Thanks for that.

I was at the Coe today and struggled.

Oakleys here I come.

I have Hi Yellow oakleys for use in bad light. Thing is I only use these googles in bad lighting/storm skiing. If the weather is clearer then I wear sunglasses, just general neutral grey polarised.

I have a pair of pale yellow Cat 1 RayZor sunglasses [www.amazon.co.uk] for low light conditions when the air is clear, you get a much better field of vision than with goggles, I reckon they are one of the best skiing purchases I ever made. If it gets really misty/snowy then I'll switch to goggles with a pink filter, but I really hate wearing them so it has to get pretty think to force the switch.

I'm the same, I struggle to wear goggles, it's my peripheral vision being restricted. Maybe I'm paranoid about someone cutting me off from behind or missing a hump/icy patch ahead. I don't like them navigating in a blizzard when hillwalking/climbing either but you can't often see without them in those conditions.

I wore them on the wide smooth glacier piste at Les Deux Alpes in july. But also I had no choice as it was so bright.

I may take wide angle sunglasses sunglasses next time at the Coe.

IMHO the Scott Amplifier is a better lense than the Oakley in really flat light.
About 1/3rd the price too Several other friends agree... However it varies from person to person.

For most people rose is a better lens for providing definition in low light situations. yellow is a little more versatile for slightly brighter days...




Edited 1 times. Last edit at 20.28hrs Tue 12 Feb 13 by Doug_Bryce.

Sometimes I feel that augmented reality goggles are what you need in really bad flat light

I think the posts reflect my daily experience of advising patients and customers on the advantages of different lenses - ie. There is no one 'perfect' lens for all light conditions. It would be wonderful if it was cost effective to be able to have 3 or 4 different lenses however back in the real world the vast majority of folk will choose maybe one lens with a light transmission of 10-20% and one contrast lens of anywhere between 40-80%.

The colour is very personal eg my wife skis in the G30 Oakley lens. This is designed for golfers!! its a rose base and enhances undulations on fairways and greens however for her she prefers this over the more conventional 'snow' contrast colours.

For what its worth I use a Black Iridium polarised for those blubird days and a persimmon lens for flat light. My goggle is the airbrake and the lenses are plutonite (polycarbonate). I also have an A frame with a VR28 lens which is a really good single lens option as its half way between the other two.

I must stress that most manufacturers can produce decent lens colours however there are big differences in the optical clarity of high base wrap (curved) lenses in googles or sports sunglasses. Think of looking through a shop window which is flat and one which may have a curved pane. Flat lenses = easy. Wrapped lenses = distortion problems. I use and sell Oakley as they have essentially eliminated the distortion at the periphery. This is important if you are undertaking an activity where either you are moving fast or the object you are tracking is moving fast.

As an alternative to full goggles there are a couple of excellent sports performance sunglasses eg Racing Jacket, Split Jacket, Wind Jacket all have an ingenious hinge system which allows easy swapping of lenses and can be made up with prescription lenses if required.

As for cost - replacement contrast lenses should be between £25 to £45.

bon ski

A quick update: I was lucky enough to test drive the new Oakley goggles at Glenshee yesterday. The morning was quite cloudy, and misty in places on the higher runs, and I used the hi Persimmon lens for much of the day. They worked really well, and literally brighted everything up for me. As JUN had pointed out, they also coped well too with sunshine, and I didn't feel that I had to swap them, as I suspect that I would have had I'd opted for the hi yellow lens option.

When the sun appeared mid afternoon, I did try the fire iridium lens, which again was great for the conditions, and really countered the glare. I have no doubt that they will be superb on a "bluebird day," just hope that we get one very soon!

All in all I'm really pleased with the purchases. There's so much choice out there, and it can be a bit of a minefield looking at all the different options.

Thanks again to all for the contributions and advice.

Where do I buy these? ;-)

Getting there

[www.reconinstruments.com]

Just needs some LiDAR to snow the actual snow surface

Another vote for Scott Amber lens. Cheap as chips.

Get the Rose tinted if this weather is getting you down ;-)

Had a pair of yellow lenses on yesterday afternoon at CairnGorm, as the daylight went it became apparent that the lens was almost completely filtering the light from the floodlights! Shades worked better, but not for the wind, so it was goggles on the way up the tows and off for the run down!