A good pair of snow goggles will protect your eyes from a range of conditions and hazards you may encounter when skiing or snowboarding, both in-resort and in the backcountry.
The reflection of sunlight and UV rays from the snow, snow and ice, freezing wind and trail obstacles such as tree branches and stray ski poles can all be a risk, so it pays to protect your eyes to maximize your enjoyment slopeside.
This buyer’s guide shares our picks of the best ski goggles currently available from premium brands, including their key features, cost and where to buy them online.
We’ve also highlighted the goggle styles which are available with prescription lenses as well as those which are designed to be worn over your regular glasses (OTG goggles) and included a buyer’s guide below the products with advice on how to choose the best ski goggles for you, if you’re new to snowsports.
If you’re new to skiing or looking to refresh your snowsports gear locker, check out our guide to what to wear skiing, which provides a checklist and advice for what to take with you skiing or boarding.
1. Oakley Flight Deck Prizm Frameless Goggles
- Lens shape: Frameless spherical lens
- Key features: Color contrast Prizm lenses, excellent quality lenses with premium optical clarity.
- Glasses fit (OTG) available: Yes
- Cost: $200 at Amazon.com
- Choose a pair of Oakley Flight Deck goggles if you want the overall best ski goggles offering great all-round performance, comfort, and style at a great price point relative to its competition.
These immensely popular jet pilot-inspired rimless Oakley ski goggles provide an excellent field of view, moisture-wicking foam padding, and Oakley’s proprietary Prizm lens technology which is designed to maximize the color contrast of the terrain in front of you.
While they only come with a single lens, this allows you to choose exactly what you want if you need from that second lens – if you feel you need a replacement lenses at all (many people won’t).
These Oakley Flight Deck goggles offer a great fit for most men and women, and it’s also worth noting that they are available in a large size, too. They are our top choice for best overall ski goggles.
Amazon.com
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$180.80
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from $171.76
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$117.54
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Backcountry.com
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$186.00
out of stock
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2. Smith 4D Mag ChromaPop Goggles
- Lens shape: Frameless spherical lenses
- Key features: Unique lens shape provides greater visibility at the bottom edge
- Glasses fit (OTG) available: No
- Cost: $320 at Amazon.com
- Choose if you want goggles with high optical quality and an excellent field of vision and easy lens swapping.
These Smith goggles offer best-in-class optics, come with a second bonus lens and provide an excellent field of vision so you can focus on your style and speed.
These are expensive ski goggles but get what you pay for when it comes to the 4D Mag, so if you’re someone who loves to ski or snowboard and is good at caring for premium lenses, then the Smith 4D Mag goggles are a top choice.
Visit Smith Optics’ online store for the biggest range of lenses and straps, including all their mirrored lens options and their all-black goggles.
If you like the look and sound of Smith goggles but aren’t looking to spend more than $300 then also consider the Smith I O Mag for a less expensive option (costing around $50 less).
The Smith I O Mag is a great entry-level goggle choice for beginners who are about to embark on a ski trip but are not sure yet if they plan to progress their skills further.
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Amazon.com
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$225.00
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$225.00
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Evo.com
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$192.99
out of stock
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Backcountry.com
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$256.00
out of stock
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3. Dragon X2 Goggles
- Lens shape: Spherical
- Key features: Excellent anti-fog features
- Glasses fit (OTG) available: Yes and also available with prescription lenses
- Cost: $220 at Amazon.com
- Choose if you want supreme anti-fog treatment and ventilation features, a comfortable fit and very cool-looking goggles with a lens clip-in feature to swap lenses.
A personal favorite, the Dragon Alliance X2 are ultra-comfortable and offer a high standard of ventilation and anti-fog coating – over many years of skiing, including sweaty backcountry skins, these have never fogged up and you even forget you have them on.
These Dragon goggles are a top choice for that classic spherical dome ski goggle look, and great peripheral vision.
They’re also available with prescription lenses – you can find them at online stores such as SportRX’s range of prescription ski goggles.
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Evo.com
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$91.79 | See Deal |
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Backcountry.com
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$131.97 | See Deal |
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Amazon.com
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$139.95
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4. Julbo Aerospace REACTIV Goggles
- Lens shape: Spherical
- Key features: Photochromic lenses
- Glasses fit (OTG) available: Yes (Julbo Aerospace OTG model)
- Cost: $250 at Backcountry.com
- Choose if you want the best ventilation and goggles that should never fog up, even when skinning up hills in the backcountry.
If you feel you need maximal ventilation then the Julbo Aerospace is what you’re after.
They feature innovative lens technology and hinges to allow you to expand the ventilation gap.
This anti-fog gap makes them a great choice for intensive up and downhill skiing pursuits, especially if you’re sweating it in the backcountry.
While these Julbo ski goggles come with only one lens, they’re pretty versatile and suitable for all but the very brightest or darkest conditions on account of the REACTIV photochromic lens quickly adjusting to changing light conditions, so you have very little need for additional lenses. Just put these on and off you go!
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Amazon.com
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$209.96
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Evo.com
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$217.50
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Backcountry.com
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$149.97
out of stock
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5. Julbo Cyrius Photochromic Goggles
- Lens shape: Cylindrical lenses
- Key features: Photochromic, frameless construction
- Glasses fit (OTG) available: No
- Cost: $220 at Amazon.com
- Choose if you are looking for great all-round frameless ski goggles with high optical quality, light-adjusting lenses and good breathability
These comfortable, premium goggles perform in all weather conditions, and have a minimal feel as a result of their frameless construction.
Like the Julbo Aerospace above, the Julbo Cyrius goggles feature Julbo’s REACTIV photochromic lens technology, which adapts to light conditions to lighten and darken the lens.
These polarized Julbo goggles are also going to appeal if you prefer a frameless goggle with a more classic cylindrical lens (rather than the more bulbous spherical lens style of other goggles in this list).
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Amazon.com
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$209.96
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from $209.96
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See Deal |
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Evo.com
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$217.50
out of stock
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Backcountry.com
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$149.97
out of stock
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See Deal |
For alternative frameless photochromic goggles, also consider the Zeal Portal polarized goggles which are another sturdy frameless choice.
6. Anon M4 Toric Goggles
- Lens shape: Toric lens
- Key features: Easiest magnetic face mask lens swapping, large face fit, comes with spare lenses.
- Glasses fit (OTG) available: Yes and also available with prescription lenses
- Cost: $320 at Amazon.com
- Choose if you want an easy interchangeable lens system with magnets, high-end optics, and need a larger face fit than the Smith 4D Mag have to offer.
These Anon M4 Toric ski goggles are comparable to the Smith 4D Mag and also come with two lenses, but are more popular among those looking for goggles to fit larger faces.
The Anon M4 Toric lenses look awesome however the size does mean they’re less suited to those with medium and small face shapes, compared to other goggles on this list, and this greatness also comes at a price.
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Evo.com
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$191.99 | See Deal |
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Backcountry.com
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$239.96 | See Deal |
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Amazon.com
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$305.86
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$305.86
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7. Smith Range Ski Goggles
- Lens shape: Cylindrical lenses
- Key features: Simple, affordable goggles
- Glasses fit (OTG) available: No
- Cost: $60 – $80 at Backcountry.com
- Choose if you are looking for the best budget snow goggles on the market.
If you’re new to skiing or snowboarding and just want an affordable pair of goggles to take up the mountain to protect your eyes then these Smith goggles are a great choice – they’re popular for good reason!
For this price, you get a simple, sturdy pair of goggles that will work with your helmet and provide improved visibility in typical resort skiing conditions.
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Evo.com
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$36.00 | See Deal |
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Amazon.com
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$47.99
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$44.95
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Backcountry.com
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$55.61
out of stock
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If you’re shopping for goggles under $200 which will fit over glasses also consider the Giro Method.
Buyer’s guide to finding the best ski goggles for you
How to choose
While at first ski and snowboard goggles may all seem pretty similar, there are some key features to have in mind when working out which are the best goggles for you to wear, whether you’re into skiing, snowboarding or both:
- Goggle frame fit
- Ventilation and anti-fog features
- Lens quality and shape
- Lens colors and features
- Other snow goggle features
- Goggles for wearing over glasses
- Wearing sunglasses instead of goggles for skiing
Goggle frame fit
It’s important for your goggles to fit comfortably and snugly, so they’re protecting you without obstructing your vision or moving around when you ski or board.
While most goggles are unisex and ‘medium sized’ to fit most people, many of the best ski goggle brands also offer larger and smaller sizes, including kids and women’s ski goggles so you should have no problem finding the right goggles fit for your face shape.
Ventilation and anti-fog features
The last thing you want when skiing is for your lense to fog up, so it pays to seek out a good pair of goggles that feature vents and double-layered lenses to reduce the chances of this happening.
The more expensive goggles also feature anti-fog coating, which goes even further to prevent them from fogging up.
Lens quality and shape
All the goggles on this list are premium goggles with high-quality lenses. A quality lens is fundamentally important to give you that clarity of view when wearing goggles all day – you need them to perform and not distract you!
Ski goggle lenses come in two main shapes, spherical and cylindrical.
Certain brands may call them different things, but essentially, both styles feature horizontally curved lenses, but spherical lenses curve vertically as well, offering less distortion, an improved field of vision (better peripheral vision), and reduced glare.
Unsurprisingly, spherical lens goggles tend to cost more than cylindrical-lensed options.
Lens colors and features
Choosing an appropriate goggle lens color is not just a style thing! The color lens you use will affect how well light is filtered and the colors are represented. This helps protect your eyes, as well as improve your ability to see the lie of the ski hill and any obstacles.
Some goggles come with one fixed lens, but many of the best snow goggle options offer an easy lens change system and even come with more than one lens color, so you can switch them out depending on the light conditions each day.
- Lighter goggle lenses (such as rose, yellow and amber lens tint options) are best for flat light, overcast cloudy days.
- Dark and mirrored ski goggles such as brown, copper and gray colors for bright bluebird sunny days – these darker lenses will allow less light through and make it easier for you to see.
- Polarized lenses are also great for reducing the glare of sunlight off reflective snow and mountain lakes.
- Clear lenses are good if you plan to wear snow goggles for night skiing and low light.
- Goggles with a lens change system provide you with the most versatility. Depending on the brand, they have either a clip, bracket or magnetic lens method of attaching and removing the lens from the frame when you want to switch it out.
- Consider lenses that are photochromic if you intend to ski in a variety of light conditions and don’t want to use interchangeable lenses. These premium goggle lenses change the tint level depending on the light conditions – although some are quicker to brighten and darken than others.
Other snow goggle features
It almost goes without saying that any ski or snowboard goggles you buy should have 100% UV protection, but it’s worth checking that is the case before you buy.
Most goggles are helmet compatible and intended to be worn and clipped in over the back of your ski helmet. When trying your goggles on with your helmet, make sure they’re compatible and fit comfortably over your face with no pressure points or gaps.
Ski goggles for glasses
If you wear glasses and need them for skiing, then choose a pair of goggles designed to fit over glasses (they’re referred to in the trade as OTG models, short for ‘over the glasses’).
These goggles have specific design features to take into account the glasses, for example allowing space between the insulating padding for them to fit over the bridge of your noise. Online eyewear store SportRX offers a broad range of prescription lens goggles for skiing.
Should you wear sunglasses instead of ski goggles?
Many people enjoy skiing in sunglasses rather than goggles. On a bright, clear day and with mild temperature conditions, a good pair of well-fitting dark mirrored sunglasses is perfect for skiing in.
That said, on those colder, overcast and windy days, nothing beats a good pair of goggles for comfort and eye protection, whether you’re skiing or snowboarding.
Good picks.