UPDATE: Check out our reviews of the Best Snowboard Goggles for 2020/2021 by clicking here.
Season after season, the snowboard goggle technology becomes more advanced. Just have a look at the goggles you wore ten years ago and compare them to Oakley’s “PRIZM” technology.
The PRIZM technology, followed by rivals such as Lumalens (Dragon), Chromapop (Smith), Vivid (Giro) and SONAR (Anon), filters out certain light wavelengths in order to optimize the available spectrum for the mountain environment. In common language, this means we can expect greater contrast and clarity when gazing at shadowy powder chutes or freshly groomed pistes.
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Snowboard Goggle Advice
- How To Choose Your Goggles
- What Lens To Choose
As in previous years, The Whitelines Test Team has put this seasons lenses to test throughout a variety of conditions – whether it was heavy snowfall, sunny spring days or lowlight, we’ve been through it all. Everything from different tints and frame shapes have been tried too, and you can find it all in this year’s list of the best snowboard goggles for 2019/20.
Whether you’ll be more likely to spend most of your season in the bright sunny alps or dark cold Scandinavia, should be considered before choosing your next pair of goggles. There’s no use buying a reflective lens meant for bright sunshine, only to travel up to Lapland in January where sunlight is just a myth. However, if you know that you’ll encounter various different conditions through the season, many goggles come with a spare low light lens (usually rose or yellow) which may come in handy when the weather’s turned grey, but if you can only take one lens, then an all-round shade like bronze is usually a safe bet.
“But if you can only take one lens, then an all-round shade like bronze is usually a safe bet”
If you’ve paid attention, you’ve noticed all the awesome quick-release systems for switching your lens – anything from magnets to levers goes. If time is of the essence, or you simply can’t be arsed to fiddle with notches and rubbery seams anymore, it might be worth spending that little bit of extra on a good and easy lens-swop-system.
Apart from all the rad new tech that’s gone into the lenses and goggles, you want to make sure they offer superior peripheral vision and comfort. Remember though, it’s worth trying on a couple to find out which model is best suited for your face shape. And if you’re rocking a helmet, you might want to bring it with you unless you want to risk ending up looking like a twat with a ‘goggle gap’.
Remember to also check for the breathable zones above and below the lens, which will keep the goggles from fogging up.
On top of that, there’s always style – which is subjective. Once you’ve got the tech covered, it’s up to you – framed or frameless, spherical or cylindrical. Just remember to take good care of the frameless models as they are a bit more exposed, making them more vulnerable.
Scroll down to view all the best snowboard goggles, or skip to a particular brand using the links below
Anon | Dragon | Drop | Electric | Giro | Melon Optics | Oakley | Roxy | SHRED. | Smith | Spy | Zeal
