Modern ski goggles

[PotomacCyclist]

After seeing a few recommendations on the forum to use ski goggles for winter riding, I decided to order a pair when I saw a product listing online. As I searched through the options, I discovered that there are now Over The Glasses (OTG) goggles, designed to be worn with prescription glasses (for those who don’t or can’t use contact lenses and whose vision would be too poor to ride without glasses).

I also saw that there are goggles with mini fans attached inside the goggles, to blow out moisture and prevent fogging. The goggles arrived in the mail the other day. The fit seems OK, if a little awkward. The goggles are huge. But as long as they fit under a helmet, the large size could help to keep more of my face covered on cold winter days. I have to pick up an AAA battery for the fan.

Has anyone used goggles with attached fans? Does it really work?

If anyone else is interested in trying this type of goggle, Skis.com has a sitewide sale of 30-70% off (although some of the product listings don’t seem to reflect any discounts). The OTG goggle prices range from $50 to $275 (which is a bit much for me, for a pair of goggles).

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[dkel]

I looked at a pair of plain ski goggles at Costco today, priced at $50. That seemed a good price, but I’m not sure if would have been a good value. I did reasonably well just wearing my prescription glasses through the winter last year, so I’m not ready to spring for goggles yet. I’m eager to hear how yours work out, though.

[hozn]

I bought some Bolle double-wall ski goggles off of amazon that work pretty well. They have top/bottom vents, but they do still start fogging after 30-40 minutes on all but the coldest days. I suspect the vents are being blocked or made less effective by material from face mask, hat, etc. I really only wear them when it is in the teens (or lower) and I am riding into a strong headwind which only happens a few times during the winter. These were worth the $30, though.

[PotomacCyclist]

I’m still not doing much riding at all this fall, and it’s not nearly cold enough for ski goggles yet. But I did pick up some AAA batteries for the on-board fan. The sound is kind of annoying, as you might expect from a small fan. The casing for the fan is about 4″ x 3/4″ x 1/2″. It curves to follow the upper contour of the goggles. The sound might not be as noticeable while riding, because of the wind.

There are also different settings for the fan: off, automated, always on. The “automated” setting (or whatever it’s called) only turns on the fan when the sensor detects a build-up of condensation, or something along those lines. The fan powers up when needed and shuts off at other times. That’s the recommended setting.

http://www.skis.com/Scott-Notice-No-Fog-Fan-OTG-Goggles-2012/240596P,default,pd.html

[Rod Smith]

I only wear goggles when it’s snowing because snow can get around the lenses of my riding glasses and it makes me blink. Or is it because snow sticks to my face and it’s cold? Or snow sticks to my glasses reducing visibility? I forget. When It’s snowing I wear my ski helmet. Small goggles seem to fit better in the space between my helmet and my big nose. I ordered a pair of “japanese sized” goggles from Steepandcheap.com. but I haven’t received them yet. If you want OTG and fan of course, small goggles aren’t for you.

Double pane goggles were a standard feature on better goggles for years but now I guess they use special coating to reduce fogging and single lens are more common. Warning! Only use the special cloth that comes with the goggles to clean lenses! Otherwise you can damage the special coating.

[vvill]

Fans sound like a bit too much. I’d rather have a battery powering some heated gloves/shoes! What I do is wear a Buff / half-mask over my nose/mouth under the goggles so my exhaled air doesn’t easily enter the goggles.

I use small(er) size MX (motocross) goggles for helmet clearance. MX riders wear them with full-face helmets, and they’re on two wheels so I figure they’re as close to cycling goggles as you can get. And there’s always some on clearance somewhere online – they’re pretty cheap (and garish).

[Author]

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