Ski Goggle Foam Replacement: Replace It or Claim It?

On most ski goggles, the face foam is the part you can't just swap like a lens or a strap. Some brands sell replacement foam, but on plenty of goggles, ours included, the foam isn't replaceable yet. If the foam on your Good Day goggle has packed out, that's covered by our Lifetime Good Day Guarantee, so the fix is to start a claim, not to buy new goggles or glue on foam from a kit.

Here's how to tell your foam is done, why it wears out, what your options are, and how to make it last a lot longer.

How do you know your goggle foam needs replacing?

Foam wears out slowly, so most people don't notice until a cold, windy day when their face is freezing and their lens keeps fogging. Here's what to look for:

A quick check: take the strap off, hold the goggle on your face with light pressure and look toward a bright window. Light getting in at the edges means cold air is getting in too. Then press the foam with your thumb. Good foam springs back. Packed out foam stays squished or feels hard.

Why does goggle foam wear out?

Face foam has a tough job. It's pressed against your face all day, it soaks up sweat, it gets packed with snow every time you fall, and then it usually gets thrown in a bag still damp. A few things wear it down faster than anything else:

• Days on snow. Every day compresses it a little. Our goggles usually last 5+ years, and the lens is usually the first thing to scratch. But if you ride 50+ days a year, the face foam usually packs out before the lens scratches.
• Putting them away wet. Moisture trapped in the foam breaks down the foam and the glue holding it to the frame.
• Heat. Drying goggles on a heater, a boot dryer or the dash of the truck is hard on foam. So is a hot car all summer.
• Getting squished. Goggles left on the helmet and tossed in the car, or crushed in the bottom of a pack, flatten the foam.
• A strap cranked too tight. Set the strap so the goggle is snug enough not to slip, without pressure points. A strap pulled tight all season presses the foam flat.

Can you replace the foam on ski goggles?

It depends on the goggle. Some brands sell replacement foam or a replacement frame that comes with new foam already on it. Other goggles have foam glued to the frame for good, and once it's done, the goggle is done.

You'll also find aftermarket foam kits and people re-gluing their own foam. It can work as a quick fix, but it's hard to get a new layer to seal as well as the original, and any gap at the edges brings back the cold air and fog you were trying to get rid of.

Can you replace the foam on Good Day goggles?

Not yet. There's no replaceable foam on our goggles right now. We hope to change that in the future, but we don't have a date for it.

What we do have is our Lifetime Good Day Guarantee, and packed-out foam is covered. You don't need to buy a foam kit or a whole new goggle. Start a claim on our Good Day Guarantee page. Having photos of the foam and your order number ready helps a lot.

We send you a new frame with fresh foam, and you keep your own lenses and strap.

The guarantee covers all damage, not only foam: scratches, crashes, breaks and even loss. A lot of "lifetime warranties" in this industry only cover manufacturing defects, which isn't what wears goggles out. We wrote about that in lifetime warranty goggles: what brands don't tell you.

Is it the foam, or is it the fit?

Before you blame the foam, make sure the goggle actually fits your face and your helmet. A few things look like a foam problem but aren't:

• A gap between the goggle and your helmet. Warm air escapes out the top and the lens fogs. Here's why your goggles don't fit your helmet and how to fix it.
• Pain on the bridge of your nose from day one. That's usually the frame shape or a strap that's too tight, not worn foam. More in why your goggles hurt your nose.
• Gaps at the cheeks on a wide face. A frame that's too narrow will never seal, no matter how new the foam is. If that sounds like you, read our guide to ski goggles for wide faces.
• Fogging with a neck warmer pulled up. Your breath is going straight into the goggle. See ski goggles fogging up from breathing.

If the goggle used to seal and doesn't anymore, and nothing else changed, it's the foam.

How to make goggle foam last longer

Most foam dies from moisture and heat, so most of this is about drying them right:

1. Air dry after every ski day. Take them out of the bag when you get home and let the lens and foam dry at room temperature. No heater, no boot dryer, no dash.
2. Never store them wet. Even overnight in a damp bag starts breaking down the foam and the glue.
3. Knock the snow out right away. After a fall, shake the snow out of the foam and vents before it melts and soaks in. If it freezes, here's why ski goggles freeze up and how to thaw them.
4. Don't leave them on your helmet in the car. Put them away with care, in a soft bag or case, so nothing crushes the foam.
5. Keep them off your forehead. Goggles pushed up on your helmet soak up the heat and sweat coming off your head.
6. Leave the inside of the lens alone. Wiping it with a glove wears off the anti-fog coating. Here's why anti-fog coatings fail.
7. Store them right in summer. Clean, fully dry and somewhere with a steady temperature, not the garage. More in how to store your ski gear at the end of the season.

For the full picture on lenses, straps and frames, read how long ski goggles last. And if you ride bikes too, summer sweat is its own fight: why MTB goggle foam gets wet and how to dry it.

When I know my foam is done

For me, the foam is done when I start seeing gaps or feel wind getting through. On the drive home, my goggle goes in its case or bag inside my ski bag. Once I'm home, I take it out and let it air dry for at least 24 hours.

If you're shopping for a new pair anyway, every 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

How long does ski goggle foam last?

It depends on how much you ride and how you dry and store your goggles. For riders out 50+ days a year, the foam on our goggles usually packs out before the lens scratches. Riders with fewer days usually see a scratched lens first.

Can I glue new foam on my goggles?

You can on some goggles, but it's hard to get a seal as good as the original. On a Good Day goggle, packed-out foam is covered by our Lifetime Good Day Guarantee, so start a claim instead.

Is worn goggle foam covered by the warranty?

On ours, yes. Our Lifetime Good Day Guarantee covers all damage, and packed-out foam is covered. Many other brands only cover manufacturing defects, so check yours.

Why do my goggles fog more as they get older?

Usually one of two things: the anti-fog coating on the inside of the lens has been rubbed off, or the foam has packed out and lets cold, damp air in. A new lens fixes the first. On our goggles, the second is a guarantee claim.

Until next time, have a Good Day!