Best Choice
Smith Knowledge Snow Goggles
Best Value
Oakley O-Frame MX Clear Lens Goggles
Editors Choice
Wildhorn Roca Snowboard & Ski Goggles
While only a few places allow it, night skiing is a pleasure that only those who tried it would appreciate. Imagine hitting the slopes down the mountains under a starry sky. Perfection!
It might be news to you, but you can’t go skiing at night with the same goggles you would use on a bright, sunny day. With dim lighting conditions, you need special night goggles (or at least the lenses) that’ll optimize your vision in the dark.
No need to worry, though; there’s plenty of options to choose from. Below are some of best night ski goggles out there, along with some tips and tricks on how to find the night ski goggles that will work for you.
Contents
Best Night Ski Goggles Reviewed
Best Choice
Smith Knowledge Snow Goggles
5/5
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Founded by an avid ski bum, Smith Optics has been manufacturing some of the best snow sports goggles on the market for years. Their wide experience shows in this OTG snow goggle that we recommend for night skiing.
Despite being a bit bulky, these Knowledge goggles are nothing but comfortable. Thanks to their floating foam membrane that minimizes pressure, it allows for proper breathability to avoid fogging and provides a relaxing fit.
These goggles sport Smith’s signature Carbonic-X lenses that provide anti-glare and anti-fog properties, in addition to reducing sun glare and enhancing peripheral vision. This is an area where cylindrical lenses do better than spherical ones. However, there’s no lens swapping system here, which means you won’t be able to swap lenses for night skiing. Instead you will have to buy a dedicated pair that has the proper lens (clear, yellow, etc) for skiing at night.
In an effort to reduce optical distortion, these goggles implement the Porex™ filter technology, which tries to balance the lens’s internal pressure with atmospheric pressure. In our opinion, it succeeds in that.
Moreover, the tapered lens technology they use improves vision by allowing a bigger amount of light to get to your eyes. Hence, seeing clearly, especially at night.
The fit is advertised as “large,” but we found that “medium” describes it best. Wider faces might find these goggles a tad tighter than they should be. As for the strap, it’s made of flexible silicone and offers quick fit adjustment through its clip buckle.
What We Like
- Fit over eyeglasses perfectly
- Almost-perfect visibility
- Wide field of vision
- Porex™ technology adjusts pressure
- Comes with a microfiber bag
- Lifetime Warranty
What We Don’t
- They might be tight for bigger faces
- Their anti-fogging isn’t always the best
Specs & Features
- Cylindrical lens
- Standard bridge fit
- Helmet and eyewear compatible
- Unisex
- Compatible with eyeglasses and helmets
Best Value
Oakley O-Frame MX Goggles with Clear Lens
5/5
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These are not your typical skiing goggles. In fact, Oakley has other goggles for skiing. Yet, a lot of night skiers love to use the O-Frame MX goggles for their astounding performance at night.
The main appeal of Oakley’s MX goggles is their secure fit. It comes from the silicone strap that lines its frame internally. The other reason that makes it a favorite among many night skiers is its exceptional 93% VLT ratio that indicates how these goggles are designed particularly for night vision.
Oakley’s MX Goggles are loaded with impressive features like the anti-fog and anti-scratch lens. Moreover, the Lexan lens has impact-resistance properties, as it’s originally made for power sports.
Speaking of power, this goggle’s frame is its strong suit. It’s made from urethane, which is pretty durable and flexible at the same time, so it won’t impede your peripheral view. To ensure you get maximum benefit, the frame has a triple-foam lining that makes sure no sweat slips through your face!
There’s a clear lens model of these goggles and a tinted one. For night skiing purposes, we recommend you choose the clear lens, where it allows the biggest amount of light possible. This comes in handy at night.
Designed to be used with motorbikes, these goggles will definitely fit well with all helmet types, unlike other night ski goggles that consider this an extra feature.
One of the shortcomings of these goggles is that they do allow air in. Not in big amounts, but air will seep into the lens and your eyes. Depending on the fit, this might dry out your eyes after some time, which is honestly bothersome.
What We Like
- Triple foam lining ensures a secure fit
- Durable and sturdy frame
- 93% VLT
- Optimal peripheral view
- Fit well with helmets
What We Don’t
- Can tend to fog in really cold weather
Specs & Features
- Relatively small sized
- Allows lens swapping
- Triple foam coating
- Anti-fog coating
- Durable frame
Editors Choice
Wildhorn Roca Snowboard & Ski Goggles
5/5
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These ski goggles from WildHorn are a godsend to those who regularly change lenses. You can change the lens according to the light conditions in less than a minute through their N45 magnets and clip locking system. This justifies the slightly steep price, as it serves as both morning and night ski goggles pair.
You simply release the lens’s secure clips on the frame and take the lens out. Then, make sure that the lens secure clips are open on both sides of the frame, put in the new lens, check that the magnets took hold, then secure the lens’s clips back.
These interchangeable goggles come in 7 lens options that vary in colors and tints to accommodate different light conditions. Plus bonus snow lenses that you can purchase separately.
WildHorn’s Roca goggles offer some well-thought-of features. Starting with their proprietary Aurora lens technology that provides unparalleled night vision, all the way to the regular lens features like anti-fog and anti-scratch properties.
Moreover, the lenses provide 100% UV protection. The nearly frameless design combined with the wide spherical lens allows for decent peripheral vision.
What We Like
- Lightweight goggles
- Aesthetically appealing
- Shatterproof lens
- Interchangeable lenses
- Wide panoramic view
- Durable TPU frame
- Fits well with helmets
What We Don’t
- These are not to be worn over prescription glasses
- Slightly more money than others
Specs & Features
- Adults goggles: 7.3 x 4 x 3.75 inches
- Juniors goggles: 6.3 x 3.3 x 3.4 inches
- Spherical lens
- Quick lens changing mechanism
- Aurora lens technology
- Wide panoramic view
Cheapest
OutdoorMaster Ski Goggless
5/5
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You don’t have to break your bank buying good night ski goggles; this pair from OutdoorMaster offers excellent quality at an affordable price.
The OTG ski goggles offer optimum visibility, thanks to their anti-fog inner lens that grants you crystal clear visibility with almost no fogging at all. This claim was backed up by plenty of reviewers who tried the OTG goggles and reported that they never fogged up.
These goggles are convenient for those of you who wear glasses, where their over-the-glass, or OTG design, fits nicely over vision glasses. They’re available in a multitude of colors, some of them with vibrant refractive indices. No need to worry, though; they won’t affect your vision at all. No subtle shades, no blue hues. Just the view in its real colors!
We love the fact that these goggles are compatible with almost all ski helmets, which are a crucial part of the night skiing adventure.
They feature a bendable TPU frame that’s flexible and comfortable at the same time, as well.
When choosing between different colors, opt for high VLTs (Visible Light Transmission) if you’ll be using it for night skiing. Among the best options here are clear lenses with about 99% VLT, but yellow and pink lenses can both work well at night too.
Finally, they’re super comfortable, thanks to the thick foam padding. You won’t feel the urge to take them off, and you shouldn’t do it anyway!
What We Like
- Fits well over glasses
- Affordable
- Suitable for adults and kids
- Clear visibility
- Soft padding makes it comfortable
- Comes with a one year warranty
What We Don’t
- They might scratch easily
- The spherical shape doesn’t provide 100% visibility. You can still see the goggle’s rim
Specs & Features
- Lens Size: 7 x 3.6 inches
- One size fits all
- OTG goggles
- Spherical Lens
- Anti-fogging lens
- TPU Frame
- Flexible strap
Best for small faces
Bolle Mojo Snow Goggles
5/5
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Another quality option at a reasonable price is these Bolle Mojo Goggles. The lemon color illuminates the terrain in front of you. They’re just what you need for night vision.
Bolle Mojo’s goggles combine quality and comfort through their anti-fog quality lens that features a dual design, which creates a thick barrier between the outer cold weather and moisture trapped inside due to exerted effort. This, in turn, prevents condensation. The inner lens has an installed anti-fog layer that scatters water molecules across the lens to limit moisture formation.
Not only does it feature the P80+ anti-fogging layer, but the Bolle Mojo also is made of a special anti-scratch proprietary coating called Carbo GLAS. Besides, the goggles are designed with a Flow-Tech ventilation system that lets air flow directionally in and out of the frames to maintain proper vision and prevent snow clogging inside the frame’s vents.
One downside is that these goggles are advertised as “OTH”, or Over-The-Helmet compatible, while they only accommodate small-sized helmets. The strap won’t stretch long enough to fit a larger helmet.
Bolle Mojo’s goggles sport a fantastic VLT ratio of 81%, which is an impressive value compared to its counterparts. Besides, it features their patented SOS “Sports Optical System” that enables you to place your prescription lenses into the frame. With all these features combined at such a price, we’d definitely say these goggles are a bargain!
What We Like
- Pristine air circulation prevents moisture
- Crystal clear vision even with dim lights
- Yellow tint cuts down glare
- Minimal moisture formation
- Scratch-resistant
- Attractive price
- One year warranty included
What We Don’t
- The strap is rather short to accommodate helmets
Specs & Features
- Medium to large fit
- P-80+ anti-fog layer
- Double lens thermal barrier
- UV A/B protections
- Over the Helmet design
- 81% VLT – good for night skiing
Most Color Options
ZIONOR Lagopus Ski Snowboard Goggles
5/5
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These goggles from Zionor Lagopus are among Amazon’s bestsellers, they’re featured on Amazon’s Choice list, and there are plenty of reasons for that!
Zionor Lagopus goggles are made of a durable TPU frame that’s sturdy and flexible at the same time. It provides resistance against impact too. Internally, it’s lined with a triple-layered foam frame padding to ensure a secure fit to your face. The fit is completed with a tightly woven elastic strap that extends to include a helmet over your head. They also fit over prescription glasses seamlessly.
These goggles feature a dual lens with anti-fog and anti-wind properties, in addition to UV protection. The lenses offer a two-way venting system that circulates air efficiently, preventing the formation of moisture and fogging subsequently.
The goggles are available in a handful of colors with different VLT ratios. As we said before, opt for higher VLTs for night vision. They have 99% VLT available. Furthermore, they feature a magnetic lens swapping property that allows you to change lenses swiftly. A property that many ski goggles lack. So, a point for that!
What We Like
- Minimal fogging
- Changeable lenses
- Proper ventilation
- High VLT
What We Don’t
- The advertised colors don’t match the actual colors
Specs & Features
- Oversized spherical lens
- Anti-fog and anti-scratch
- 100% UV protection
- Available in plenty of colors
- Triple-layer foam padding
What to Look For in Night Ski Goggles
Night goggles are a big part of your safety during your adventurous activities. That’s why it’s vital to make a checklist of the things you need to consider before choosing one. We’ll be listing them below.
Ventilation
What do we want from night ski goggles?
To see clearly without fogging up. For the fogging part, you need goggles with proper ventilation that lets air circulate well in and out of the lens. We need goggles that allow the warm air out and let the cold air in, balancing temperature and preventing moisture formation and condensation that leads to the lens fogging up.
VLT – Visible Light Transmission
To achieve the first objective, which is to see clearly at night, we need to look at the VLT. It’s a percentage that represents the amount of light the lens lets in. Low VLTs are favorable for morning activities when you need to reduce the percentage of sunlight you’re receiving to prevent sun glare. By contrast, you need the highest VLT possible for night vision to see clearly in low light conditions.
We’re looking for goggles with 60% VLT and higher here, preferable 80+%. You’ll find that most of these come in yellow tints. The tint won’t affect the colors you see, though.
Dual Lenses
You’ll find almost any reputable product to have a dual-lens structure, and there’s a reason for that. First, they install their anti-fog layer to the inner lens and their scratch-resistance one on the outer one. More importantly, there’s a thin air layer between the two lenses. The trapped air acts as a thermal barrier between the external cold weather and the internal warm air inside the goggles. Balancing these two prevents the formation of moisture.
Lens Swapping
You won’t find this feature on every pair of goggles. Nonetheless, it takes the goggles up a notch. This comes especially handy for people who do both daytime and night skiing. Having interchangeable lenses, they don’t have to buy two separate pairs of goggles. Instead, they buy a decent one with interchangeable lenses and carry on the extra lens. It means lighter packing as well!
FAQs
Can I wear my regular ski goggles at night?
Yes, but your ability to see clearly will suffer. The minute textures of the terrain are harder to pick up in low light, and will be difficult if you have a heavily tinted lense. High VLT ratio lenses (higher than 60%) are advised for night skiing, with completely clear lenses performing the best
Can I wear my ski goggles without a helmet?
Yes, many skiers choose to simply wear a beanie and tighten their goggles accordingly.
However, skiing is a risky sport that’s performed best with all your safety gear on. We won’t recommend you going on with your goggles only, especially at night when the ability to see and react is reduced.
Are there 180-degrees view goggles?
Not that we’re aware of. However, there are cylindrical lens goggles and wide-panoramic view goggles that allow you an expansive view of the terrain in front of you.
Where Can I Go Night Skiing in Colorado?
Keystone and Steamboat Springs are the major resorts that provide night skiing. Several small mountains like Granby Ranch, Echo Mountain, and more local hills offer skiing under the stars as well.
Final Thoughts
So, if you’re up for some night skiing, you better be prepared. Having the right goggles and lenses is key to being able to see clearly and stay safe.
Some of the best night skiing goggles in our opinion are the Smith Knowledge and Wildhorn Rocas. They both tick all the boxes on our quality checklist. However, both the OutdoorMaster and Oakleys provide great value for lower costs.
Happy skiing!
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