If you haven’t come across the concept of polarised lenses before, you may be expecting them to look entirely different to your standard glasses or sports goggles. However, this is not the case. The difference is actually all in the lens, and you’re likely to have seen the various colours of lenses if you spent some time on the mountain, have driven past road cyclists or simply witnessed someone using them while driving. Believe it or not, having gradient-coloured lenses is not just a fashion statement. If you’ve been considering looking into polarised goggles, or even investing in a pair, there are bound to be a few questions you’ll be asking yourself. In this article, we’ll answer a few and the biggest one of all – Are polarised goggles worth it?
We’ll also introduce you to some of our polarised goggles here at Powster, like the Pulsar Bonus Lens Green Lens Ski Goggles Zeiss SPXTRA™ Lens. It comes with two rimless SPXTRA™ lens in collaboration with ZEISS and two goggle cases, easily interchangeable via a magnetic quick-change system delivering top performance under all mountain conditions.
What Are Polarised Ski Goggles?
Whether you spend your winters riding the slopes of some of the world’s most picturesque mountain landscapes or like to take the greener route and make the most out of the best mountain biking or road biking tracks, having a pair of goggles or sunglasses that suit the activity is a given. But what about polarised goggles? A polarised lens is one that is coated in a vertical filter that blocks horizontal light, like our Asteroid Bonus Zeiss Lens Snowboarding Goggles. Let’s delve into that a little deeper.
How Do Polarised Goggles Work?
You will have seen an array of different coloured polarised lenses in sports activities, especially skiing and snowboarding, but what’s the point of them you may be wondering? If you’re a bit of a snow junkie, you’ll know that it can be difficult to see clearly when you’re travelling at excessive speed, in an environment where there’s a whole lot of light reflecting off the snow, and of course, coming from the sun. Polarised goggles, like our Twilight Extra Wide Field Best Ski Goggles, act as a filter that gets rid of that glare from light bouncing off objects that you come across when you’re taking on fresh pow. Essentially, they help to reduce the effects of polarised light when you’re trying to judge the distance ahead of you and look out for twists and turns you may have to make along the way.
Polarised Versus Non-polarised Ski Goggles
Some may think it looks like an unnecessary accessory to wear polarised lens goggles, but it’s a whole lot more than just a fashion statement. They have an incredibly important purpose that can help you make the most of your outdoor activities, plus the bonus of looking good while doing it.
Benefits of Polarised Lenses
As we mentioned earlier, the main function of polarised lenses is to help reduce glare, but there’s a whole list of benefits of wearing polarised goggles that make them such a great asset to your snow gear. First and foremost, all polarised goggles, like our Supernova balanced™ Toric Lens Best Ski Goggles, which work to protect your eyes from harsh rays – this prevents damage or injury to the eyes which can be jarring and also cause long-term effects to your vision. With polarised lenses, you’ll also be able to avoid straining your eyes, thanks to the reflective technology that does the work for you, as well as get a better sense of depth of field, and be able to see any details in the snow so you can avoid obstacles much easier.
Non-polarised goggle lenses
On the other hand, you have normal lenses that simply cover your eyes and shelter them from any debris, but don’t have a lot of the other qualities that polarised goggles do. Using non-polarised goggles is most appropriate for people who are snowboarding or skiing in low light where you’re not going to get much sun, if you’re not an experienced rider, or if you spend a lot of time looking at your phone or camera – polarised lenses make that incredibly difficult. While we do recommend using polarised goggles for sports like skiing and snowboarding where you’re surrounded by snow, it’s not 100% necessary, it’s really about figuring out what works best for you.
What Lenses Should You Choose?
The colour of goggles lenses can significantly impact your sporting experience by offering a myriad of different features and benefits. In this section, we'll explore the meanings and advantages of various lens colours to help you make a more informed decision the next time you go to purchase a pair of polarised goggles. However, we should add that many of our polarised goggles here at Powster come with interchangeable lenses, like the Zenith Bonus Lens Best Ski Goggles Case Zeiss SPXTRA™ Pro 3L Lens.
Gray and Smoke Lenses
A great in between tint both fashionably and in terms of their functionality, gray and smoke-coloured lenses help to provide true colour perception by reducing brightness from the sun and everything it reflects off. Ideal for bright and dim days, they’re a great choice for all general outdoor activities, like our Pulsar Leon Vockensperger Special Editions Bonus Zeiss Lens Silver Lens Ski Goggles.
Brown and Amber Lenses
The main benefit of brown and amber-coloured lenses is that they enhance contrast and depth perception to make everything seem a little brighter and a whole lot sharper. Because of this, they’re ideal for sports like skiing, biking, and hiking.
Yellow and Orange Lenses
Much like brown and amber lenses, yellow and orange lenses work to improve contrast and depth perception, but specifically in low-light conditions like cloudy or foggy weather. A view brightener, they’re great for activities like skiing and mountain biking.
Rose and Pink Lenses
Not only are they one of the prettier options in terms of coloured lenses, but rose and pink coloured lenses are actually super effective at reducing blue light rays and increasing contrast in low light conditions, as well as improving depth perception. Try them out on the mountain and see for yourself!
Some may argue we’re biased but when it comes to outdoor activities like snowboarding and skiing, we know our stuff. Which is why we stock some of the best polarised goggles on the market and truly believe that investing in a good pair is definitely the way to go. If you want to see clearer on the mountain, make all those moves you’ve set out to do, get rid of the glare and all those unnecessary distractions and take your skiing and snowboarding to the next level, here is a great place to start. Give them a go, we promise, you won’t regret it.
