Best Ski Goggles 2022

You can't do without ski goggles, they're super important but they can also be incredibly frustrating. Constantly steaming lenses are an absolute pain out on the slopes as are lenses that are the wrong tint for the kind of light you'll encounter on the day. Which is why we hammer home the importance of interchangeable lenses in our reviews. It's not enough just to buy goggles based on which colour you like best, those tints are really important for how much of the mountain and the piste, or indeed the powder in front of you you can actually see!

If you're interested in finding out more about goggle and lens choices head down to the bottom of the page for our buyer's guide. Otherwise continue reading for our pick of the best goggles of 2022.

Oakley Line Miner Goggles

Best for: Classic styling in a dependable goggle

RRP: £107

A bestseller for Oakley, the Line Miner offers classic Oakley styling in a framed design. Specifically designed to increase field of vision, the lens is placed closer to the face, which works wonders unless you wear glasses. The lens is interchangeable but sits in the silicone frame so requires an element of faff which is best done when you’re in the chalet. A range of Prizm lenses are available which have the usual anti-fog and high contrast vision for navigating slopes in all manner of light conditions.

Bolle Freeze Plus Goggles

Best for: Bang for buck

RRP: £45

Getting 80 percent of the performance at 30 percent of the price sounds like a good deal to us, and if you can bear to look past the fashionable brands you could be in for a bargain. Bolle’s Freeze Plus are functional ski goggles which do the basic job but not much more. The lenses have anti-fog treatment and are double glazed. The ideal starting point for dipping your toe into skiing without the associated hefty financial outlay.

Anon Tempest +MFI Goggles

Best for: Face mask integration

RRP: £155

Anon’s Tempest are women’s specific goggles with frames made for smaller faces. They feature Perceive high contrast lens technology but what stands out most about the Tempest is the magnetic face mask integration. Simply clip the included mask to your goggles and feel the warmth . The lens is top notch, with anti-fog, and a water and fingerprint beating coating, it also offers wall to wall optics and a close to the face fit for great peripheral vision.

Dirty Dog Mutant 0.5 Goggles

Best for: Top performance at a fraction of the price

RRP: £70

For seventy quid it’s unusual to get a goggle that looks as premium as Dirty Dog’s 0.5. They come included with two lenses for low light and bright sun and the magnetic system should make slopeside changes a snap. The low key looks, and spherical lens give off a park or freeride vibe similar to a Smith or Anon goggle. Super soft open cell foam ensures facial comfort, and the advanced ventilation system allows for hard charging with fog free vision.

Salomon Radium Pro Sigma Goggles

Best for: All mountain high jinx

RRP: £160

The brand-new Radium Pro Sigma is Salomon’s latest goggle with Sigma lens technology. This makes the most of available light, adding contrast so you can see clearly. Magnetic snap fit means changing lenses is easily done on slope and a wide field of view is ensured by the frameless design. The lens features anti fog which, coupled with great ventilation keeps the steam at bay. Custom ID fit means that these are comfortable to wear, even with glasses.

Dragon Lil D Goggles

Best for: Best ski goggles for kids

RRP: £40

Dragon’s premium goggle offering shrunk to fit little faces. The Lil D features Luma Lens with a massive 200% anti fog coating, anyone with ski kids will know this is important. Excellent peripheral vision comes as standard with the cylindrical shape and Luma tech makes terrain pop. Maximum cushioning on the face is offered by dual layer foam with a cosy microfleece lining. The polyurethane frame is flexible so should survive being sat on multiple times per day too.

Giro Agent Goggles

Best for: Superb performance on the slopes

RRP: £220

If you want goggles with excellent peripheral vision and great looks then the Agent (and women's Eave) are excellent options. The magnetic snap fit lenses are some of the quickest and easiest to change when the weather turns, and the lenses themselves are excellent quality Zeiss units offering true-to-life colours and and great clarity. Massive vents across the top and good volume inside help prevent fogging, and triple layer foam with plush fleece facing forms the goggles to your face and adds comfort. Available in a range of colours. 

Smith 4D Mag Goggles

Best for: Clarity of vision

RRP: £230

Smith's all-new 4D Mag offer a much-improved lens system that combines magnetic snap closure with clip retention - this stops the lenses falling out if you take a tumble, and it's also super easy to use. Although the lenses aren't huge, you still get excellent peripheral vision. Chromapop technology has been put to use for excellent clarity on the mountain and is available in a variety of tints (two lenses are included). The three-layer face foam is comfortable but doesn't fit narrower faces, a minor imperfection in what is otherwise a cracking pair of goggles.

Sungod Vanguards Goggles

Best for: Customisation

RRP: £110

Sungod's Vanguards are fully customisable, allowing you to choose from six lens tints and loads of frame and strap colours. Your finished masterpiece sports a massive lens that looks rather large but offers an excellent field of vision, and swapping between lenses is quick and simple. The strap is comfortable and wide, and the frame felt more durable than others on test. This is a tough all-rounder, ideal for seasonnaires or anyone working in resort who needs eyewear for reliable, regular use. And if you do use and abuse the Vanguards, they’re covered by a lifetime guarantee.  

Decathlon WedZe G500 Goggles

Best for: Skiing on a budget

RRP: £25

Our top pick on a budget are the pocket-friendly G500s from Decathlon's own-brand label, WedZe. Decathlon do functional goggles starting from just £8.99 but we reckon this model is the pick of the pack, with a built-in yellow-tinted lens for bad weather and an extra brown lens you can easily pull on and off to cut glare if the sun comes out. They're compatible with glasses and have comfortable, if rather bulky foam around the frame. These may not be the highest-performing goggles in the world, but if you're new to skiing they'll do you proud while you learn the ropes. 

Spektrum Ostra Goggles

Best for: Superb build quality

RRP: From £175

You may not know much about Spektrum but their Ostra goggles won outdoor industry expo ISPO’s Gold Award in 2020. That’s a great accolade, but what’s even more pleasing is that they use Zeiss lens technology, which is the best of the best. The Ostra goggles come with low light and bright options which snap on and off with a magnetic fit system, and the design and colours look awesome.

Dragon X2s Goggles

Best for: Pea headed goggle wearers

RRP: £185

Dragon make absolutely fantastic goggles, but often in an oversized silhouette which can look, and feel rubbish on anything but a massive noggin. These X2s are built for the more pea-headed among us who still want to sport the most spiffing of ski eyewear. The X2s come with a main and bonus lens so you can have the best chances of seeing in all light conditions, field of view and peripheral vision is excellent.

Oakley Flight Deck XM Goggles

Best for: Uninterrupted Peripheral vision

RRP: £183

A classic that’s been sold by Oakley year after year for good reason. Superb peripheral vision and comfort is what you get with the Flight Decks, as well as a great lens which gives clear vision in a range of light conditions from variable to sunny. This new XM version is for narrower heads and a generally less in your face look. Literally. Size aside, it still offers everything that made the original great.

Ski goggles buyer's guide: What to look for

Lens tech

Anti fog, anti smudge and anti glare - all boxes that need to be ticked in a decent pair of ski goggles. Beyond that top brands tend to have all singing, all dancing optics that they claim is better than the next, for instance Giro use Zeiss, Smith have Chromapop etc. These technologies all claim to give you HD vision, we wouldn't go that far but some of the lenses on offer are definitely of a better quality than their lower priced competitors, increasing contrast in the snow, allowing you to see more undulations in terrain.

Lens tint

Probably the most important factor in being able to see properly when you're skiing. In fact you're much better off with a cheap pair of goggles with the right lens than a fancy pair with the wrong lens. To demonstrate this simply put on a pair of dark sunglasses on a bleak overcast winter's day and see how long you last before tripping over something or walking into a lamppost.

Where to start? Generally a yellow tint is for low light days and darker brown and black tints are for brighter days. This isn't always the case so consult each manufacturers lens chart before committing. Look for the VLT or Visible Light Transmission rating, the more light the goggle lets through the better it will be on an overcast day, the less light it lets through the better it will be on a sunny day (to a point).

Having said that, you can't predict the weather so the safest option is to buy a pair of goggles with two lenses, one for bright days and one for overcast days. Alternatively a pair of goggles with photochromic lenses that automatically adjust to the prevailing conditions are a good option.

Vents

Vents are important to stop your goggles fogging but as an average Joe you aren't going to be able to assess the potential for the vents to be effective by just looking at them. Just make sure that the tops of the frame are lined with vents and you should be good to go.

Face foam and fit

Only you will be able to tell if a particular pair of goggles suits the unique contours of your face. Some manufacturers list a fit appropriateness on their products pages i.e. narrow, medium and wide face which gives you a good guide. All of the goggles on test have comfortable face foam, in fact you'd have to go pretty bargain basement to get a pair of goggles that didn't have comfortable face foam but they do differ in levels of contour over the bridge of the nose.

Goggle shape

Good peripheral vision is vital. The best goggles have spherical lenses which are curved horizontally and vertically, giving a bigger overall surface area and better peripheral vision as well as less glare compared to flat goggle lenses. The aim is to find a pair that suits your face shape, giving uninterrupted contact with the face but not a lot of frame in view.

Strap

Similar to face foam goggle manufacturers have pretty much nailed straps. Just make sure there are two to three rows of silicone gripper tape and that the adjusters aren't too bulky. Some are now offering trick interchangeable straps if you're a fan of customising your look.