Best Ski Goggles for Changing Weather

The best ski goggle setup for changing weather is either a photochromic lens or a mid-tint lens with a bright spare in your pocket. A photochromic lens goes from 65% VLT in low light to 16% in bright sun on its own, so one lens can cover sun, cloud and snow. If you'd rather swap, ride a 24% lens like Shred Green or Shred Blue while the sun is out, then switch to a 72% lens like Grape Ice when the clouds or snow roll in. With a magnetic lens, that swap takes under 30 seconds with your gloves on.

That's the short version. Here's how to make it work on the hill.

Sun to cloud to snow: what changes for your eyes

Most mountain days don't stay put. You load the first chair in full sun, a bank of cloud slides in around lunch, and by the afternoon it's snowing. Each of those needs something different from your lens.

In full sun, there's too much light. Snow bounces it right back at you, so you squint and your eyes get tired. A darker lens with a low VLT (the share of light the lens lets through) fixes that.

When cloud rolls in, the light drops and the shadows go soft. A dark lens that felt perfect an hour ago now makes everything dim.

When it starts snowing, you lose even more light, and the snow in the air cuts your view down further. Now you want a bright lens that lets a lot of light in and adds some contrast.

One fixed lens will be right for maybe one of those three. That's why changing weather is really a lens question.

Flat light: the hardest part of a mixed day

Flat light is when cloud spreads the light out so evenly that the snow loses its shadows. You can't tell a roller from a dip, and the ground seems to blend into the sky. It's the part of a changing day that catches most people out, because it often shows up fast.

What helps is a high-VLT lens with a tint that boosts contrast:

• Grape Ice (72%) has a subtle purple tint that makes bumps and terrain changes stand out. It's made for overcast and powder days and fits the Valorie Snow, Emily and Esme.
• Gasolina (72%) has a red-blue tint and is built for clouds, storms, shaded runs and flat light. It's available for the Valorie Snow and the Emily.
• Clear (80 to 99%) lets the most light through. It's for storms, flat light and night riding, and it's only available for the Valorie Snow.

A riding tip that helps no matter what lens you have: when the light goes flat, head for the trees. The trunks give your eyes something to judge distance against. For tree cover, a lens in the 40 to 70% range works well. We go deeper on this in our guide to the best ski goggles for low-light and snowy days.

How to pick a lens for a mixed day

Start with the forecast, then pick the lens for the worst light you expect, not the best. Being a little bright in the sun is uncomfortable. Being too dark in a snowstorm is a real problem.

Here's what we'd run in each of our snow goggles:

For a day that starts sunny and might turn, a 24% lens is a good one to start in. Shred Green and Shred Blue handle sun and some mixed cloud. Shred Green has a green mirror on the outside, but when you look through it you see a brown/purple hue, which is what sharpens things up. Shred Blue is the Emily's mid-tint, with a blue tint and the same 24% VLT.

Once the clouds really settle in or it starts to snow, that's when you want Grape Ice or Gasolina in the goggle instead.

Photochromic lenses: one lens for the whole day

A photochromic lens changes tint on its own. It darkens as the UV gets stronger and lightens again when the UV drops. Our photochromic snow lenses run from 65% VLT in low light down to 16% in bright sun, so you can ride from a cloudy morning into a sunny afternoon without stopping.

Here's where they come in:

• Valorie Snow: Photochromic Black, Green or Purple, all 65 to 16%. The Purple adds a contrast boost for flat light. Here's the Valorie Snow with the Photochromic Black lens.
• Emily: Photochromic Black, 65 to 16%.
• Esme: There isn't a photochromic lens for the Esme, so the two-lens plan below is the way to go.

To be straight about it, photochromic is a great all-rounder, not a perfect match for every extreme. At its darkest it sits at 16%, which is lighter than Sunny Day Black (10%) on a bright bluebird day. At its brightest it sits at 65%, which is a bit darker than Grape Ice or Gasolina (72%) in a real storm. If most of your days land somewhere in the middle, photochromic is hard to beat. If you ride a lot of full storm days or full bluebird days, a dedicated lens for those days still does the job best.

Carry a spare lens and swap it fast

If you'd rather not go photochromic, or you ride the Esme, the easy system is two lenses: a mid-tint in the goggle and a bright one in your pocket. When the weather turns, you swap.

All three of our snow goggles use a magnetic lens. You take the old lens off and put the new one on. It takes under 30 seconds, and you can do it with your gloves on. If you want to know how magnetic systems work, we covered that in magnetic goggle lenses: how they work and which to buy.

A few things that make it easier:

• Get the right lens for your frame. Lenses only fit their own frame, so a Valorie Snow lens goes on a Valorie Snow, an Emily lens on an Emily and an Esme lens on an Esme.
• Keep the spare warm and dry. Put it in a soft pouch in an inside pocket, not in your pack or a pocket that's full of snow. A warm, dry lens is less likely to fog when it goes on.
• Swap with your back to the wind. That keeps blowing snow off the inside of the lens.
• Handle it by the edges. Don't touch the inside of the lens, especially with wet gloves.

For the Emily, a simple kit is the Emily with the Shred Blue lens plus a Grape Ice or Gasolina spare. For the Valorie Snow or Esme, go with Shred Green plus Grape Ice. And if a spare does get dropped off the chair, our warranty covers all damage, including loss.

Fog and moisture when the weather turns

Changing weather is also when goggles tend to fog or get wet inside. It usually comes down to one of two things.

The first is condensation. Warm, damp air from your face hits the cold inner lens and turns into water droplets. The second is actual water getting in. Wet snow, rain or slush can get pushed through the vents or around the frame, especially on spring days or after a fall that packs snow into the gaps.

Here's what helps:

• Keep the air moving. The top of your goggle should sit flush against your helmet brim with no visible gap, without the brim pressing down on the frame or covering the top vents. Don't pull your neck warmer up so high that your breath goes into the goggle.
• Keep your hands off the inside. Wet gloves on the inner lens is one of the most common ways water gets in, and it's the easiest one to avoid.
• Let your face cool down. If you've been warming up in the lodge, give yourself a minute before you seal your goggles on and head back out.
• Don't wipe the inside when it's wet. Our lenses are anti-fog coated, and wiping a wet inner lens, even with a clean microfibre cloth, can damage that coating.

At the end of a wet day, gently shake out any standing water. Then set your goggles lens-up somewhere at room temperature and let them dry on their own. Keep them away from heaters and radiators, because too much heat can damage the foam and the coating. Once the lens is completely dry, you can use a clean, dry microfibre cloth on the outside of the lens to clear any smudges. If your goggles are icing up rather than just fogging, have a read of why ski goggles freeze up.

FAQ

What lens colour is best for changing weather?

A photochromic lens is the simplest answer, because it adjusts from 65% to 16% VLT on its own. If you'd rather swap, start in a 24% lens like Shred Green or Shred Blue and carry Grape Ice (72%) for when the clouds or snow come in.

Are photochromic ski goggles worth it?

If most of your days are a mix of sun and cloud, yes. One lens covers most of the day and you don't have to stop. If you ride a lot of full storm days or full bluebird days, a dedicated lens for those conditions will still do a bit better.

What lens should I use for flat light?

Go bright with some contrast. Grape Ice (72%) works in all three of our snow goggles, Gasolina (72%) works in the Valorie Snow and Emily, and the Valorie Snow also has a Clear lens.

How long does it take to change a lens?

Under 30 seconds with your gloves on. All three of our snow goggles use a magnetic lens.

Will my spare lens fit any Good Day Optics goggle?

No. Lenses only fit their own frame, so buy your spare for the goggle you ride.

Until next time, have a Good Day!