Choosing Snowmobile Goggles
Just like your snowmobiling gloves, boots, pants, and jacket, your goggles are an incredibly important aspect of your gear. They act as a protective shield for your eyes, blocking the wind, snow, tree branches, and airborne debris from reaching your eyes. They improve visibility too, helping cut down on the reflected light on the snow during daytime riding. When shopping for the best snowmobile goggles, there are a few factors to consider before purchasing a pair. While there are countless snowmobile goggles on the market, there are specific safety features that you should look for in your next pair. Get the most for your money by following this guide.
Goggle Lens Color and UV Protection
The type of lens you choose should be appropriate to the time of day and weather conditions. The color serves a purpose, not just to look cool! They work to filter the amount of light that reaches your eyes. This light is called visible transmission light, or VLT. You would select light colored tints on cloudy days, as they have a higher VLT to allow more light into the goggles. Amber, green, rose, yellow, or gold are all grouped into light lenses.
On gorgeous days with not a cloud in the sky, there will be a lot of light coming down on you. On days like this, you'll need a darker tint like brown, gray, or copper to block more light coming through the lens. Into nighttime riding? There is no need for light filtration, so you'd wear a clear lens.
Most snowmobiling and snow sport goggles offer 100% UV protection from UVA, UVB, and UVC rays. However, if you're looking at a pair and don't see mention of UV protection, skip over them. Even on cloudy days, UV rays are still present. It's also a great idea to choose goggle with polarized lenses, as they help reduce glare. When you're cruising down the trails, glare can strike out of nowhere and leave you blinded. Even if it's just for a few seconds, this is dangerous.
Some goggles allow you to swap lenses out. These are useful for riders that head out at different times during the season. With these, you'll always be prepared for any light condition.
Goggle Frame and Comfort Features
Today, most goggle frames are made of polyurethane, as it offers flexibility. Choose a pair made of this material, as other plastics may not offer the same degree of movement. Not only will this be uncomfortable, but they will be easier to damage in extremely cold conditions.
You will also need to pay close attention to sizing guides to ensure you choose the best snowmobile goggles for your head shape and size. If you can, visit a snow sport shop and try on a few pairs of the goggles they offer. This will help you get a better feel for which styles best suit your head. If there isn't a shop like this by you, make sure the online store you purchase from has a decent returns and exchange policy.
Since you'll be wearing your goggles for hours on end, you need the padding to be as effective as possible. Otherwise, the pressure of the frame will be painful. The padding should be thick, but not so thick that it fogs up the lens. Do you have glasses that make wearing goggles difficult? If so, there are Over the Glass styles that are designed to fit overtop your glasses.
Ventilation
You probably already know that fogged up goggles is the worst. Just like a foggy windshield, your visibility is greatly reduced. Choose snowmobile goggles that encourage ventilation so even as you sweat while riding, you won't have to stop to clear fogged goggles. Some are designed with vents, which allow air in. If you don't mind your face getting cold, this is a good option. Other goggles are coated with anti-fog solutions that cut down on fogging. Plus, you can purchase anti-fog products to coat your goggles yourself.
Look for double-layered lenses instead of single layer. These don't fog nearly as quickly as single layer options. If you're interested in really investing in a new pair of goggles, there are styles built with battery-operated fans that keep moisture at bay.
Choosing a great pair of snowmobile goggles is easy, but high quality ones do come at a price. However, just like the rest of your gear, the quality pays off when you're out riding. You get what you pay for a lot of the time, and when thinking about eye protection and visibility, you need the best you can afford. With care, your goggles will last for years to come without giving you trouble. At Polaris Parts Nation, we offer an array of Polaris goggles, replacement lenses, goggle fans, and more. Shop great deals on styles that are trusted by the Polaris crew.
