Goggles or sunglasses?

11th November 2014

If you are heading to the slopes this winter and looking to buy new eyewear you might be uncertain whether to go for goggles or sunglasses. 20 years ago most skiers wore sunglasses and only a minority wore goggles but the huge growth of snowboarding coupled with greater awareness of the risk of head damage has meant the reverse is now true – there are more goggle than sunglass wearers. By necessity helmets are worn by all snow boarders and more progressive, accomplished skiers tackling challenging snow runs and going off piste. And helmets and goggles go together.

But skiers that are not intending to tackle black runs all day and are content with more “sedate” skiing can quite happily get by with good quality sunglasses. But even at moderate speed cold wind can cause the eyes to water so it’s worth looking out for full frame (not half frame) models with a “full wrap” fit. And it’s always worth paying a bit extra to get a good quality frame that’s robust and durable and can take a few knocks – you don’t want to be half way up a mountain and find your sunglasses break the first time you fall over. We have a new guide to buying ski eyewear – if you’d like a copy just ping an email to: [email protected].