Ski goggles – why are they so important?Ski goggles are an accessory which will protect your child’s eyes against the elements. They’re not just for children - every member of the family will need a pair. Even babies should have a pair if they’re going to be outside during ski holidays. So really, they’re not just for skiing – we’d recommend that your child wears them if he’s playing outside in the snow, especially if the sun is shining brightly. 
Of course, our children objected to wearing them when they were babies. We had to make regular checks to make sure that they were still in place. More often than not, we’d find that the ski goggles had been pushed upwards at a very peculiar angle!Why will my child need a pair? There are several reasons why these eye protectors are so important. They will protect your child’s eyes from the sun, and from the reflected glare from snow. Look for pairs that filter out 100% of the sun’s harmful UV rays (which the vast majority do). They’re also great for keeping falling snow and the wind out of your child’s eyes. Both of these can be extremely uncomfortable without ski goggles. Can they be easily adjusted to fit? Yes, what makes this eye protection work so well is its design. They cover quite a large proportion of the face. They’re made from flexible plastic that has the dual benefit of following the shape of your child’s head, plus not turning brittle in cold temperatures. You’ll see foam all around the part that will be in contact with your child’s face so that the fit will be comfortable. The whole thing is held in place with an adjustable, elasticated strap to wear around the head, or over the top of a helmet. You can help your child look after them by securing the strap with the holder usually found on a helmet. Do make sure that they still fit snugly on your child’s face if you opt to place the strap over the helmet. If that pulls them in such a way that there is a gap between the ski goggles and your child’s face, you should wear them with the strap under the helmet. Don't they mist on the inside? Keeping out the elements is only part of the job of ski goggles. The other is of course allowing your child to continue to see clearly. And this is where technical advances have been made over the years. Our first pairs some twenty-odd years ago were always misting up inside. That rarely seems to happen nowadays. Even children’s pairs have good vents that allow constant air flow to help stop misting. Add to that double layer, anti-fogging lenses that have been chemically treated and now your child can see clearly. Why are lenses available in different colours? If you browse through a winter sport shop catalogue or website, you’ll notice that there are different coloured lenses available. Each has been designed to allow maximum visibility in certain conditions. Yellow, orange and increasingly rose lenses are the most popular because they help define contrast. Great for seeing that unexpected bump! What if your child wears prescription glasses? No problem – you can buy ski goggles that are specially designed to wear over your child’s glasses. Remember that your child will need to wear his goggles on cloudy and sunny days, as the glare from snow is still very strong, even when the sky is filled with clouds. The only exception we’ve found is right at the end of the day when the light “goes flat”. This is an odd experience but basically means that you lose definition when you look at the snow. At that time of day the sun is usually low in the sky, there is little glare and your child will probably want to take his goggles off so that he can see definition in the snow a little better. Other than that, though, you should make sure that his eyes are protected during ski vacations. To return from the ski goggles page to the ski accessories page, please click here. Alternatively, please click here to return to the home page.
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