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Mountain Bike Goggles Vs Ski Goggles

6 min read

Finally there are photochromic lenses that ‘automatically’ adjust to the light conditions. Ski or snow goggles are one of the most popular choice of eye accessory for the average skier. They are designed to protect your eyes from the cold and wind.

Good contrast will help achieve a more transparent view while skiing down the slopes. The ground is all white and after snowfall so are the trees. In order to see dips in the slope while going downhill you need excellent contrast. The extra Ventilation helps to keep your eyes cool and comfortable. Other frameless designs utilise a lock system where the lens sits on the frame and is held in place by clasps or locks. This is a fanstastic system that combines security with style, but the clasps can be small and doing this in gloves can be tough.

Mtb Goggles vs Ski Goggles (9 Differences)

While the ultimate purpose of wearing goggles is not to look stylish, the completeness of one’s gear can take one’s confidence a notch higher. The bright sunlight can also have an annoying effect on your eyes. I suppose you might be wrong if you perceive that goggles protect your eye from UV rays alone. Using a cheaper variety of lenses works well with MTB bikes as they have to deal with mud, debris, leaves, etc, which leave more scratches on the lens.

While these are on the more expensive end of vision protection, their wide field of view and cozy fit are nearly unbeatable. These goggles are on the slightly smaller side, and will likely work well for riders with small to medium faces and eye spacing. The lens is unnoticeably clear, and can quickly be exchanged for a lens with a different tint. The strap attaches to “flexible side clips” that allow the frame to somewhat naturally sit into a variety of helmet shapes.

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Only 3 outdoor activities have more eye-injuries than cycling sports with the vast majority being preventable with a pair of glasses or goggles. If you are unsure about which eyewear is right for you, keep reading as this article discusses riding with glasses or goggles. The right lens tinting should block out all glare and provide perfect clarity and depth perception in the snow and out on the trails.

Replacing ski goggle lenses is, therefore, an expensive affair. Luckily, it is possible to replace ski goggle lenses with MTB goggle lenses in most cases. However, with ski goggles, the aim is to achieve a more precise vision while beholding white snow. Since there is a difference in the application, ski goggles and MTB goggles have slightly different visual dynamics.

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The ‘ Fit construction’ cleverly allows the goggle to distort and follow the contours and shape of any face. Read our overview of the Scott Prospect goggles for more information. Unfortunately, this system works a little too well, and lens swaps aren’t easy. A cycling community enthusiastic about mountain biking and all things related. They are great for dimming the light and making your vision darker.

Though with a Toric lens, some companies have embraced the design trend, believing that it offers better FOV than a traditional cylindrical or spherical lens. Though peripheral vision varies widely from person to person anyway, before we even talk about lenses! So how beneficial that extra potential FOV is is still up for debate! The best ski goggles should be comfortable, and perform well.

Benefit #4 – Reduced Eye Strain

Most goggles will also have lenses with at least two layers as this characteristic helps prevent fogging while also providing a thermal layer. Goggles play a few key roles when you go skiing or snowboarding. First, they can protect your eyes from harmful UV rays that can burn your eyes since they are stronger at higher altitudes.

The easy lens swapping and comfortable fit are two of its plus points, along with an excellent lens tint perfect for mountain biking. Many people find that as ski goggles fit closer to the face they are also inherently warmer than sunglasses, important if it will be particularly cold. The Ora Clarity uses a double-pane lens and broad venting around roughly 70% of the frame, with a massive field of vision similar to that of the above IXS frame. Instead of covering the vents with foam to keep dust and insects out, POC accepted the small contaminant risk and left the vents wide open. While the open vents allow max air flow, they could pose a problem on super dusty summer trails.

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In the summer the air is warmer so the sweat stays as vapour and escapes out of the goggles. But in colder climate the sweat condenses quickly and is harder to move than if it was still vapour. When cycling, you will use your goggles when blasting downhill and will probably not be pedalling much so are creating little heat. When riding up a trail centre hill and generating the most heat from exercise, you are unlikely to be wearing your goggles over your face. Sunglasses under clear goggles would be slightly worse than turning up at a trail centre in lycra.

Additionally, they offered a good balance of a small bit of sun protection (100% UVA & UVB) while still providing enough light transmission for riding in the woods. These lenses and the Options from POC were my favorite all-around lenses from the goggles I tested. They worked great for the majority of my riding conditions. This spring, however, I found they also worked quite well during wild and windy rides where lots of blowing moisture and dust can often get around the edges of riding glasses. Goggles helped to keep my eyes and face more protected, which allowed me to better focus on changing trail features and conditions.

Disadvantages of ski goggles

There are several reasons to wear goggles when you go skiing or snowboarding, and many outdoor enthusiasts won’t consider participating in these activities without that kind of protection. Too dark of lens and polarized lenses can alter depth-perception and mask shadows which will negatively impact your ability to spot trail obstacles and technical features. Also, many trails go from full-sun exposure during open sections to full-shade during forested sections. Mountain bikers and road cyclists are near the top when it comes to frequency of eye-injuries, with the vast majority being PREVENTABLE with a pair of riding glasses or goggles. Just see what happens when you go from a warm gondola, chalet, restaurant etc. Even sunglasses will mist up in those circumstances simply because your face is warmer than the air.

If you’re already enjoying some beautiful scenery as you ski or snowboard, polarized goggles can make the view appear even more impressive. Like a well worn in saddle, goggles are a piece of gear that some folks like to keep around for a while. The tattered and soiled strap says “I’ve been doing this for a minute.” Also, well made eye protection is expensive. Eventually, all great ocular guards wear out, and can’t be fully refurbished with a fresh lens. If that day has come for your trusty trail goggles, here are seven different sets worth consideration.

Ventilation and fogging

While not the most stable fitting glasses, we can’t argue with the quality and value. Ski goggles or sunglasses are an essential piece of kit for any winter sport whether you are a beginner or a more seasoned skier or snowboarder. However, companies like Oakley, Anon, POC, Smith, Giro — just to name a few — make both goggles and helmets, and offer complete compatibility. That means the curve of the goggles and the curve of the helmet match perfectly to provide a perfect fit with no gaps.

What Kind of Goggles Should I Get?

Sport-specific glasses or goggles are an essential piece of mountain biking equipment and should be considered non-negotiable protective gear, just like your helmet and gloves. Without double glazed lenses, even low humidity percentages will result in condensation if the inner lens temperature is cold enough. With only one lens, condensation would be a certainty. Bike goggles would probably be no worse at all in terms of visibility, as long as you don’t have any problems with them misting.

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