Heated goggles

[Olesya Chornoguz]

I just saw on skitalk forum that abom heated goggles will come back. They may not be called abom anymore, but will use the same technology and will be cheaper with easily swappable lenses. The supposed released date is Fall of this year. I am very excited because the foam on my abom goggles is starting deteriorate in places and the heating only works on the highest setting. To be fair they do have a lot of days on them now, many storm days and days with a mask on, they worked very well for a while.

 

[TNtoTaos]

I just saw on skitalk forum that abom heated goggles will come back. They may not be called abom anymore, but will use the same technology and will be cheaper with easily swappable lenses. The supposed released date is Fall of this year. I am very excited because the foam on my abom goggles is starting deteriorate in places and the heating only works on the highest setting. To be fair they do have a lot of days on them now, many storm days and days with a mask on, they worked very well for a while.

That's great to know. Thanks!

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

Here is an update on heated goggles. The successor of Abom is Tempest optics, their goggles are an improved (IMHO) version of Abom.

Tempest Optics

Anti-Fog Heated Goggle for Snowmobiling and Skiing

tempestoptics.com

I bought 2 pairs just in case, skied 1 ski day on a warmer spring-like ski day yesterday, was sweating somewhat and had no fogging at all. They are smaller than Abom One were and fit my face better. The lenses are very easy to swap - overall please with them after one ski day, will post more updates later when I ski in them more.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

@tinymoose I am a dragon transition lens fan too. I too have issues with the snow from guns but all my colleagues in high end non dragon goggles do too so I attributed it to the higher water content snow rather than the lens being more prone to that problem.

 

[TNtoTaos]

Here is an update on heated goggles. The successor of Abom is Tempest optics, their goggles are an improved (IMHO) version of Abom.

Tempest Optics

Anti-Fog Heated Goggle for Snowmobiling and Skiing

tempestoptics.com

I bought 2 pairs just in case, skied 1 ski day on a warmer spring-like ski day yesterday, was sweating somewhat and had no fogging at all. They are smaller than Abom One were and fit my face better. The lenses are very easy to swap - overall please with them after one ski day, will post more updates later when I ski in them more.

Which lenses did you get? Did you happen to get their photochromic option in one of the pairs you bought? I have Aboms too, and found them to be somewhat touchy -- they're great when they work well, but sometimes they just don't. I found that sometimes the lens wasn't making perfect contact with the frame, and then the heat wouldn't work, but I love the concept. I'll be very interested to hear more from you after you've had a chance to use them at Wolf Creek.

I noticed on their website they don't give many details about the different lens tints, i.e., how much visible light is transmitted by each, etc. This makes it difficult to decide what lenses to buy, and why I'm interested in the photochromic option.

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

Which lenses did you get? Did you happen to get their photochromic option in one of the pairs you bought? I have Aboms too, and found them to be somewhat touchy -- they're great when they work well, but sometimes they just don't. I found that sometimes the lens wasn't making perfect contact with the frame, and then the heat wouldn't work, but I love the concept. I'll be very interested to hear more from you after you've had a chance to use them at Wolf Creek.

I noticed on their website they don't give many details about the different lens tints, i.e., how much visible light is transmitted by each, etc. This makes it difficult to decide what lenses to buy, and why I'm interested in the photochromic option.

They have a table for VLT for every lens, when you click on individual goggles it's the 2nd picture under the main one.
https://tempestoptics.com/shop-gogg...Blk-Gray-Strap/p/588697447/category=159382024

I got Rose, Yellow, Clear (for occasional night skiing) and Red Mirror lenses.

I never had any problems with Abom not defogging, but recently the defogging only works on orange light mode, not on blue light mode. I had them for a long time though so I am happy that Tempest came out.

There is a thread about Tempest on skitalk and the original poster helped them do the product testing so you can ask him questions on skitalk.

Tempest Optics new heat-assisted anti-fog goggle (was ABOM)

I've got one of these on every pair of mittens I use. https://www.tognar.com/skigee-goggle-wiper-assorted-colors-sold-each/ But I've got to say the ABOMs, while not immune from this problem, did resist it more than normal goggles. I'm not saying there wasn't a day I had to stop every 100 feet...

www.skitalk.com

 

[TNtoTaos]

They have a table for VLT for every lens, when you click on individual goggles it's the 2nd picture under the main one.
https://tempestoptics.com/shop-gogg...Blk-Gray-Strap/p/588697447/category=159382024

Thanks, I missed that!
And thanks for the SkiTalk link!

 

[mustski]

I bought Bob a pair with the photochromic lens. We will see. If it’s snowing, he puts his hood on and he fogs everything! I will also try them with my goggle inserts and with glasses and report back …, AFTER Christmas!

 

[TNtoTaos]

I bought Bob a pair with the photochromic lens. We will see. If it’s snowing, he puts his hood on and he fogs everything! I will also try them with my goggle inserts and with glasses and report back …, AFTER Christmas!

So, @mustski do you have an update for us yet? I saw Olesya's goggles at Wolf Creek, and I like them, but she doesn't have the photochromic lenses. I'm very curious about how the photochromic lenses perform. I found that I usually only need to turn on my Aboms when it's very cold/cloudy/snowy, and I use the clear lens for those days; so I'm wondering whether to get just the clear lens vs the photochromic.

Has anyone else had any experience with these goggles so far?

 

[mustski]

We haven’t tried them yet. I plan to also buy a storm lens - either clear or yellow. We use the photochromic lens on a daily basis because Mt rose has so much flat light areas

 

[bsskier]

Regarding heated googles … I have one pair of the 2021 ABOM HEET googles in almost new condition - used one full dry day with no battery loss or uncomfortableness. Purchased at Snowbigdeal on a needless whim as I was buying goggles to work with custom script inserts. If anyone is interested, please make me a fair offer and I’ll ship them before I put them on OfferUp. For the person who wants heat, these are game changing. They absolutely work! The lens is Flash Green and the sale includes power cord, power block, and a drawstring bag also in excellent condition. The foam has no bends and the strap hasn’t been manipulated or pulled.

 

[mustski]

I am out with an injury and Bob hasn’t tried them yet. However, as someone who has used photochromic lenses for years, they are not a storm option. Photochromic lenses are great for days when you are unsure of sun, clouds, flat light combinations. They are great on a mountain where you experience both sun and flat light on the same day - pretty much everywhere in January and February. On a storm day, I use a high yellow or other low light lens -manufacturer dependent. Currently, I am trying to decide whether to buy Bob the yellow or the clear lens for storm days.

previous Abom users, do you recommend clear or yellow for storm days.

 

[TNtoTaos]

I am out with an injury and Bob hasn’t tried them yet.

I'm sorry to hear that -- I hope it's nothing serious!

However, as someone who has used photochromic lenses for years, they are not a storm option. Photochromic lenses are great for days when you are unsure of sun, clouds, flat light combinations. They are great on a mountain where you experience both sun and flat light on the same day - pretty much everywhere in January and February. On a storm day, I use a high yellow or other low light lens -manufacturer dependent. Currently, I am trying to decide whether to buy Bob the yellow or the clear lens for storm days.

Thank you -- that's great info. Is that because they are too dark for storm days?

 

[newbieM]

I've had a few times where this was an issue for me too. It's mostly been snowy days where my goggles fogged so bad and then froze up inside. I had to go in and change to a dry pair because I couldn't see through them and I couldn't ski without them with snow pelting my eyes. Also had this issue once when it was super super cold and I had to wear so much and cover all skin, that I guess I was breathing upward into my goggles and that moisture was freezing in my goggles. Luckily in that instance I was able to avoid it covering all of my goggle and was able to get along without changing them out.

I think it happens infrequently enough for me that I haven't really sought out a remedy, but boy is it frustrating when it does happen since you are not supposed to touch the inside of your goggles when wet due to the coating on it.

I had the same happen my first season skiing, I had to take them off to make it down the hill and almost died, my poor lashes were frozen. I also once had the clip break on my goggles and didn't have any masking tape and it was recent post-covid so they had no loaner goggles and I didn't have a second pair. The rental guy was nice enough "accidentally" leave a pair of goggles on the counter and told me to just casually put them back on the counter at the end of the day because I wasn't about to lose out on a powder day over a goggle clip.

I run cold so I would probably secretly love to have my face heated up by goggles but I think the model looks kinda bored here

 

[mustski]

I'm sorry to hear that -- I hope it's nothing serious!

Thank you -- that's great info. Is that because they are too dark for storm days?

Yes. They are a trade off - neither as good as sun lenses or low light lenses, but excellent for resorts where you need both throughout the day. They are my usual most winter days - packed in spring and abandoned in storms/fog.

 

[callmijane]

I have the Oakley Inferno heated goggles (got them 2nd hand) and they are AMAZING! I used to use the kind that have a little fan built in (Smith Turbo Fan) because I have such trouble with fogging goggles, but the battery ran out fast and the sound is annoying.

My goggles never fog anymore, even in epic blizzard conditions where I'm working hard! Highly recommend to anyone that has goggle fogging issues.

Pro tip: Turn them on as soon as you put them on, don't wait until you might need it.

 

[TNtoTaos]

Heated Goggles Update: I went ahead and bough a pair of Tempest goggles, and have been using them all week at Taos. I got the rose and yellow lenses. Today I skied with them in the storm, and I have to say they were awesome! Not one minute of fogged lenses, despite the snowy conditions. It was pretty warm today, but it's supposed to be much colder tomorrow, and still stormy, so I'll see how they do in the colder temps, but so far I'm very impressed.

 

[Olesya Chornoguz]

Heated Goggles Update: I went ahead and bough a pair of Tempest goggles, and have been using them all week at Taos. I got the rose and yellow lenses. Today I skied with them in the storm, and I have to say they were awesome! Not one minute of fogged lenses, despite the snowy conditions. It was pretty warm today, but it's supposed to be much colder tomorrow, and still stormy, so I'll see how they do in the colder temps, but so far I'm very impressed.

yep they perform similar for me glad you like em!

 

[mustski]

Bob is loving his. I had a unique problem. I wear Rx goggle inserts which usually give me no problem. In a snowstorm, I had a distortion effect which created blurry vision. I think it was a 3 lens interaction but no bueno!

 

[groomer groover]

Today I skied with them in the storm, and I have to say they were awesome! Not one minute of fogged lenses, despite the snowy conditions. It was pretty warm today, but it's supposed to be much colder tomorrow, and still stormy, so I'll see how they do in the colder temps, but so far I'm very impressed.

That's great to hear. Aside from fogging inside, I get really irritated about the condensation on the outside of the lens on a wet snowy day. Those are the days I wish I had a goggles windshield wiper. I wonder if the heating helps that to roll off faster than it would without. Thoughts?