Ski Goggles

Can anyone recommend a pair of ski goggles that will fit over a pair a perscription glasses?

Thanks,
Adam

1ADAM12 said:

Can anyone recommend a pair of ski goggles that will fit over a pair a perscription glasses?

Thanks,
Adam

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Most of the popular brands like Oakley,Smith and bolle carry an "OTG" model. OTG=Over the Glass. Black Diamond now offers perscription glass built right into the Goggle Lens itself but they will cost you some $$$$!

I'll let others recommend models and brands, but I can say with some degree of experience that any setup like this will fog up worse then goggles over contacts. I went to contacts for skiing and winter hiking because of this; I could never get the glasses/goggles setup to work properly.

I haven't looked at any of the current models.

You want double (goggle) lenses and good ventilation. My glasses also have plastic lenses which may be less prone to fogging than glass lenses.

Doug

The key is to reduce your body temperature to near the ambient air temperature. That way, you neither sweat nor fog your glasses. Nothing else has worked for me, and I don't even wear glasses or contacts!

Tim

David Metsky said:

I'll let others recommend models and brands, but I can say with some degree of experience that any setup like this will fog up worse then goggles over contacts. I went to contacts for skiing and winter hiking because of this; I could never get the glasses/goggles setup to work properly.

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I too had to switch to contact lenses for the same exact reasons. I use double lenses which will fog sometimes. One of my daughters will only use single lense goggles because she feels they fog less.
Personally I like to get a goggle that has a good contrasting lens for overcast days since most skiing in NH is not in bright sun until March. I guess if you plan on skiing in the west you may want a darker lens.
Also if you use a helmet bring it with you when you try on the goggles.

I have tried contacts two separate times in my life. I was never able to use them more than about six months before I went back to glasses. Contacts just do not fit my lifestyle.

Sooooo....I have found (as Doug has) that double lens ski goggles are the only way to go. Try on several pairs in the ski shop and walk around the store with them on to make sure they fit comfortably around your glasses. Also near the check out there will be a fish bowl or other such container with anti-fog cloths for sale (usually about $4.99 .) I find the cloths are great, they wipe off the fog, they do not scratch and they don't leave a difficult to remove film. IMHO these are much better than the "CatCrap". I have scratched too many goggle lenses trying to use it, and it gets hard in the winter while you are putting on the lenses.

Paradox said:

I have tried contacts two separate times in my life. I was never able to use them more than about six months before I went back to glasses. Contacts just do not fit my lifestyle.

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I had the same problem. Just could not get used to the contacts (had focusing problems) so alas am stuck with the old "4 eyes" look till the day I die. My goggles are Smith's I bought from Sports Authority. I tried a bunch of OTG (over the Glasses) goggles, but because I have such a wide head....keep yer jokes to yerself now kiddos .......the Smith's were the only ones big enough to fit over my head/glasses. And believe me....they ARE huge! :

http://www.saletnik.org/gallery2/v/hiking/nh/s-presies-april-2007/CRW_0120.jpg.html

Brian

NewHampshire said:

And believe me....they ARE huge! :

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Yup. They are.

For me the worst thing about glasses under goggles is in really cold temperatures, like well below zero. Your glasses don't fog, they ice up! I had a very interesting walk back to Grey Knob one day, with my head turned at a 45 degree angle because there was only one little spot that wasn't icy. Above treeline in wicked winds isn't the place to take off the goggles and try to melt the ice off the glasses lenses.

Scary enough to push me back to contacts, even though I can't wear them to work.

Mad Townie said:

For me the worst thing about glasses under goggles is in really cold temperatures, like well below zero. Your glasses don't fog, they ice up! I had a very interesting walk back to Grey Knob one day, with my head turned at a 45 degree angle because there was only one little spot that wasn't icy. Above treeline in wicked winds isn't the place to take off the goggles and try to melt the ice off the glasses lenses.

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One trick is to warm your glasses in an inside pocket before putting the goggles on. (Might not hurt to pre-warm the goggles too.) That way you start off with clear glasses. If they start cold, then moisture will condense until they warm up (the process of condensation will warm them) and then you have to wait until they clear.

Doug

Another option

While not strictly goggles...I bought some prescription glacier glasses from these guys: http://www.opticus.com/ and often use them while skiing combined with ski mask. It eliminates the fogging problem and works unless the temps are really cold or the sky is very cloudy (the glacier glasses are quite heavily tinted). I also use some OTG goggles which are clear and made by Smith. They were a fairly basic model but they also work quite well. The clear goggles can be bought on the internet or at snowmobile stores.

Did anyone mention the Smith goggles with the little fan? Pat and I have the original model that looks really clunky, with a largish battery pack on the side, but they work great in the backcountry.

I too am not crazy about contacts and am doomed to the 4Eyes look.

David Metsky said:

I'll let others recommend models and brands, but I can say with some degree of experience that any setup like this will fog up worse then goggles over contacts. I went to contacts for skiing and winter hiking because of this; I could never get the glasses/goggles setup to work properly.

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Dave is right on the money with this one ! I've tried almost every brand and model of OTG goggles and none of them work well. The secret (I'm told ) is to make sure the glasses and goggle lenses are at the same temp. This means putting on your goggles in the base lodge and never taking them off until you go in again. Missing first tracks on a powder day with fogged up goggles and glasses was enough to get to but contacts. I wear them for skiing only and a six pack lasts me almost two seasons. The best answer is of course Lasik, but it's a bit pricy....I can buy a lot of contact lenses for $5,000.

Sugarloafer said:

The secret (I'm told ) is to make sure the glasses and goggle lenses are at the same temp.

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Actually, the real key is having the goggles and glasses at or warmer than body temp. Your face gives off moisture which can condense on anything colder than your facial skin.

So maybe we need electrically heated glasses and goggles...

Doug

DougPaul said:

Actually, the real key is having the goggles and glasses at or warmer than body temp. Your face gives off moisture which can condense on anything colder than your facial skin.

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Didn't I say that in reply #5?

Tim

I have these-
Goggs

they are also sold under the name Guard-Dogs; here-
Guard-Dogs

Mine are the Commander I, I think. They work fine with smaller frames glasses and I haven't had problems with them fogging up either skiing in SoCal (yes, you can ski here in some places) or at Yosemite.

Mine fit under my Boeri helmet, which is why I got them. My bigger goggles won't work with my helmet, so they stay at home.

DougPaul said:

Actually, the real key is having the goggles and glasses at or warmer than body temp. Your face gives off moisture which can condense on anything colder than your facial skin.

So maybe we need electrically heated glasses and goggles...

Doug

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Yeah, you're right because I used to notice that the fogging or not fogging would happen or not happen with different clothes i.e neck gaiters. What a pain in the ass. Also, once I got fogged, I found it almost impossible to clear them without skiing back down to the base lodge and letting everything warm up.

Sugarloafer said:

Yeah, you're right because I used to notice that the fogging or not fogging would happen or not happen with different clothes i.e neck gaiters. What a pain in the ass. Also, once I got fogged, I found it almost impossible to clear them without skiing back down to the base lodge and letting everything warm up.

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You may be able to rewarm your glasses and goggles under your jacket. Might be slow, it may be the best you can do if there is no warm place nearby.

Also you have to be careful if you are wearing a facemask--if not sealed well at the bottom edge of the goggles, exhaled (humid) air can get into the goggles. In general, even if you are not wearing a facemask, you have to be careful to exhale downward so the humid air doesn't hit your goggles or glasses.

I do find that my glasses protect my eyes from the wind to some extent so I can sometimes get away without using goggles in conditions that many others start using them.

Doug

DougPaul said:

I do find that my glasses protect my eyes from the wind to some extent so I can sometimes get away without using goggles in conditions that many others start using them.

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I find that too, which can be a good thing or . . . .

Glasses and face mask worked fine on Moosilauke last March until Early Bird and Abster noticed these funny little white patches on my cheeks, just under the glasses and over the mask.

I bought "Cat Crap" at the end of last Winter to try and deal with fogging. The season ended before I got the chance to test it out well. I have been using it on my swimming goggles. It keeps them fog free for an hour. It comes in a small case and is easy to apply. I am hopeful it will solve my ski goggle fogging problem this Winter