Anyone dislike goggles?

[num]

I skied all of last season without goggles, due solely to not having acquired all my gear yet. When I got to the goggle buying round of the gear-catch up game I tried on a million pairs of different brands (okay, not a million but a lot) and there were two things that get to me about all of them:

1) Despite many of them claiming the opposite, I found that they all really cut my peripheral vision down. The furthest back I could see with the best pair is ear level. Annoying and a bit concerning (as far as seeing someone coming up to fast behind me) but not the biggest deal.

2) I could always see the nose part very clearly, enough that it confuses my vision some. Is this the case for everyone and it's just not bothersome for most? It feels like there's a huge line drawn in the middle of my face, and it drives me nuts.

Both were the case with all the Smith, Scott, Bolle and Anon goggles I could get my hands on, so I bought the pair that fit me the best of them (Smith Anthem) and hoped I'd just get used to them. So far I've taken them to the hill with me and decided that the visible nose part was too distracting and they've hung out in my pocket while I skied.

Thoughts, suggestions, evil goggle stories or frozen eyeball stories?

 

[lil mountain girl]

don't worry, you'll get used to them!

it's like when i first got glasses . . . after getting over how clear everything appeared, i couldn't help but notice i was peering through frames . . . and my peripheral vision was still blurry!

but i can't drive without my glasses!

besides protecting your eyes and part of your face, goggles are an essential piece of safety gear
. . . like mittens . . . they feel weird and you can't use your hands . . . but you don't have frostbite!!!

 

[SnowHot]

I have always preferred a good pair of sunglasses that have good eye coverage, however there are some snow conditions that are best served by goggles.

Num, you may be over thinking it a bit.
Yes, you should pay attention to the complete line of visions, peripherally and laterally, but remember that your main focus will be forward when you're skiing and all that analysis will soon be forgotten when you get on the slopes.

For me, it was more important to find a goggle that fit my helmet without gaps for air to get through on my forehead.

 

[IntheClouds]

Wear them, you'll get used to them. I was going to dump my old pair last year. Bought them in 83 when I actually skied a few times. Last year they gave me an eye twitch that lasted days. By the end of the season the twitch took 2 weeks to get rid of. This year I bought a pair of Oakley A frames. They do well. peripheral vision is plenty with these. MY long standing complaint (now that my eye twitch is gone, that was ugly! ) is the itch on my forehead I have always had after a few hours of wearing googles. I like having this kind of stuff to complain about. Beats the alternatives.

Num, if you can see ear level, you may just be seeing too much. It used to annoy me when I could see my nose again (it's been broken a few times & out of sight). But now I can see past it. Narrowing your peripheral within a good pair of googles will actually make you look in a different way. You will still see, but for a while there will be some effort & thought in it.

 

[SnowHot]

I like having this kind of stuff to complain about. Beats the alternatives.
.

Like falling asleep too early after a day on the slopes so you wake up at 3 am for the day, or being wound up after a day on the slopes so you can't get to sleep?

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

I can kind of relate. I really like having a lot of peripheral vision when I ski-- If I don't I always feel like someone could hit me or I could hit them simply because I can't see them beside me until it's too late. I too have tried on what seems like every google brand/model made. The only ones I have found that give me the kind of vision I want are Oakley Crowbars. The only drawback to these is that they are a large goggle and I'm sure people would say they are too big for my face. But they are comfortable, don't squash my nose and I can see well in them. Other contenders were the Smith Anthem and the Oakley A frame. The Anthems are definitely smaller, but the A Frames don't seem that much smaller than the Crowbars-- maybe a little, but the Crowbars give the appearance of being bigger due to the way the strap is attached.

 

[Pequenita]

If you've only been skiing with sunglasses and didn't find the need to get goggles, it may take you a while to get used to wearing the latter. I think the nose part may be a matter of looking out, rather than down while skiing. Then again, you know those sterographic posters that come into 3D when you stare at them right? I could never see the image, but I bet you probably can.

Hm. I've never really thought about peripheral vision when it comes to skiing. I think you've got to get to the mountain on a day where the conditions make goggles imperative -- fiercely cold wind blowing the snow around in whiteout conditions -- to truly appreciate what goggles can do, imho.

 

[Kano]

Peripheral vision when wearing goggles -- if you have peripheral vision all the way back to your ears with goggles on, and that feels limited....

Aside from the glasses I wear to see, which make the far periphery pretty fuzzy, that's about where mine is when I'm not wearing goggles, I suppose -- after that I need to turn my head to see any farther around back.

I wear contacts when I ski, and Smith Anthem goggles. I've been pretty happy with them visually, though my nose sometimes feels smooshed.

On the other hand I have a new helmet this year, and now you've gotten me looking at how the two pieces work together. I'm not sure it's a good thing. I may have to go shopping again, darn it

Kano

 

[cyn]

I need to wear glasses for distance, but I don't like goggles either.
I wear "cocoons", which are tinted and fit over my regular glasses. Many of the deep sea fishermen around here wear them when they're on the water.
They wrap around, and also have small lenses on the side pieces. They hardly ever fog up, and they're so comfortable I forget I'm wearing them. They offer great wind protection, and don't look too geeky.
They also cost about $35 - way less than prescription goggles.

 

[SnowDancer]

I wear contacts when I ski, and Smith Anthem goggles. I've been pretty happy with them visually, though my nose sometimes feels smooshed.

Kano

I also wear contacts, so for me I feel goggles are a must. There might be a periperal issue with some of the squarer frames that stand off your face more - or you may simply prefer to see more to the sides than someone else.

Like Kano, my newest pair are the Smith Anthem but my faves are an older pair of Uvex Supersonic, which have great optical quality. [What I require most in goggles is to enhance visibility as much as possible in flat/low light (overcast days, shadows, etc.), yet cut glare when it's brighter.]

The Anthem & Supersonic have a small enough frame to work with my helmet, and fit closely enough to my face so that periperal vision is not an issue (for me), yet neither smooshes/squeezes/pinches my nose. I learned from experience to always take my helmet with me when shopping for goggles.

Be patient and try on lots of different makes & models of goggles; if they don't feel right in the store, odds are they won't get better on the mountain. It took me a while, but now I have two pair that are just right for me.

Good luck & happy shopping!

 

[IntheClouds]

Like falling asleep too early after a day on the slopes so you wake up at 3 am for the day, or being wound up after a day on the slopes so you can't get to sleep?

Yeah, & if you put those 2 types of days back to back it could be scary !

 

[Kano]

Like Kano, my newest pair are the Smith Anthem but my faves are an older pair of Uvex Supersonic, which have great optical quality. [What I require most in goggles is to enhance visibility as much as possible in flat/low light (overcast days, shadows, etc.), yet cut glare when it's brighter.]

Sometimes, it sounds like two of everything is better than one, but is it better to have two pair of goggles? And what kind of lenses do you like best? I have a clear pair I can put into my Anthems if I want to for night, but don't do much night skiing -- well, not before this year. Sounds like DH is interested in nights now that there's a group at work that goes up, so maybe more this year...

I have some pretty standard, brownie-coppery (RC36 maybe?) lenses in my 3-4 year old Anthems, but am intrigued by the new lenses they've got now, the ignitor mirrors and the sensor mirrors.

Anyone have advice on these?

Kano

 

[Kano]

Oh, oops, forgot about this question:

Does anyone have any input on goggles like the Smith ones with the little fan built in? DH has lots of fog issues with his glasses/goggle combination, and is due for new goggles. These are expensive (especially for the ol' tightwad) and I'm interested in knowing how they work for people! (I didn't ask this somewhere already, I hope!)

Kano

 

[ISki]

It would be good to protect your eyes from UV.

 

[altagirl]

Oh, oops, forgot about this question:

Does anyone have any input on goggles like the Smith ones with the little fan built in? DH has lots of fog issues with his glasses/goggle combination, and is due for new goggles. These are expensive (especially for the ol' tightwad) and I'm interested in knowing how they work for people! (I didn't ask this somewhere already, I hope!)

Kano

My husband has those, but he doesn't wear glasses under them. He just sweats a lot and fogs up everything else when it's snowing. But the fans work. The only problem he's had is if it's a really wet snow and gets colder he's had the fan freeze up once or twice. Thaw it out under a hand drier and it works again. But we're talking conditions most people wouldn't be out in and it's not hard to fix.


Regarding the orginal question, I just can't imagine skiing in glasses of any sort. First I need the wind out of my eyes, and second, I want as much skin covered up as possible. When it's cold, I usually end up tucking my neck gaiter up under the goggles, I don't know how I'd keep from getting frostbite with glasses. Sure, they cut off a tiny bit of peripheral vision, but so do glasses. Not to mention, if I can't see anything because my eyes are watering, that's worse than a tiny loss in peripheral vision.

You've just got to keep looking to find what fits your face. There are TONS of goggle brands out there - something has to work!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Lots of good advice thus far in this thread, num - you've tried 4 goggle manufacturers (and some of the bigger ones), but there are dozens more. Don't give up. You'll know the right fit when you get it, although, as mentioned by others, there will be a reduction in peripheral vision.

I don't know, goggles are mandatory for me even on sunny days because I wear contact lenses when I ski, and my eyes don't do well with sunglasses (while skiing) due to either over-tearing or lenses drying out from wind. If you are not finding any other options at ski shops (tried Viking?), start looking in snowboard-specific shops, which will carry all kinds of other brands not available in ski shops.

Frankly, if you ever get yourself into a super-cold and/or super-windy - and better yet - super-SNOWY day, the goggles could make the difference between your being able to stay out there and giving it up. Keep looking, and good luck!

 

[Pequenita]

start looking in snowboard-specific shops, which will carry all kinds of other brands not available in ski shops.

This comment reminded me that Oakley makes "Asian Fit" goggles. I know you're not Asian, but the Asian fit line is designed with a narrower nose bridge. It's possible the that it's a wide nose bridge that's bothering you. It may be worth checking out.

 

[ski diva]

Oh, oops, forgot about this question:

Does anyone have any input on goggles like the Smith ones with the little fan built in? DH has lots of fog issues with his glasses/goggle combination, and is due for new goggles. These are expensive (especially for the ol' tightwad) and I'm interested in knowing how they work for people! (I didn't ask this somewhere already, I hope!)

Kano

My husband just got a pair of these and so far he absolutely LOVES them. He wears glasses and has had fogging problems for years. No matter what goggles he's tried, his glasses have fogged up underneath. Not with these! He's only skied with them a couple times, but so far, so good.

 

[SkiNurse]

I, too, personally prefer a great pair of sunglasses with good coverage over goggles and agree that there are times when it is best to wear goggles.

My problem is, since I had my Lasik surgery 2 years ago, my eyes get too dried out now when I wear glasses skiing. So, I am wearing goggles more often,

 

[SkiMave]

I've never skied with anything but goggles. Can't imagine life without them. In the north east, it can be as cold as minus 25 or 30 Celsius so the goggles really do help keep your face warm (and your eyelids from freezing shut).

I've had a couple of good spills where I've fallen forward hard and I've never had to worry about breaking them (as I might if I was wearing sunglasses). The goggles are very pliable and safe.

I have Oakley A Frames and find them extremely comfortable. The only bad part is I somehow got a scratch on them a couple of years ago right in the middle of my line of vision which can be quite annoying on the bright, sunny days!! I guess it's time to get a replacement pair !!

Here's a tip to deal with the peripheral vision thing - ski faster so nobody passes you and then you don't have to worry about it !!