Basic ski and snowboard goggles block wind, UV light, and cold flying snow. But the best goggles transform an otherwise featureless sheet of white into visible bumps and ruts. That really matters. The more you see, the more confidently you ski.
I skied with 11 pairs of goggles in all types of weather over the course of a winter. By spring, I found myself wishing I was always wearing our top pick, the Anon M5 Goggles.
Top pick
These goggles are easy to use, offer great visibility, and don’t fog.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, with a low-bridge fit.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, in a smaller size.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, in a smaller size with a low-bridge fit.
The Anon M5 Goggles have a wide field of view and some of the best—if not the best—high-contrast lenses of all the goggles I tested. They gave us the most confidence when coming off the chair lift into steep, uneven terrain.
These goggles have all of the features we’ve come to expect from goggles costing this much: breathable foam to keep fog away, a long-lasting anti-fog inner lens coating, and two great magnetic lenses that are the easiest to swap in and out of any I tried. (One lens is for bright conditions, and the other for low-light stormy weather.) It also comes with an integrated face mask.
They come in two sizes, regular and small, and each is available in a low-bridge version.
Runner-up
These goggles offer high-quality lenses, secured by a magnetic lens plus a plastic tab lock, in a wider range of sizes than our top pick.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, with a low-bridge fit.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, in a larger size.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, in a larger size with a low-bridge fit.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, in a smaller size.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, in a smaller size with a low-bridge fit.
We recommend the Smith I/O Mag goggles if our top pick doesn’t offer a size that fits you. Though great goggles are forgiving even when the sizing isn’t perfect, the Smith I/O Mag come in more sizes than the Anon M5 Goggles.
The Smith I/O Mag goggles also have locking lenses. Like the Anon M5, they come with two lenses, one for bright days and one for low-light stormy days. And as with the Anon M5, magnets hold the lens in place—though these goggles include a lock to prevent lenses from falling out in the case of a fall or when doing big jumps. (The Anon M5 Goggles don’t.) This may make the Smith I/O Mag more appropriate if you plan to use them in park sections of ski areas—though I haven’t lost my Anon M5 lens on small jumps.
And also like the Anon M5, these goggles kept the details in focus, and their breathable foam and anti-fog inner lens coating kept the fog away.
Budget pick
These goggles are comfortable, don’t fog up, and let you see clearly (enough). But their lenses aren’t as sharp for low-light skiing.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, with a low-bridge fit.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, in a smaller size.
These are the same goggles as the standard version, in a smaller size with a low-bridge fit.
Most high-quality goggles come with multiple lenses that you can swap easily when conditions change. This does, however, tend to increase their price.
The Glade Adapt 2 goggles depart from convention, using a single photochromic lens that transitions from light to dark depending on the level of light. (You can replace that lens if you damage it.) And these goggles cost less than any other photochromic goggles we’ve seen.
These goggles don’t have as wide a size range as the Smith I/O Mag or as good optics as either our top pick or our runner-up (though they are still very good), but they were as comfortable to wear and stayed just as fog-free.
