Winter Sports Equipment Checklist: Ski Goggles, Do You Need A Pair?

Okay, so you’re getting ready for a skiing adventure and wondering if you’ll need to have a pair of ski goggles. They can be pretty expensive, ranging from £15 to £150, so, understandably, you want to make sure you’re not purchasing an unnecessary accessory. Ski goggles, however, are absolutely necessary for safe skiing, so they are well worth the investment. If you’re skiing for the first time, you’re probably not going to be speeding down steep slopes, so you might get away with just sunglasses, but that’s only if it happens to be a mild sunny day. Fact is, nothing protects your eyes like goggles, even if you’re a beginner proceeding at a snail’s pace on the bunny slopes.

Protection

Unlike ski sunglasses, ski goggles wrap snugly around your face, protecting you not just from sun, but from wind, snow and ice. Even when it’s not actually snowing, other skiers may kick up the already fallen snow into your eyes. Ski goggles will further prevent the cold from reaching your eyes, so that they don’t get watery and blur your vision. They actually enhance your vision and eliminate glare so that, especially in white out conditions, you can distinguish the snow from the clouds. Now that you know ski goggles are imperative for maximum safety on the slopes, you have to decide which kind to get. There are many types available, which explains the varying prices. The type of lenses you get will be the biggest factor in dictating cost. Some goggles have interchangeable lenses, a kind of an all in one deal, so that you can switch lenses according to the weather elements at a given time.

Lens Choice

Professional skiers usually have multiple pairs so they can be ready to face any weather conditions, whether it’s bright sun, fog or clouds. As a beginner looking for just one pair to get you started, your best bet is to buy goggles whose lenses are designed for skiing in cloudy and foggy conditions. The mix of clouds and snow can cause white out conditions that can make even a professional skier disoriented, so you want to make sure you have the best protection against the most severe and dangerous conditions. One of the biggest problem with goggles is the lenses can fog up. Even the most expensive lenses will eventually yield to humidity. Because keeping them dry can be a challenge, it would be wise to carry a lens cloth with you at all times. Remember, no matter what kind of goggles you get or how much they cost, you can’t put a price on safety. This article was provided by John Jones who works at the Chill Factore, the UK's largest indoor skiing slope. John has worked within a number of French and Italian ski resorts, however he now combines his love of snowsports with his love of journalism.