UPDATE: Check out our review of the 2018/2019 Best Snowboard Goggles here
Sunglasses might be on fleek for jib rats these days, but if you’ve ever tried riding powder in them (we have – don’t ask) you’ll know it’s a mug’s game. And you can add bad weather days, high-speed groomer blasting and riding kickers that require any kind of velocity to hit to that list of muggery.
No, the best bit of eyewear a man, woman or child can get for the multitude of conditions the mountains can throw your way are goggles. With a good pair strapped to your head you’ll be immune from weeping eyes while straightlining, and you can adapt when conditions change. There’ll be no stray shafts of light trying to singe your retinas, you get a maximised field of view, your face will be warmer, and you can go full incognito G more easily. And all but the last one actually matter.
“The best bit of eyewear a man, woman and child can get for the multitude of conditions the mountains can throw your way are goggles”
Make sure the model you plump for has a good amount of ventilation to reduce the instances of fogging when you get the perilous condition known as ‘Big Sweaty Head’, and that the frame you settle for gives you the most unobstructed vision – certain models are bigger than others, just as certain people prefer their frames bigger than others. Another thing to bear in mind is many of the higher-priced models now offer solutions to make swapping lenses super easy, while some even have ones that automatically brighten or darken depending on cloud cover.
Know your budget, and get down to your local store to try a few pairs on that fall in your price range. Also be sure to check out our advice on how to choose your snowboard goggles. Here’s an appetiser of some of the best goggles for 2016/17 to get you started.
Scroll down to view all snowboard goggles, or skip to a particular brand using the links below
Anon | Dragon | Electric | Nike | Oakley | Quiksilver | Roxy | Smith | Spy | Von Zipper | Zeal
All photographs by Sami Tuoriniemi – click any image to enlarge
Production: Tom Copsey / Andrew Duthie / Tobias Grünwald / Sam Oetiker / Sami Tuoriniemi
