Lens

Other wise known as: Replacement Lens, Goggle Lens

Lens are the translucent piece of plastic in either glasses or goggles that allow you to see out. Most of the time these lens are tinted or coated to help the wearer with something such as reducing fog, seeing in bad light or reducing glare.

Since snowboarding with sunglasses is usually a bad idea most snowboarders wear goggles.

Goggle lens are most commonly found in these colors:

Dark brown or black lens – These lens colors reduce the glare off the snow without distorting colors. This makes them ideal for bright sunny beautiful days.

Mirrored lens – These are also supposed to reduce glare without distorting colors but mostly they are for show. Most commonly they are called Iridium lens and do look damn good in pictures.

Gold, Amber or Yellow lens – These colors filter out the blue light that comes in through the lens which better allows you to see through shadows and fog. This allows for a wide range of lighting conditions but is ideal for lower to moderate lighting.

Green lens – not super common but also a good general-purpose lens because it enhances the contrast in diffused light. This is also a good lens tint for bright days because it is more comfortable on your eyes.

Rose or Purple lens – these lens colors are ideal for the most overcast and dull of days and even riding at night or dusk. These colors help the most to bring out the shadows and contours of the hill especially in flat light.

Clear lens – These lens are primarily for riding at early dawn, dusk or night as there is no color tint. Definitely not recommended for riding during the day.

If you are only getting one lens then the best for most light conditions are most like the rose or the amber. Most brand new goggles will come with these lens colors.

After you have developed some love for your goggles it is time to increase your lens arsenal. A good arsenal of lenses will include a mirrored or dark lens for the really pretty days, a rose or gold lens for the not so great days and a clear lens for riding at night. Make sure that when you are not using your lenses that you put them back in the package or bag that they came from becuase they are easy to scratch up, espeically the mirrored one.

Did we miss something? Do you have any suggestions for others?