How to Choose Kids Ski Goggles: Size, Fit and Fog

To choose kids ski goggles, fit them with your kid's own helmet on, not by age alone. The goggle should sit snug against the face with no light showing at the temples, cheeks or nose, and there should be no gap between the top of the goggle and the helmet brim. Buy the size that fits now instead of one to grow into, and pick a lens that handles grey days, because that's when little ones struggle to see.

Here's how to check the fit in about a minute, a rough size guide by age, why kids goggles fog so much, and which lens makes sense for a kid.

What size ski goggles does my kid need?

Goggle brands don't really size by age. Most sell kids goggles as a fit range, like toddler, kids, junior or youth, and every kid's face is different. So treat any age chart as a starting point and let the fit check below make the call. Here's roughly how it shakes out:

This is general guidance, not a brand size chart. Two kids the same age can need different goggles, especially around the nose, which is the part that grows in last.

Our Addison is built for kids about 5 to 12 years old. Older kids with bigger faces can size up to the Valorie Snow, our smallest adult frame. Either way, do the fit check below with their helmet on.

How do you check if kids goggles fit?

You can do this at home or in the shop. It takes about a minute, and the helmet step is the one most people skip.

1. Strap off, press on gently. Hold the goggle on their face with light pressure, facing a window.
2. Look for light. Check at the temples, under the cheekbones and on both sides of the nose. Light getting in means cold air and snow getting in, and that's what fogs a goggle.
3. Ask them to smile. If the goggle lifts off their cheeks when they smile, it'll lift when they're laughing on the chair.
4. Helmet on, then do it again. The goggle should sit right under the brim with no strip of forehead showing, and the helmet shouldn't push the goggle down onto their nose.
5. Have them look down at their boots. Bending over is when a loose goggle slides. It should stay put.
6. Check they can breathe easy. If the goggle pinches their nose, it's too big or the wrong shape for their face. Kids won't keep a goggle on that bugs them.

That forehead gap is the big one. It's the coldest spot on a kid's face, and warm air escaping out the top of the goggle runs right up the inside of the lens. We wrote a whole post on why goggles don't fit your helmet and how to fix it, and it all applies to kids too.

Should you buy kids ski goggles a size up?

No. It's tempting, because kids grow fast and nobody wants to buy gear every year, but goggles are one of those things where bigger isn't a saving. A goggle that's too big leaks at the edges, fogs, gets pushed around by the helmet and slides down the nose. A kid who can't see well gets nervous, slows down and asks to go in.

Buy the fit they have this season. If you've got more than one kid, a goggle that fits now often fits the next one in a year or two.

Why do kids ski goggles fog up so much?

Kids run hot, they fall a lot and they don't sit still. Most kid fog comes from a few habits:

• Goggles on the forehead. Pushed up on the helmet in the lift line or the lodge, the goggle catches the heat and sweat coming off their head. Pull it down over their eyes or put it in a pocket instead.
• Neck warmer pulled up over the nose. Their breath goes straight up into the goggle. Our post on ski goggles fogging up from breathing covers how to wear a neck warmer or buff without fogging.
• Wiping the inside with a mitten. Our lenses have an anti-fog coating on the inside, and rubbing it with a wet mitten wears it down. Shake the snow out and let the lens air dry instead.
• Snow packed in after a fall. Knock it out of the foam and vents before it melts. If it does freeze, here's why ski goggles freeze up and how to thaw them without scratching the lens.
• A gap at the helmet. Back to the fit check. A goggle that seals against the face and meets the helmet brim fogs a lot less.

What lens colour is best for kids ski goggles?

A lens that does well on grey days. Kids are lower to the snow, often skiing slower in flat light, and plenty of family ski time happens on local hills in the evening. A dark sunny day lens makes all of that harder. A lighter lens, or a photochromic lens that tints darker in the sun and lighter when it clouds over, covers more of the days your kid will actually ski.

If your kid is going to ride both sunny days and grey ones, a second lens they can swap quickly is the other good option. The Addison uses a magnetic lens, so swapping takes seconds and you're not fighting a frame with cold fingers on the chairlift. The Addison arrives around mid November and comes with two lenses, a Photochromic Green and a Grape Ice. Lenses only fit their own frame, so keep spare lenses with the goggle they belong to.

The Addison lenses match our adult ones: Grape Ice lets in 72% of light, and Photochromic Green moves between 65% and 16% as the light changes.

Our ski goggle VLT chart explains what the tint numbers mean, and are photochromic ski goggles worth it covers who a photochromic lens makes sense for. For how a magnetic lens actually holds on, see our magnetic lens guide.

Do toddlers need ski goggles?

Yes, once they're on snow for more than a few minutes. Snow reflects a lot of light, wind makes little eyes water, and when it's snowing a toddler can't see a thing without them. Goggles also keep their face warmer than sunglasses do. For toddlers, the fit matters even more than for older kids: a goggle that pinches or slides gets pulled off and thrown in the snow.

Can kids wear goggles over glasses?

Some kids goggles are made big enough to fit over glasses, often called OTG. The catch is that a bigger goggle is harder to fit on a small face. The other option is a prescription insert, a small frame your optometrist fits with their prescription that clips inside the goggle.

Heads up: we haven't tested our prescription insert in the Addison yet, so we can't promise it fits. If your kid wears glasses, check with us before you count on it.

What if they lose or break them?

Kids lose stuff and kids crash. The Addison is backed by our Lifetime Good Day Guarantee, which covers scratches, crashes, breaks and loss. So if their goggle disappears off the chairlift or gets stepped on in the boot room, you're covered. Our post on what lifetime goggle warranties really cover explains how ours is different. To make a lens last longer in the meantime, a soft bag and a few habits from how to prevent scratched goggle lenses go a long way.

The Addison is named after the kid who sends it first and asks questions never. If you've got one of those at home, you know why the guarantee matters.

Skiing with my 3 year old

Honest answer: my 3 year old doesn't wear goggles yet. She doesn't love them, so for now she skis in a visor. If your little one pushes back on goggles too, you're not alone.

If you're planning weeknight laps with the family, here's which Edmonton hills run night skiing and when. And if you're getting yourself sorted too, our guide to ski goggles for beginners walks through the adult side. Every adult frame is in our goggles collection, with a 60 day used trial. Ride them for 60 days. Most brands won't let you take the tags off.

FAQ

What size ski goggles for a 3 year old?

The smallest kids or toddler fit you can find, tried on with their own helmet. At this age the nose bridge is tiny, so a goggle made for older kids usually gaps under the eyes.

What size ski goggles for a 10 year old?

Usually a youth fit. Some bigger 10 year olds fit a small adult frame, so check it on their face with their helmet on, and check again next fall.

Can kids wear adult ski goggles?

Older kids and teens sometimes can, if it passes the fit check. For younger kids, an adult goggle is almost always too wide and leaves gaps that let in cold air and fog.

Should kids ski goggles fit tight?

Snug, not tight. The foam should touch all the way around without pressing hard on the nose, and the strap should hold the goggle in place when they look down without leaving deep marks.

How do I keep my kid's goggles from fogging?

Keep them off the forehead, keep the neck warmer below the nose, don't wipe the inside of the lens, and make sure there's no gap between the goggle and the helmet.

Until next time, have a Good Day!