The Perfect Ski Goggles for Every Kind of Condition

This article originally appeared on Outside

You don't need to be a meteorologist to know this: weather can be unpredictable, especially in the mountains, where it can change in a heartbeat. That means you need goggles that protect your eyes from a full range of conditions--the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays, cold, wind, snowflakes, and even ice.

The most important part of your goggles is the lens. Lenses designed to enhance color and contrast let you see details you may not be able to see with the naked eye. With the right lens, even in poor light you have more clarity and can identify terrain, discern obstacles like rocks or sticks, judge mogul shapes, and anticipate texture shifts like icy to packed or packed to powder.

That's why it's so important to consider lens performance first when you're shopping for goggles, and why Oakley put so much development into the innovative, proprietary Prizm snow-lens technology--a game changer for all skiers and riders. These lenses block wavelengths along the color spectrum, playing with your perception. By choosing among the seven lenses, you can customize performance to your conditions. The lenses, which range in price and colors, match specially engineered base tints with unique mirror-effect Iridium anti-glare coatings that precisely tune light transmission.

Providing crisper, clearer optics, the photochromic Prizm lenses have built-in versatility, decreasing the need to switch lenses with changing light. If you do want to switch lenses, though, Oakley's lens-change Ridgelock technology lets you change them out quickly while still maintaining a solid seal against snow and wind.

Here's what to wear in each situation, so you can say goodbye to miserable squinting, straining, and dreaded fog-blindness. And what happens when you can see better in all conditions? More confidence and more hours on the mountain.

Bright Sunshine

It's a bluebird day and you're on the hunt for powder stashes from last night's storm or ready to cruise perfectly groomed trails. In addition to extra sunscreen, you'll need goggles that block glare. Darker lenses with a lower VLT (visible light transmission) work for sunshine. The Prizm Snow Black Iridium lens is perfect on a bright sunlight day.

For taking the line you want in bright sun, go for the Fall Line L. With a Prizm Snow Black Iridium lens, the goggle's rimless design provides a wide field of view, meaning you see more of what's around you. The Fall Line's solid lens seal makes sure no snow gets inside your goggles.

The Prizm Snow Black Iridium lens also works great in the Line Miner L goggle, which combines style with superb performance. Its cylindrical shape and snug face fit ensure superior downward and peripheral vision. As part of the Meet the Athletes collection, Oakley worked in partnership with six-time X Games medalist and heavily decorated snowboarder Stale Sandbech to design the Line Miner L Stale Sandbech Signature Series and with two-time gold medalist Jamie Anderson on the Line Miner L Jamie Anderson Signature Series.

Sun and Clouds

When it comes to the variable light that comes with alternating snow and sun, you need a versatile lens like the rock-star Prizm Snow Sapphire Iridium. Try it in the new premier Flight Path L, developed with Norwegian World Cup alpine-ski racer Aleksander Kilde. The world's best athletes rely on this lens for use on any mountain, under any conditions. The L size maximizes the field of view at all angles and permits greater upward vision, allowing for an unobstructed view in an aggressive skiing position.

Snow and Overcast

A lens that enhances color vision lets you more easily spot snow contours and hazards in the terrain. Prizm Snow Hi Pink Iridium coated lenses boost contrast and light filtering while optimizing color in a variety of low or flat light conditions and in blizzards that might otherwise be blinding. Try this lens in Flight Deck L goggles. Inspired by the helmet visors of fighter pilots, the oversize Flight Deck L maximizes your field of view.

Nighttime

Since different lens colors allow more or less light to reach your eyes, you'll want a lens that complements your environment. That means lighter lenses with a higher VLT for night skiing, such as orange or clear lenses that allow for maximum light.

Ultimately, when your goggles prepare you for all conditions, expect a great day on the slopes.

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