terrain, which are less visible because of the sun's rays. The colours will be darker than those in the other category to let less light through.
A lens for different conditions, but not necessarily several masks.

As mentioned above, the weather can change quickly in the mountains and it’s not always practical to load yourself down with additional accessories. Here at Decathlon, we offer goggles with interchangeable lenses: slip your lens into your jacket pocket and change it easily according to the conditions, even with gloves on.

Other technologies may be worth highlighting, too:

Photochromic glass, for slightly higher budgets, consists of pigments that react mainly to UV and not much to brightness. This product has advantages but is not always the best solution. Under a lamp, it won’t go dark because the lamp doesn’t emit UV; and since there’s a lot of UV when skiing, even on a white-out day, the mask will never be really clear. It’s effective when cycling or running... But during bad weather when skiing, nothing beats a dedicated mask.
HD lenses (whose name varies depending on the brand) greatly improve contrasts, which makes a real difference and adds real visual comfort during your days on the snow.

Tints and categories: OK. What about the shape? Spherical, circular?

There are 2 shapes of ski and snowboard goggles: spherical and circular. While visibility can change very slightly from one model to another, it’s mainly a matter of taste and colour - here, we’ll leave it up to you.

Spherical lens

Made in 3 dimensions, spherical formats are curved and follow the shape of the retina. The field of vision is very slightly wider.
Circular lens

Circular lens: shaped in 2 dimensions, this model is flatter. The field of vision is very slightly less than its counterpart.

How to avoid fogging in ski goggles?

You put the goggles on your helmet, enjoy your sport to the full and produce a lot of heat in the process... Fogging easily occurs during a day’s skiing. As well as being unpleasant, it can be dangerous by reducing your visibility. Several things can help avoid it:

The double lens:on the same principle as double glazing, it limits fogging as well as being a very good insulator against temperature. All our models are fitted with them.
Ventilation foam: goggles generally have several foam densities (we'll talk about this later). One of the layers, not always present, is used for ventilation to limit fogging.
Anti-fog treatment:most masks have it. Here, it's the way you look after your goggles that’s the key: when you clean them, tap rather than rub the inside of the goggles. This can damage the treatment and let the fog return.

Other treatments exist such as anti-scratch, but the most effective way to combat these problems is the way you look after & store your goggles. Store them in their cover, and avoid leaving them in the car boot with the rest of your equipment: they don't like boots falling on them. 100% of our products can be repaired by our after-sales department from winter 2024.

How to choose the size of your ski goggles

Here at Decathlon, we offer 2 sizes of goggles (adaptable thanks to their elastic).

For children:XXS for babies, XS up to 8 years old.
For young teenagers/adults:S for thin faces, L for slightly wider faces.

Be careful, ski goggles that are too small will reduce your field of vision. As well as the issue of comfort, it’s also a matter of safety. While the criteria and technologies are similar for choosing kids’ ski goggles, you have to let them try them on. Here, we give you some advice!

What other points will affect the comfort of my ski mask?

You now know the different categories, tints and shapes... There still remain a few points to improve your comfort.

Foam

In direct contact with your face, it’s essential for your comfort. There are several densities (single, double, and even triple): the foam against your face only plays a comfort role to fit your face well, while that on the outside of the frame is used for ventilation and to protect the eyes from snow getting in.
Elastic

Depending on the price, goggles will feature one adjustment buckle rather than two, and will or will not have a silicone strip to prevent the mask from slipping on your helmet.
Compatibility with your ski helmet

We strongly recommend you try on your future mask with your helmet: the fit must be perfect, to avoid any air getting in, which can be (very) unpleasant.

Woman with prescription glasses and Decathlon ski helmet with visor

Ski goggles and prescription glasses - how does it work?

When you wear glasses, wearing goggles can be a headache, but we’ve got good news for you! There are specially adapted systems.

OTG “over the glasses” goggles: their deeper, wider structure makes it possible to wear glasses with your goggles. It is, of course, highly recommended that you try your goggles with your glasses before buying.
Ski helmet with visor : the visor directly built into the helmet makes wearing glasses possible thanks to a specific system. And the bonus is being able to combine 2 pieces of equipment in one!

We're there: you know everything there is to know about ski goggles! We’ll now leave it up to you to make your choice from the different models and prices in our range. Your turn to play!

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