It’s the Holy Grail for goggle manufacturers: the goggle that won’t steam up and cause you to go blind. We’ve seen the question around the internet a lot recently so we thought we’d answer it as best we could here: how do you stop goggles from fogging up?
It’s the Holy Grail for goggle manufacturers, but just like the sacred chalice, it’s never actually been achieved.
We’ve seen some crazy tech over the years – from Smith Optics’ fan-assisted ventilation system to the Marmite RuRoc design that claims to integrate goggle ventilation into a helmet – but in reality, just like the sacred chalice, it’s never actually been achieved. Of course some goggles are better than others, but even to top-of-the-range models will mist up occasionally.
Here’s some handy tips to stop your snowboard goggles from fogging up.
Avoid Warm Air
Goggle fog is caused when the warm air from your body hits the inside of a lens that has been cooled down by sub zero temperatures outside – the water in the air condenses into tiny droplets that cling to the lens, obscuring your vision.
Fogging often happens when you tuck a face mask or balaclava under the bottom of the goggle. Doing this channels warm air up onto the lens and will have you blind in no time.
One of the easiest ways to stop this happening is to avoid letting the warm, moisture rich air from your breath coming into contact with the inside of the goggle, which often happens when you tuck a face mask or balaclava under the bottom of the goggle. Doing this channels warm air up onto the lens and will have you blind in no time.
Instead you can just keep your chin and neck covered, like James Stentiford in this powder basics video, or invest in a face mask with a breathing hole. Or (ladies we’re looking at you) grow a beard.
When not riding, it’s best NOT to leave them perched atop your head as that’ll channel heat and sweat from your dome and hat into the lens. The same goes for when you jump into a packed gondola after a sweaty powder run and catch every other persons’ heat and moisture – take ’em off and keep them down low as heat and condensation both rise.
