Skiing with glasses - what to do??

A snowHead

Hi everyone,

My first post here and I will be going on my first ski holiday in January.

I wear glasses all the time so have been looking at options of either OTG goggles, Goggles with prescription lens inserts or just getting contact lenses to wear when skiing so I can just wear whatever goggles I want.

What is the general consensus on the best thing to do, how to other people find OTG's, do they mist up a lot? I would hate to go skiing and spend half my time being fogged up!

Thanks,

Dan

A snowHead

I have daily disposable contacts I only use for skiing. Amuses the wife no end with the swearing in the bathroom for the first few days, but I wouldn't be without them. Also facilitates the entry into hot bars in the evening!

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Try daily disposable type contacts. If you can wear them they're the best if you need to wear goggles.

I've had prescription Oakley wraparounds that worked well for skiing.

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Lenses are ideal but inserts good if you can't get on with them. OTG glasses never suited me.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

If you can tolerate contact lenses, wear contact lenses.

Otherwise, OTG googles are ok if you're careful to find something comfortable. I haven't often worn my glasses when skiing though so I'm not the expert on fogging. It hasn't been a problem for me the few times I've done it.

Prescription lens inserts sound like an expensive choice for your first ski holiday.

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@chameleon001, Firstly, welcome to snowHeads!

I too wear glasses all the time and I have never worn contacts, but undoubtedly if you can wear them I would think they would be the best solution.

I used to wear OTG goggles, and although they were OK most of the time they did on occasion fog up which was a pain. Part of the solution is to keep your glasses as clean as possible - water vapour condenses onto any dirt or grease on the glass, if you can keep the surface chemically clean (using some of the propriatory cleaning agents) then the vapour can't condense. However, recently I've moved away from using OTG goggles to using a visor type ski helmet and I find this the ideal solution with no fogging problems, see this thread.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I had the same dilemma for my first ski holiday last year. I don't get on with contacts (unfortunately), so ruled that out. Prescription inserts look like a good idea, but too much of a financial comittment. None of the cheapo googles in places like sports direct were are good over glasses, so I ended up at my local ski shop (The Aladin's cave that is Ski Bartlett) got to try several pairs with help/advice. Ended up spending more than I wanted to (about 70 quid) just to get a pair that not only fitted over my glasses but were comfortable across the nose. Maybe you're luckier in the not-having-a-big-nose department than me. Wore my googles all week - no discomfort, no major fogging issues (it was March and warm though).
The pair I ended up with were Scott, and had an adjustable fitting system (which is what finally solved my big nose problem). I think it was these http://www.skibartlett.com/ski-clothing-accessories-c2/ski-accessories-c17/ski-goggles-lenses-sunglasses-c65/scott-notice-geoscape-black-over-the-glasses-otg-goggle-black-chrome-lens-cat-2-p630 [I hope its okay to post the link, I have no association to Ski Bartlett other than as a satisfied customer]

The only problem I did have was that the grey Cat2 lenses didn't really cut out enough light on bright days, but I found that they worked quite nicely with my prescription sunnies. Not ideal having to carry two pairs of glasses and goggles though!

So my top tips are:
1) Go to a proper ski gear shop
2) Try with both your regular glasses and prescription sunnies
3) make sure you wear them for a few minutes before committing (stagger around the shop for a while!) - One pair I tried fitted over the glasses fine, but were really uncomfortable after a couple of minutes.

I've also seen someone in the fridge at Hemel with a helmet that had a full face visor* (and glasses) - it struck me as a good idea but googling reviews sem mixed. Probably too much of a financial comittment for a first trip anyway.
*The visor was up, before anyone says anything about people that wear googles in the fridge /shakes head/.

After all it is free

Daily disposable contacts are the way to go. Remember that your glasses prescription is not the same as your contacts prescription, so you will have to see your optician for advice.

@chameleon001, I used contact lenses for years but eventually had to carry reading glasses as well which defeated the point of the contacts. I now wear OTG goggles with reactive lenses in them from Scott. They were not cheap, but they work in all types of light, even in flat light where the definition of the terrain is way better than anything I'd tried before. I have an extension strap which makes wearing them over my helmet much more comfortable. No problem with fogging as such, although they do fog up if I stand still and have my collar or Buff pulled up, directing my breath into the goggles. The fogging clears in seconds as soon as I start to move. I had the opposite problem with my nose - too bloody small with most other styles, so either they tended to either slip down my face if the strap was too loose or leave me with the skiing equivalent of "mask pinch" if I had the strap done up as tight as possible to prevent the slipping! Laughing

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If the weather is good I prefer to wear prescription sunglasses, never quite liked the tunnel vision of goggles. It's helpful to have very thin arms on them otherwise under a helmet it can get quite uncomfortable around the ears after a couple of days. Apparently the sunglasses and helmet look isn't too 'cool' but so long as I can see that's not a worry. The problem comes when it starts to snow and sunglasses can't cope and you really need goggles. I've tried goggles over glasses but steaming up can be a real problem in snowy damp conditions and a real faff to sort out halfway down the piste. Definitely then daily disposable contact lenses are the best option if you get on with them. Like Val Desire I need to schedule half an hour in the morning to get them in my eyes as I only wear them to ski, and as mine only do distance it helps if I know where I am going as I can't read a piste map when they are in without carrying reading glasses - the joys of age. I used to just buy a few pairs from the optician so not expensive. Last 2 years I've been using a helmet with a visor. Bit of a spaceman look but it works quite well with the extra ventilation mostly avoiding my glasses (clear or sunglasses depending on how bright it is) steaming up and if the weather is good I can just keep the visor up - avoids that do I carry goggles with me today question when the weather is a bit iffy in the morning. Preferably needs to be one where the visor moves up completely out of the way, some don't move all the way out of your field of vision, but that's probably an investment for when you are well and truly hooked on skiing, so straight after your first holiday!

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I have one long distance contact lens and one short so I can read menus too.

I find that if it's cold, and at any speed, goggles are essential as my eyes just stream without them.

snow reports

I wear contacts but also have the Oakley canopy goggles which are otg and they do really with too, so a nice backup.

Thanks for the quick replies everyone,

So many options, I didn't know about the visor helmets. They look like a simple option to my problem, albeit not the most fashionable one, do many people wear them?

Cheers,

Dan

You know it makes sense.

I use a helmet with a visor. Works a treat for me, it does steam up if I do a face plant, but that's the same with goggles. Easily fixed, just retire to the nearest coffee stop and dry it off. The comments from the fashion police are getting less now they are becoming more common. Might be a bit expensive for a first trip.
snowHead

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@chameleon001, The company I bought my Bolle visor helmet from the other year are currently showing that they stock two Bolle visor type helmets at the moment, the Osmoz model at £130 and the Backline (virtually identical to my version) at £132: http://www.outdoormania.co.uk/category-5-20-Ski_Helmets.aspx

A snowHead

Get the right OTGs and you'll be fine. When I switched to Oakley OTGs from Scott I stopped having fogging issues. The Canopys i've got now don't even fog up when I've picked a faceful of snow and I kick out A LOT of heat. Look for a good face fit, a proper band of foam to move them off your face and make sure that your helmet has good ventilation too, that plays a big part in keeping your goggs and specs fog free.

A snowHead

@chameleon001, I'd definitely go for OTG to begin with. Contact lenses are the best answer by far, but I presume that's not possible.

Don't forget you will be spending a fair chunk of time in bars/restaurants on the mountain and unless you want to wear a full-face visor helmet to eat your lunch in, then you will end up carrying another pair of specs anyway or being as blind as a bat.

Visor helmets are very 'marmite', but I'd personally suggest that you will need to ski like a god to avoid looking like a tw@t.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I can see enough to ski without glasses but can't read a menu without. I feel better skiing with prescription sunglasses in good weather but can ski without glasses when goggles are needed. It was still a hassle carrying a pair glasses for reading.
Changing to a helmet with a visor was a revelation. A wide field of vision and comfort against the cold.

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Cheers guys,

Think I might just go for a good set of OTGs as it's my first ski holiday. Maybe something like the Smith Turbofan Knowledge and see how I get on. I already have prescription sunglasses and don't fancy forking out for contacts, goggles and new sunnies!

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@chameleon001, in terms of the cost of contacts, I normally but one month at a time for about £35 which is steep but not that bad really as the other bits don't need to be perception as a result

After all it is free

@Kamikaze Pete, http://www.daysoftcontactlenses.com. I pay €13 for a month - they're pretty bog standard, but they're good.

@chameleon001, if you only really use them for skiing, you can try dailies and just buy a few. I only use mine for sports and the odd party and when I go to the hairdressers coz they make me take my glasses off, so 2 boxes lasts all year. Cost ~£45.

Edit: £45 sounds a lot for 2 boxes, but they're fancy silicone ones for my fussy eyes. Standard ones are a fair bit less.

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@chameleon001, when I was in the UK and changing lenses - brands typically, the optician would give me a 5day supply to try them out.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Happened to be in decathlon today and saw this:

http://www.wedze.co.uk/wedze-stream-550-s2-childrens-skiing-and-snowboarding-helmet-black-p-id_8287091

it says children's but it wasn't at fit me fine. Not bad for 80 quid for a first ski trip, would probably do?

snow reports

I had Lasik eye surgery in 2001 before which my eyes were -4.25 and -4.5 (very short sighted) and had to wear spectacles all the time. I then did a lot of water sports (wind surfing) and now still do but kite surfing instead.

After surgery my sight was, and remains, 4/6 in one eye and 5/6 in the other eye, which is a good bit better than what is known as 20/20 (normal) vision.

The freedom from not having to wear spectacles, which I had done ever since being 6 years old, except for close up reading is still a revelation to me. One of the best things I have ever done for myself.

You know it makes sense.

You also can get otg goggles with a fan built in to stop the glasses steaming up. I'd definitely go with contacts if you can put up with them the wider field of vision is useful on the slopes.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@JamesN, a couple of mates have tried them with little success.

A snowHead

Go Outdoors are selling Sinner Crystal hemets at about £115.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/sinner-crystal-ski-helmet-p287325

Edit: £117!

CG

A snowHead

@chameleon001, daily contact lenses if you can. I am lucky enough to have an optician who is really patient. He got hold of lots of different brands from the reps and I gave each brand a go until I was happy with one. If you have not used them before they take a bit of getting used to. I have always found the taking out the tricky bit but again my optician and his staff will sat with me and I practiced in front of them to get the hang of it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@chrisb, +1
I have a slight astigmatism in one eye, but not enough to justify speciality lenses. Always had a nightmare with lenses over the years and would only wear them to gigs and when id only occasionally ski indoors... However now that I've got lenses that fit well I can do 6-8 hours without them bothering me. Especially on the mountain I barely notice them.

Go see your local optician, get fitted for them and try numbers brands to see what works.

Only thing I feel bad about is how expensive contacts are on the high street vs. online. www.lenstore.co.uk is almost 50% cheaper than what I've been quoted by 2 opticians for the lenses I use! Puzzled

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@chameleon001, I'm sure you're getting a good idea now!
Ill throw my ten pence worth in!
I'm currently rocking a pair of Von Zipper Feenoms. They work well as OTG goggles if necessary but I try my best to get through as much of the day with contact lenses!

Don't limit yourself to OTG goggles. Try on loads, some work, some don't and get some contact lenses. They'll last you a few years for the sake of £35 or so.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I am astonished, I can order lenses from my favourite Swiss supplier mclinsen.ch cheaper than from the UK - 45chf vs 55 chf!

Rare that this happens...

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I find it is better to empty my glass before I start to ski, and fill it up at the end of the run. wink

After all it is free

@snowbunny, -15

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Skiing with glasses - what to do??

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