Anyone who’s into snow sports like skiing would know how important a good pair of ski goggles can be. They are an essential piece of kit that helps protect you from different mountain environments and conditions. There are plenty of ski goggles on the market that suits every budget. So if you’re wondering if you can get a pair of ski goggles for less than $100, the answer is a resounding YES! Read on to find the best ski goggles under $100 that offer exceptional all-around performance.
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Why Do You Need Ski Goggles?
Skiing can be a dangerous activity to do without proper gear and equipment. Ski goggles are an essential part of skiing gear that protects your eyes from elements and all sorts of injuries. For experienced skiers, this needs no explanation, but if you’re new to skiing and wondering why you need ski goggles in the first place, here are the reasons why.
UV Protection
Prolonged or too much exposure to high-intensity UV light can cause short-term or long-term eye injuries. Ski goggles provide 100% protection from the sun’s harmful UV & UVB rays, across the entire ultraviolet spectrum.
Reduce Glare
Combating the sun’s glare is one of the challenges that every skier or snowboarder faces. Ski goggles come with specialized lenses that reduce the sun’s glare for a clear vision on the slopes. Goggles with dark lens tint help minimize reflected glare and allow you to ski on bright and sunny days. While Polarised ski goggles reduce the bounce-back glare from the sunshine on sun and ice
Increase Contrast
Contrast is important in different winter sports because it allows you to see bumps and slopes ahead. Certain lens colors increase contrast including amber, brown, or rose. Aber is good under cloudy skies or dimly lit trails. Brown for can be worn pretty much under different weather conditions. Rose-colored lenses, on the other hand, are best worn during hazy and cloudy conditions.
Protect Eyes From Cold and Debris
Skiing or snowboarding goggles protect your eyes from different elements and injuries. Cold weather can cause sore and irritated eyes, plus, skiing exposes your eyes to prolonged periods of harsh wind and bright sunlight. Ski goggles also help shield your eyes from airborne snow, debris, or hazards such as tree limbs and fallen branches.
Better Fit
Ski Goggles provide great all-around protection and a superior fit when you combine them with a ski helmet. Ski helmets have a clip at the back that secures the goggle strap so your goggles won’t come off or fall while skiing.
Related Reading: 8 Best Ski Helmets On The Market
How To Choose The Right Ski Goggles?
Protecting your eye from elements and mountain hazards is the main reason for wearing ski goggles. But how do you choose the right pair of goggles? Here are some of the factors to consider and some tips to keep in mind.
Consider The Type of Lens
All ski goggles must adhere to the EN174 standard and filter 100% of UV rays that are harmful to your eyes. Lens are categorized according to how much light is filtered (Visible Light Transmission (VLT)) and should be chosen according to the weather condition.
- Category 1 – Light – Lightly tinted lenses for dull overcast and foggy days.
- Category 2 – Medium – Good all-around lens tints for the majority of weather conditions.
- Category 3– Dark – Dark lenses that cut out a lot of the sun’s
- rays, ideal for sensitive eyes and bright sunny days.
- Category 4 – Very Dark – Very dark lenses for high altitude glaciers and intense bright
Lens Tint
Lens tint allows your goggles to adapt to different light conditions and therefore must be considered before choosing a pair of ski goggles.
- Yellow, Gold, and Amber lenses: for In low light and fog, moderate and variable light conditions.
- Light rose and rose copper lenses: Excellent on low-light days
- Dark tints such as copper, dark brown, dark gray, and dark green: Great in bright light and increase contrast. Gray lenses are also good for letting you see true colors.
- Mirror or flash coating: Great choice for bright, sunny days
- Photochromic lenses: React differently to different light intensities which means it becomes lighter or darker depending on the light intensity.
Lens Shape
There are two shapes the ski goggles come in, cylindrical and spherical.
- Cylindrical lenses: The lens curves left-to-right across your eyes and face, but with a flat surface. They offer a wide horizontal field of vision and are popular among skiers for their vintage style look.
- Spherical lenses: Curves across your eyes and face, and curves vertically. They are 3D and give you wide horizontal and vertical fields of vision.
What Are the Best Ski Goggles Under $100?
Looking for ski goggles on a budget? No worries because we’ve done our assignment and searched for the best ski goggles that you can buy for less than $100. Get the best value for money with these amazing ski goggles we found online.
Best Ski Goggles Under $100
Key features: Flexible O Matter™ frame, Triple-layer face foam fleece, Impact Resistant Lexan Sheet, Injection-molded Plutonite® lens material, Optically correct Dual-Vented Lens
The Oakley O Frame 2.0 Pro XLfeatures the Oakley lens technology that is designed to enhance color and contrast so you can see more details while on the slopes. Target Line pairs a jumbo cylindrical lens with a low-profile, ultra-sleek frame design providing a great field of view. It has a cylindrical lens for increased visibility and is designed for optimal integration with Oakley helmets.
You’ll feel all-day comfort with the triple-layer foam with moisture-wicking fleece lining, along with discreet frame notches at temples providing compatibility with most prescription eyewear. Furthermore, it features an Injection-molded Plutonite® lens material that provides 100% protection against UVA / UVB / UVC.
Key features: Anti-Fog Coating coating, Expansion View (EXV) Technology, double-layer face foam with microfleece facing, Injection-molded cylindrical lens, OTG friendly.
The Giro Roam Snow Goggle is packed with features that you can find on the premium line. It comes with a Wide Field of View with EXV technology that is designed for unparalleled peripheral vision. Anti-fog coating provides a clear field of view for the best riding experience. You’ll surely appreciate the double-layer face foam with a microfleece facing that gives you a soft and plush contact layer against your skin.
Giro offers an assortment of performance-engineered polycarbonate lenses including the Giro Roam snow goggle that also features lenses that filter 100% of harmful UV. It also comes with durable coatings that are resistant not only to fogging but also to scratches.
Key features: Cylindrical Carbonic-x lens, Fog-X anti-fog inner lens, Two-layer DriWix face foam, Ultra-wide, silicone-backed strap, Responsive Fit™ frame
The Smith Range Snow goggles combine sleek and fashionable design with exceptional Smith performance technology. Offering a modern take on the classic goggles that are built for thrill-seekers.
The Range offers a wide field of view that lets you take in everything that’s coming your way. It features a Cylindrical Carbonic-x lens for exceptional clarity and impact resistance with built-in Airflow technology for active ventilation. Not only these, but you’ll also love its Fog-X anti-fog inner lens combined with Two-layer DriWix face foam that wicks moisture for a fog-free skiing experience.
Key features: interchangeable lens system, Over-the-glasses (OTG) design, universal helmet compatibility, anti-fog coated, 100% UV400 protection
Get a clear and unobstructed view of the slopes with the large spherical, frameless lens of the OutdoorMaster Ski Goggles PRO. An interchangeable lens system allows you to enjoy a wide range of extra lenses so you can swap for day/ night skiing as well as for different weather conditions.
And for those who wear prescription glasses, worry no more because the OutdoorMaster Ski Goggles PRO features an OTG design that lets you wear glasses under the goggles. An extra-long elastic strap allows you to adjust the goggles so you can wear them with different helmets.
It also has an anti- fog coating that allows you to have a fogless performance on the slopes. And avoid sun damage to your eyes with its 100% UV400 protection.
Key Features: Aurora lens tech, Quick changeable magnetic lens, Secure lens clip locking system, Premium adjustable strap, Anti-fog / scratch resistant, Strap silicone grip texture
Experience incomparable vision with the Wildhorn Pipeline Ski Goggles. It is designed with a huge cylindrical lens, a flatter low-profile fit, and a custom vent system to reduce fogging.
It features Aurora lens technology that gives maximum visibility and UV protection with magnetic changeable lens and clip locking system which means swapping lens in just a matter of seconds. With over 70 lens/frame color combinations, you can choose additional lenses that allow you to optimize for any light conditions. And if you're not convinced yet, you should know that Wildhorn Outfitters is a proud supplier to the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team.
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