Ski Goggles: Ensure Your Eyes' Safety While Hitting the Slopes
With the winter season approaching, it's time to gear up to tackle the ski slopes, the cold, and the snow. Essential ski goggles are indispensable accessories for practicing winter sports safely. But it's not always easy to choose the right pair. At Visionet, we've decided to make it easier for you by offering a brief overview of ski goggles.
Why are ski goggles important?
The primary function of your ski goggles is to effectively protect your eyes from the sun's glare on the snow, which can be harsh and aggressive for the eyes. And the higher you go in altitude, the more harmful UV rays become. This is why winter sun is just as dangerous as summer sun, if not more so. Damage caused by UV rays can be significant: snow blindness, keratitis, cataracts, etc. Snow reflects up to 80% of light rays compared to 20% at sea, and glare increases by 10% every 1000 meters. Snow blindness is characterized by a foreign body sensation in the eye, burning, light sensitivity, and intense tearing, potentially requiring up to 48 hours of total darkness. It can easily be avoided by wearing appropriate goggles. Let's not forget that children's eyes are more permeable to UV rays, so it is essential to equip them with suitable goggles.
How to choose your ski goggles?
Ski goggles, yes, but not just any! You'll need to choose goggles that perfectly filter UV rays, meaning class 3 or 4 goggles that will effectively protect your eyes from ambient light. Polarized lenses prevent glare and filter infrared rays. It is sometimes ideal to have two pairs of goggles: one with yellow lenses will be perfect for bad weather days, while the other with darker lenses will be perfect for good weather. In short, the darker your lenses, the more protected you are from UV rays. For the shape, it's better to opt for a curved pair of goggles that fit the shape of the face well to prevent UV rays from passing through the sides, because with a straight pair, 30% of UV rays can still sneak into the eye from the sides.
Julbo Ski Goggles
Julbo, a specialist in sports sunglasses, offers a wide choice of ski goggles meeting important safety criteria. The brand recommends choosing lenses with maximum filtration such as Alti Arc (mineral glass highly resistant to scratches), Spectron 4 (unbreakable), and Reactiv photochromic lenses that adapt to variations in light. The goggles range from models with round lenses to curved masks offering excellent protection. Sleek, trendy, and modern, Julbo goggles are essential accessories for high mountains.
Bollé Ski Goggles
Bollé, a leading brand in alpine sports, offers solid, flexible, and lightweight nylon goggles. The hypoallergenic nose pads are adjustable for optimal comfort and hydrophobic to stay in place. Graphite and Cobalt models are suitable for high light conditions thanks to removable side shields offering additional UV protection. The lenses are interchangeable, allowing the pair to be adapted to light conditions. The temples are also adjustable for added comfort.
Vuarnet Ski Goggles
Handcrafted in France since 1957, Vuarnet goggles feature 100% natural and recyclable mineral lenses with Lynx and Polarized technologies offering high UV protection and filtered blue light. Their bi-gradient mirror treatment reduces glare, and the lenses are anti-reflective and resistant to scratches and impacts. The 180°, Ice dot, Glavier, and Racing collections offer stylish models suitable for winter sports with optimal protection and perfect fit.
Last updated on — Editorial: Visionet.
