Anti-Fog Ski Goggles Technology

A snowHead

Hello, I'm trying to decide on which pair of googles I should get for my forthcoming ski season training and teaching in Austria. Previous to this i've always bought cheap goggles and had problems with fogging that caused me a lot of unwanted hassle so i'm determined to get something that will eradicate this problem if possible.

Most goggles have anti-fog coatings and ventilation but I understand they can still fog up and if they do happen to get snow, water, fog or dirt on them you're not supposed to clean them or you ruin the lens. So what do you do? Spend a while going to the toilet and trying to fix them which you can't do whilst teaching or training in a group?

I'm quite interested in these Photochromic lenses as I prefer a more natural kind of visuals rather than something that's too dark. I've never tried them though and am not sure how quick they respond or if they are any good but they seem versatile for most light conditions. That's one thing i'm considering anyway.

Then there's the de-fogging technology. I get the impression that these fancy anti-fog technology goggles don't see particularly well which makes me suspicious but if they work amazingly then they seem hard to resist. I am the kind of person that tends to generate quite a bit of body heat:

Julbo Aerospace (Photochromic non replaceable) - The lens is extendable for additional ventilation clearing the fog, snow or water - Simple design that doesn't need batteries - Not sure how effective

Oakley Line Miner Inferno - Heated lens to remove fog (I can't see this for sale on Oakleys UK site or much information about it especially with the new Line Miner - perhaps it's being discontinued?) - They can be picked up quite cheap at the moment and if you find you don't use the battery you can take if off or store it in your pocket. I don't think they have a photochromic option and replacement lenses cost as much as a google.

Abom One / Heet - Heated lens without the battery pack and cable - Quite expensive and difficult to get in the UK but seem a more elegant design than the Oakley. You can also clean them inside without risking damage to the coating which is quite a big plus.

I've kind of discounted the Smith Turbo Fan as i've seen in many reviews they are unreliable.

Then there's more standard goggles without the fancy features - perhaps they are excellent enough not to need it - I'm not sure. They certainly look good and I believe they have excellent lenses but if they do fog sometimes that's not ideal. I know you can swap the lenses easily but it's unlikely i'll be carrying a spare lens with me on the slopes.

Smith I/O Mag
Oakley Flight Deck

Anyone have any experience with these goggle technologies or have goggles that never fog?

A snowHead

I have new line miner goggles. the attachment for the inferno is still present but I haven't seen a module for sale yet. not that I need one though

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

I've had two pairs of Bolle Modulator photochromics and they've never fogged. Have just bought the new Bolle Phantom photochromic in the Fire Red lens - that seems a very neutral colour balance to my eyes.

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I ride a lot in powder and ride with people who use all sorts of technology to prevent fogging.

I've never personally had an issue, but then I almost never take my goggles off, and don't sweat or fall much.
I don't know if cheaper goggles are less good, haven't come across anyone with obviously heated lens, yet.

Technology wise...

I was once provided with fan goggles, but I never needed to turn them on and forgot about the fan.
I ride with people who swear by these ... they don't fall over either, so I think it may be a question of "how hot you run".
They are noisy.
If you get your lens wet, then the best thing to do is to change it or change the goggles.
If you don't have a backup then you're going to need to dry them. At a resort the hand-driers are probably a good bet.
In the back country you may need to use the goggle-cloth... follow their instructions and be careful is my advice.
I love my photochromics.
The transition is only noticeable when going from open slope to forest, and lasts about 5 seconds in my experience (and I'm quick).

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I have 3 pairs of Oakley A frames and one pair of Bolle photochromic goggles. I ski all season and have no problems with fogging on any of them.

You'll need to Register first of course.

BTW I imagine I'll have plenty of falls as I intend to progress very quickly experimenting more with off piste, racing and park.

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

Another tip:

Fogging is caused by the air heating-up inside your goggles from the heat from your face. It then hits the inside of the goggle lens, which is cold from the outside air. At that point, the air cools, and can not longer hold all its moisture as a dissolved gas — and it then condenses out and forms "fog" on the inside of your lens.

So, purchase goggles that are a good fit with a helmet (where they meet at the brim), and where the helmet has vents in the top to allow the warm air from the goggles to vent. The idea is that as the air in the goggles heats up from your face, and then rises up (as warm air does) though the foam vents at the top of the goggles, and exits though the vents in the helmet. This it turn draws cold air in from the foam vents at the bottom of the goggle.

In addition, as you ski along, cold air is forced into the goggles at the bottom vents, and this forces the warm air out of the top foam vents, and through the helmet vents.

Also, try and avoid wearing a ski mask or neck-warmer that goes over your nose and/or goggles; if you do that, then the warm-air from your breathing can be forced into your goggles.

End result: no warm air stuck in the goggles and forming fog on the inside of your lens. Cool

Prevention is better than cure.

Best to look at buying a helmet and goggles from the same manufacturer; and checking the specs to see how they fit together and vent.

Tip #2: If you goggles have fogged, then when you are on a lift, take them off and put them inside your jacket, but resting on your shoulder, where they will be safe. That way, they will heat-up and the fog will evaporate.

After all it is free

I got a pair of Oakley Line Miners with the heated Inferno lens last year - for me they've been the best non-fogging goggles ever!

A press of the button on the battery pack, one feels a buzz and then the lens clears if they do get foggy and the battery holds enough to do this 12-15 times in a day at least!

One can switch lenses and I got a second one for very low light ... as an earlier poster says Oakley seem to have dropped it - and I told them last year that with such low level marketing for these, nobody - even their own retailers - seemed to know about them or what the options were!

Thanks for the tips poogle.

Ashridge do you find the battery pack on the side of your head annoying? Do you tend to wear them just as regular goggles and attach the battery pack if you start to notice fogging? What do you think of the Abom solution - they have the batteries more integrated into the actual google which seems better. Hard to get hold of though. I'm wondering whether i should get one of the last pairs of line miners - I can get them with the Green Prizm lenses for about £140 at the moment which isn't too bad. Are fogging issues a rarity with line miners anyway?

Anyone used the Julbo goggles like the aerospace?

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Hi Pete - no, I don't notice it's there until someone inevitably asks me (at least twice a day!) "Is that a new type of GoPro?" or similar!

I leave the battery pack on all the time in case weather changes but they are very well ventilated anyway - I wear them with a Smith Vantage helmet and am much cooler and less prone to fogging than previous Cebe, Bolle or even borrowed Smith IoX goggles.

I looked at the Anon's but I felt the extra weight in the goggle tended to make it more noticeable and sit heavier on my nose.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Wear a more breathable jacket and stop the chimney effect dumping all your body’s perspiration over your face where it condenses on the first available cold surface.

snow reports

I have Anon goggles and they never, ever steam up. They have holes in the lenses like this: (not these exact goggles but you get the idea)

My Oakley Flightdeck XMs with Prizm Rose lenses don't steam up either. I'm just an average skier though, nothing hardcore.

You know it makes sense.

Thanks, I'll see if I can find a deal on one. I've not even looked into helmets yet. I haven't worn one before but I'll need one this year for my course. I guess this could exacerbate the problem further as no helmet is going to give much better venting. These companies sure know how to charge!

Anyone else find lenses with the holes are the way to go for venting?

Thanks for all of your ideas so far.

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

Some vantage helmets on sportspursuit.com at good prices.

A snowHead

A snowHead

@coops1967, +1

I have the vantage, I/O google combo, never any issue with fogging, great googles, comfortable on the face and great field of vision.
Back to the OP, why would you not carry a spare lense? They way nothing and you could stuff it in your jacket pocket or in a bag. The I/O although probably on of the more faff type to change lense takes a matter of 30secs. So you can just do it on a lift.

It also offers you the flexibility and great range of Light Transition of photo chromatic.

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

I have Smith io goggles. Where we lived in BC everyone wore them, got a lot of snow, lost of short low speed runs and a lot of falling over. Ventilation was so good that never got fog. Sometimes got cold face and wished there was a bit less!

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I have Smith io goggles. Where we lived in BC everyone wore them, got a lot of snow, lost of short low speed runs and a lot of falling over. Ventilation was so good that never got fog. Sometimes got cold face and wished there was a bit less!

I don't have the Smith helmet.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I think there are a number of separate issues that cause goggle fogging.

Firstly, being too hot and sweaty, which can fog up the goggle. Solution - wear less / open your jacket vents etc. It's amazing how hot I see people get when they ski - you don't have to sweat the whole time, honestly!

Secondly, as someone already mentioned above, wearing a face mask or buff that directs your breath into your goggles. Solution - only wear when absolutely necessary (i.e. when it's -20C and your nose is going white) and then breathe through your nose.

Thirdly, falling over and getting snow in your goggles. In this case, better goggles with those lens coatings that you can't touch perform significantly better than cheap ones in my experience. Just knock as much snow as possible out of the goggles, put them back on (at which point they will fog up), and start skiing, and the air flow combined with the lens coating will sort the fogging out in about a minute.

And finally, when it's snowing hard, just don't take your goggles off while there is any risk of getting snow in them - e.g. on the chairlift. And wear your hood to keep as much moisture out of your head area as possible.

Once your goggles are totally dry after skiing you can (gently) polish any small marks on the inside of the goggles if there are any, without damaging the coating. But really don't touch the inside when they are wet. No problem to touch the outside of the goggle lens.

The helmet fit point is also important, but I think most decent goggles work perfectly well with most decent helmets these days.

I've used the same pair of Smith I/O goggles for the last 5 seasons. I usually put the spare lens in my backpack in case the weather changes, and that's been really useful on the vanishingly small number of occasions I've had a face-full of wet snow and have struggled to get the goggles clear in very humid sleety conditions. My partner generates much more heat than I do, has the same Smith goggles, and he has never had any problems except when he left his soaking goggles in his wet backpack all night, and moisture got between the two lenses, which was just silly.

I really can't imagine having fogging problems with my goggles in a teaching situation (unless you hang them round your neck while it's snowing or something), so I wouldn't worry too much about that. You just need to keep a relentless focus on not letting any snow get in them in the first place. I'd imagine it would be more of a problem when pushing yourself and falling, and as per the above, good goggles should cope with that fine. Happy shopping!

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Anti-Fog Ski Goggles Technology

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