Kid with glasses

[DeeSki]

My six year old wears glasses. Last year he skied with them and without goggles. It was fine because it was quite cloudy but I wasn’t really happy about it. I was going to get goggles he could wear over his glasses but then I saw it suggested that a helmet with a visor might work. Does anyone have any experience with this? His vision is really poor, so any solution has to allow him wear his glasses.

 

[newboots]

I own one of those visor-helmets. I bought it as a newbie, having never tried separate helmet and goggles. It works fine, although the fit is not perfect and I have a little trouble with fogging. If he already has a helmet that fits, then this will be an added expense. There is definitely room for my glasses under the visor. I have received compliments from 10-year-olds who think it looks like a motorcycle helmet and that it's cool!

I can't change lenses in it, but I have no other complaints. Mine is made by Head. I have no idea about children's goggles, but there are certainly OTG (over-the-glasses) goggles aplenty.

 

[Brenda T.]

I've never been much of a goggle person. I have a couple of pairs and they always fog up. Most of my years skiing have been in glasses (I started skiing at 16 and got glasses at 15). I always had trouble with fogging when doing goggles over glasses and would just forgo the goggles so I could see. Most of those issues are gone since I got Lasik and when I switched to contacts before then I had a major improvement. (did you know that there are things off to the side? I didn't know that until contacts!!)

So, I have not done the visored helmet, but it sounds to me like a good option. I think still some anti-fog treatment on the glasses and visor might be needed, but I think I'd try it if I was in that situation.

 

[newboots]

I've actually had good luck with the anti-fog spray - mine is made by Zeiss. When I remember to put it on. If I forget, I have to remember not to talk with my balaclava on!

 

[Jilly]

Salomon has the visor helmets too. I'm sure I saw some in the store for kids and not adults. The adult ones are goooonnnnneeeee.

 

[Brenda T.]

I've actually had good luck with the anti-fog spray - mine is made by Zeiss. When I remember to put it on. If I forget, I have to remember not to talk with my balaclava on!

Oh, I use Zeiss built equipment in my full time job. No one knows optical glass and how it behaves better than them. I didn't know they made and anti-fog spray. If I needed it I'd check that out. Maybe a good gift for my son for Christmas!!

 

[CarverJill]

Maybe I'm missing something buy I don't like the look of the helmets with a visor. I feel like they may be big in Europe or something but here in the US, to me they stand out and look different. Why not ask your kid what he wants? People have been skiing with glasses and goggles for years. I suggest doing some research on good kids goggles for glasses and go with those.

 

[DeeSki]

Thanks Divas! I’ll certainly check out both. He doesn’t have a helmet because anywhere we have skied, helmets have been included in the kids ski rental package. I think Austrian law might require them for children. The helmet option would cost a little more, but maybe not much, because OTG goggles are a little more expensive anyway. The expense will arise because I’ll end up getting the same for my four year old! @CarverJill, he wanted goggles last year but we didn’t find any that he found comfortable with his glasses. He’s small for his age so even kids goggles are sometimes too big and if they slip down, the glasses get dragged down too, which is uncomfortable. I didn’t see too many of the helmets with visors in Austria last year and only on kids. Part of the advantage for kids is that they don’t have goggles to lose! @Jilly I saw the adult Salomon visor helmets in a store yesterday, but no kids models!

 

[DeeSki]

I've actually had good luck with the anti-fog spray - mine is made by Zeiss. When I remember to put it on. If I forget, I have to remember not to talk with my balaclava on!

This is me on my bike to work every morning! The choice is between a cold nose or fog! I’ll check out that Zeiss spray!

 

[diymom]

Osbe used to make the proton jr. It seems it was discontinued around 2014 but you might find some NOS on ebay or in a local shop.

 

[Jilly]

The first helmets with visors that came out were so big and looked clumsy. A friend referred to them as the skier looked like a Russian tourist. (But in a friend way I think!).

The biggest problem I see is that your son will grow out of the helmet. You could pass is it on to the next one, but helmets need to be examined before passing one. The local swap will not take used one now. Also kids lose stuff.....not sure what companies you have available to try on for OTG goggles, but every manufacturer should make them.

 

[2ski2moro]

I tried a Casco helmet with visor in Austria last year. I really liked it, except that I felt too warm. I would have liked some more ventilation. The photo-chromatic lens was impressive, but a little slow to change to lighter in the clouds. Not a problem, but noticeable. It's expensive, too.

But the visor goes over the glasses with no problem and the visibility is fantastic.

https://casco-helme.de/en/winter_products/SP-SIX_VISIER/index.php

 

[nopoleskier]

My six year old wears glasses. Last year he skied with them and without goggles. It was fine because it was quite cloudy but I wasn’t really happy about it. I was going to get goggles he could wear over his glasses but then I saw it suggested that a helmet with a visor might work. Does anyone have any experience with this? His vision is really poor, so any solution has to allow him wear his glasses.

I have a student 9yrs old.. last year she had her Dad's helmet w/visor.. way too big it was sliding down over her eyes.. this year she has a proper fitting one and so far no fogging and she can see out of it..

 

[CrystalRose]

There's a website called Opticsplanet.com. They have affordable goggles just in case your kiddo loses them or out grows them quickly. I found these for $26 US. IDK if they ship internationally (or if it would be worth it by then) but they are the Smith Suncloud Polarized Optics Daredevil Youth Goggles. Maybe try eBay? They say they are glasses compatible.

 

[MsWax]

My youngest, 4, has really bad eyesight (that we discovered after last ski season). This year, on our first day out we discovered his goggles didn't fit over his glasses. We got him some Scott brand goggles that are designed to go over glasses, and now he's all good. We paid $30 (at the mountain) for them.

 

[newboots]

Salomon has the visor helmets too. I'm sure I saw some in the store for kids and not adults. The adult ones are goooonnnnneeeee.

I can't really disagree. But as I said, they earn compliments from middle-schoolers. Here is me in my visor-helmet:

 

[Gloria]

I ski with kids a lot. Some kids can put their goggles on and keep them on where others ( like most others ) have trouble with silly little things, getting them on straight and not with the bottom of the goggles over their eyes etc. They also don’t like the way they feel on and almost always need help getting them on and usually take them off after you help them put them on. If he was fine without goggles, he might be best that way until he starts skiing more aggressively and then worry about wearing them over his glasses so he doesn’t break or lose them. In the meantime I would let him use a helmet without a visor along with the best fitting most affordable googles you can find for now. I say this as the brim on the helmet makes it difficult to wear the goggles on the helmet instead of face and then you have goggles just hanging off the back of the helmet filled with snow that are unusable. A regular helmet will allow him to have goggles attached that he can “get use to using” in an on and off fashion until he needs them full time.

 

[DeeSki]

Thanks everyone! Lots of food for thought. @Gloria your description of kids and goggles is exactly what I see happening. I bought very inexpensive goggles for my younger son (4) who doesn’t wear glasses because I know he’d like some and given his track record with gloves, scarves and hats, we’ll be lucky if they come home the first day! Older guy is a bit more careful with his belongings but more importantly, he really got the hang of skiing last season, so he could actually need goggles this year.

 

[DeeSki]

Love the pic @newboots! I think your visor helmet is cool too. I think my kids would say you look like a Power Ranger!

 

[2ski2moro]

Just to pass along a tip...put a carabiner on your child's jacket. When the gloves/gaiter/helmet/pass/goggle comes off, they go on the carabiner immediately. I don't know who suggested it first, but it works.

My friends were foster parents to a mentally handicapped child. They implemented this system for skiing and it worked perfectly.