Snowboard Goggles

Why is VLT the most important spec?

VLT, or visible light transmission, tells you how much light the lens lets through. It matters more than any other number on the box.

• Low VLT, 5 to 15% — bright, sunny, high-glare days.
• Mid VLT, 20 to 40% — handles most conditions, and the best choice if you are only buying one lens.
• High VLT, 50 to 80% — low light and overcast, where the job is reading contour rather than cutting glare.

Australian resorts routinely deliver both extremes in the same day, which is the argument for either a mid-range lens or a photochromic one that adjusts automatically as the light changes.

Should you buy a spare lens?

For an Australian season, probably yes. A single lens is a compromise across a climate that swings from glare off man-made snow to complete whiteout inside one run.

Most goggles take interchangeable lenses and swapping takes under a minute. A darker lens for bluebird days plus a low-light spare covers the season far better than one mid-range lens doing everything adequately and nothing well.

Will your goggles fit your helmet?

The goggle and helmet need to pair without a gap across the nose bridge or the forehead. A gap gives you a cold stripe and lets snow work its way in.

Some systems are designed to integrate, such as Anon's MFI magnetic setup. We can match you up in store, and buying both together is the surest way to avoid the problem entirely.

How do you stop goggles fogging?

Fogging is almost always airflow rather than lens quality. Keep the vents clear, and avoid pushing a neck warmer or balaclava up under the goggle frame, because that channels your breath straight into the lens.

Never wipe the inside of the lens. That strips the anti-fog coating and guarantees the problem gets worse. If the inside gets wet, let it air dry instead.

Buying goggles in Australia

Anon, Dragon, Oakley, Ashbury and more, curated across lens tint, fit and face shape rather than stocked by volume. Authorised Australian dealer for every brand we carry. Free shipping on orders over $90, with same and next-day dispatch from our Richmond showroom in Melbourne.

Goggle and Lens Guide · What Goggle Lens Suits Australian Conditions? · How to Pick the Perfect Snowboard Goggle · Snowboard Helmets · Balaclavas · All Snowboard Buying Guides