Choosing The Best Ski Goggle Lens For All Conditions – VLT Guide 2021

Optical performance has long been a key factor in skiing and snowboarding goggles, and that may be truer now than ever before. With dozens of goggle manufacturers and even more lens options, choosing the correct lens for any or all conditions can be extremely confusing.

It can be incredibly frustrating when the sun’s glare, on those bright bluebird days, creates an intense glare or you can’t see all those ruts on a choppy run during overcast days. In these situations, having the correct lens or lenses can be the difference between shredding the mountain or throwing your goggles down in anger.

Below, we’ll guide you through lens color, tint, and VLT to help you find the best lens for your needs and weather conditions.

Visible Light Transmission (VLT) For Goggles Explained

All goggle manufacturers use a system called visible light transmission or VLT, to measure precisely how much light is passing through a given lens. The scale ranges from 0 – 100% VLT, with lower numbers referring to less light passing through a lens and higher numbered referring to more light passing through a lens.

With VLT percentages encompassing such a broad range, it’s easy to understand how one could become easily confused.

Have no fear; we will break down all the VLT ranges and best lens color for every weather condition!

Ski & Snowboard Goggle Lens Guide

Best Lens Colors & Tints For Bright/Sunny Days: 5-20% VLT

Bright, sunny days call for goggle lenses with a low visible light transmission (VLT), typically in the 5 – 20% range. The low VLT percentage means the lens will block out a considerable amount of sunlight and glare. If you are currently using a lens with a higher VLT (more light getting through) on these days, you may find you experience eye strain and fatigue much more often. You may even feel more tired at the end of a day on the slopes than you usually would.

Dark gray, silver, copper/bronze, and red are typically the most common lens colors used for low VLT goggles with a few exceptions. Due to the increased number of manufacturers and lenses they produce, you may find some non-traditional colors being used for low VLT lenses like blue-green and sapphire-purple.

That said, many of those alternate colors possess one thing in common, they all have a mirrored finish. Mirrored finishes help to reflect up to 65% more sunlight than regular tinted lenses which is what helps to lower the VLT for colors that typically wouldn’t fall in this low range.

A few of our favorite examples include the Oakley Flight Deck XM (Sapphire Iridium Lens – 13% VLT),  Oakley Flight Deck XM (Torch Iridium Lens – 17% VLT), & the Smith I/OX (ChromPop Sun – 9% VLT). All available on Amazon.

Check Out Our List of The Best Ski & Snowboard Goggles  →

Best Lens Colors & Tints For Partly Sunny/Overcast Days: 25-55% VLT

The mid-VLT range is home to the most adaptable lenses with a broad VLT range usually between 25 – 55%. This category will provide skiers and riders alike with the most flexibility regarding varying conditions. Mid-range VLT goggles will deliver adequate bright light protection on sunny days without being too dark on overcast days. Additionally, most mid-VLT lenses provide contrast boosting properties which work incredibly well to eliminate flat light scenarios.

However, using lenses from this range during extremely bright days, especially all day, can still lead to eye strain and fatigue. You will also notice deficiencies with a VLT in this range if the cloudy weather turns to snow or as evening approaches and sunlight dwindles. They will likely be too dark in both those situations and, in either case, would all but end your day on the mountain.

Common lens colors in the mid-VLT range include red-orange, green-blue, rose/pink, dark rose/pink, and amber. Once more, each manufacturer takes a few liberties with their color choices and achieves different VLT percentages with mirrored coatings and lens polarizations (more on this below).

A few of our favorite overcast/storm goggles are the Smith Skyline (ChromaPop Storm rose flash lens – 50% VLT),  Oakley Airbrake XL (Prizm Hi Pink Iridium lens – 46% VLT), and the Julbo Aerospace (Zebra Light Red – Photochromic) – All available on Amazon.

Best Lens Colors & Tints For Overcast/Snowy Days: 65-90% VLT

The last VLT range is reserved for dark cloudy to snowy days as well as some night skiing situations. High VLT lenses range from 65 – 90% to let in more light, making them useful even in most night skiing situations. You will need all the help from your lenses that you can get because visible light and brightness will be at a premium on these days.

It may be obvious but this range of lenses should never be worn during bright days for the risk of severe eye strain or even eye damage caused by bright sunlight and harsh glares.

Almost all high VLT lenses are some variety of light pink/rose or light yellow in color. These colors are known to provide adequate protection against minimal sunlight while drastically increasing contrast for low light or flat light snow conditions.

A few of our favorite flat light and storm goggles include the Julbo Aerospace (Photochromic lens – 15-75% VLT), Smith I/O Mag XL (ChromaPop Storm Yellow Flash lens – 65% VLT),  and the Dragon X2 (Yellow lens – 73% VLT) – All available on Amazon.

Best Lens Colors & Tints For Night Skiing

Most of the extremely high VLT lenses discussed above should work for night skiing, especially if there is sufficient lighting on most runs. However, when lighting is at its worst, we would recommend going with a light yellow, clear, or nearly clear lens to ensure your eyes are getting as much light to them as possible. Most manufacturers offer a clear lens for such cases and they typically come at a considerably lower price than those that are colored and tinted.

Our favorites include the Smith I/O Mag (Yellow lens – 70% VLT), Oakley Flight Deck (Clear lens – 90% VLT), and the UVEX Compact VLM (Clear – 90% VLT) – All available on Amazon.

Best Lens Colors & Tints For All Conditions

If you’re like most people, you won’t want to waste time or money worrying about extra lenses or goggles when you are out enjoying the slopes. In this case, we would recommend you find a pair of goggles that have a lower percentage, mid-range VLT lens or one with a 17-30% VLT. We suggest a lens in this range because it would provide ample protection against bright sunlight and also allow for usability on very overcast days.

Amber, reddish-orange, or dark rose lenses work best when skiing or riding through many different conditions. An amber lens is likely the most versatile overall, but the dark rose would help to bump up contrast when the light starts to get low and the snow starts looking flat. Of course, other lens colors can be chosen based on preference but you should stick to a VLT of 17-30% at the very least.

Our favorite everyday ski goggles include the Oakley Flight Deck XM (Torch Iridium – 17% VLT), Smith Skyline (ChromaPop Everyday Green – 23% VLT), and the Electric California EG3 (Rose/Blue Chrome lens – 18% VLT) – All available on Amazon.

Other Lens Options Affecting VLT

Photochromic Goggle Lenses

Photochromic lenses offer another way to gain versatility in goggle lens VLT by changing tints based on current lighting conditions. They work by automatically adjusting their tint darker when it’s bright outside and lighter when it gets darker. The beauty of photochromic lenses remains their ability to span a broad range of VLT percentages with some spanning as much as 60% from their lightest to darkest. The most significant drawback of this lens technology is price, but if you are intrigued, we recommend you check out Julbo (view on Amazon here) and Zeal Optics (view on Amazon here) ski goggles.

Polarized Goggle Lenses

Polarized lenses work by blocking out harsh glares and reflections that occur in bright sunlight conditions. More specifically, polarized lenses contain a horizontal filter element that blocks out glare when it becomes condensed or polarized on horizontal surfaces like water, roads, snow, and cars. Polarization naturally blocks out more light and can be used by manufacturers to dramatically lower VLT while increasing contrast and clarity significantly.

The only drawback of polarized lenses are their increased cost, but everyone at Eyewear Genius always highly recommends them whenever they are an option. You can check out a curated collection of our favorite polarized ski goggles if this is an option you wish to explore further.

Mirrored Goggle Lenses

Mirrored lenses have taken off in popularity the past decade and can be found on nearly every high-end goggle out there today. Aside from looking cool, the mirrored effect also serves a beneficial purpose. Unlike regular lenses, which only filter out sunlight, mirrored lenses both absorb (filter) and reflect sunlight. They can reflect as much as 65% more sunlight away from your eyes when compared to regular tinted goggles. This is a tremendous benefit, especially when faced with harsh glare from the snow on bright, sunny days. One last, crucial thing to note, is mirrored lenses can be polarized as well. Polarized combined with mirrored lenses was a nearly non-existent option many years ago but is more commonplace today.

Drawbacks can include a higher price tag, especially when polarized, and a more sensitive outer lens surface. Most mirrored lenses won’t scratch more easily than regular lenses, but scratches will be much more noticeable.

Have Multiple Lenses To Quickly Swap

So many goggles today feature interchangeable lenses which give you tons of versatility. If the weather changes, your lens keeps fogging on you, or you damage your lens, your day doesn’t have to be ruined. If you carry a second lens, you can just head into the lodge, quickly swap out the old for the new, and head back out for some more fun. We strongly recommend you do yourself a favor and invest in a second or even third lens if you haven’t done so already.

Ski & Snowboard Goggle Lens FAQ

Which snow goggle brand has the best lenses?

This is a subjective topic but there are brands that handle certain lens technologies better than others. For the most options altogether and some of the best improvements to contrast and clarity, we would turn to Oakley PRIZM or Smith Optics ChromaPop lenses.

For those interested in the best photochromic and polarized lenses, we suggest you check out the options from Zeal Optics, Julbo, and Dragon Alliance.

Which goggle brand has the most color/tint options?

Again, this is a little subjective but there are a few brands that stand out from the rest when it comes to lens options. It should be no surprise that Oakley and Smith Optics offer a vast variety of options. This includes everything from regular tint, to polarized, mirrored, and a considerable variety of lens colors.

I need multiple lens colors to accommodate my needs, what can I do?

Many interchangeable goggles will come with an additional lens for overcast/flat light conditions. If yours doesn’t, we recommend purchasing the equivalent low light lens provided by your manufacturer. If your primary lens has a VLT of 17% – 25% and the second lenses is about 35 – 65% you will have a broad range of lighting conditions covered. Be sure to find a second lens that also increases contrast for those flat light days we mentioned above.

How much do spare lenses cost?

Spare lenses can cost anywhere from about $40, all the way up to $150. This includes the simplest tints all the way up to mirrored, polarized, and photochromic.

Conclusion

By now it’s no secret, there is a lot of thought and technology that goes into ski and snowboard goggles! Remember, using the correct lens for your conditions can drastically improve safety, performance, and convenience. Now that you’re educated, do yourself a favor and re-evaluate your goggle situation to see if your lens is living up to your needs.

To learn more about ski goggles or other eyewear, please check out some of our related articles below. If you are looking for a new pair of goggles or a lens, you can start by checking out our ultimate ski & snowboard goggle buyer’s guide to get started!

Did we miss something? Have more questions? Let us know in the comments below!