Ski goggles are a piece of equipment that can make or break your ski experience. The right set of goggles protects your eyes and makes it easier to see in any light condition. The wrong set of goggles can leave you a fogged up mess that can’t see anything. We spent our winter on the mountain testing goggles so we can find the very best performers.
The 8 Best Ski Goggles
BEST OVERALL: Smith 4D Mag
BEST BUDGET: Outdoor Master Falcon
BEST ANTI-FOG: Oakley Flight Deck L
BEST FOR WEARING OVER GLASSES: Smith I/O Mag XL
BEST SKI GOGGLE ON AMAZON: Outdoor Master Pro
BEST PHOTOCHROMIC: Glade Adapt 2
Wildhorn Maxfield Pro
How we test
We ski with our test goggles throughout the winter in a variety of conditions. We ski everything from heavy fog and rain at Whitefish, MT to sunny powder days at Powder Mountain, Utah. Most of our skiing is done in the overcast flat light conditions that make up most of our winters here in Michigan.
See our guide to the best Budget Ski Goggles for the best cheap under $100 ski goggles out there.
1. Smith 4D Mag
BEST OVERALL SKI GOGGLE
Specifications
- Lens Type – Toric
- Fit – Large
- Included Lens – 2
- Interchangable Lens – Magnets & Latches
What we liked:
- Huge field of view
- Great flat light and all light condition performance from ChromaPop lenses
- Great anti-fog performance
- Includes 2 lenses
- Very comfortable to wear
- Includes a hard case, goggle sock and microfiber bag
- Comes in an environmentally friendly brown cardboard box with minimal throwaway plastic
What we didn’t like:
- High cost
- Small distortion in the lower part of your field of view
The Smith 4D Mag is the latest flagship goggle from Smith Optics. It takes the popular Smith I/O design and increases the field of view even further. They do this by lowering the bottom of the frame and rolling the lens down further. This expands the peripheral view of the goggle. The downside is that there is some distortion along the very bottom of your field of view. The 4D Mag uses the excellent ChromaPop lenses so you’ll get great flat light performance as well as huge field of view.
The 4D Mag uses the Smith Mag magnetic lens change system which uses a combination of latches and magnets. The 4D design uses 2 small latches on the edge of the frame that can be released while wearing the goggles. The 4D Mag includes a hard case for goggle storage along with a goggle sock to cover it. This is a huge improvement over the 2 pocket microfiber bag that Smith used to give for storage. They still give you that bag too.
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2. Outdoor Master Falcon
BEST BUDGET SKI GOGGLE
Specifications
- Lens Type – Toric
- Fit – Large
- Included Lens – 2
- Interchangable Lens – Magnetic
What we liked:
- Very clear lenses with good difinition of the snow surface
- Stylish flat lens look
- They come with 2 lenses that can be swapped in seconds while wearing them
- They include a hardcase for storage
- Good flat light and anti-fog performance
- Great value with a very reasonable price
What we didn’t like:
- The second lens could be a bit darker like a 50-60% VLT instead of a 91% lens.
- There isn’t much to find wrong with these goggles.
The Outdoor Master Falcon could easily be a $200-$300 ski goggle if sold by Smith or Oakley. Here it is from Outdoor Master for just $100. It has every bit of lens technology and other feature found in a high end goggles from the big name brands. Outdoor Master has always been about bringing great gear to the mountain at a price anyone can afford. The Falcon proves that they know exactly how to do that.
The Falcon takes a step up in lens quality using lenses by Zeiss Optics. Zeiss has been making lenses for Giro and Anon brand for years. They produce very high clarity lenses that give you a clear view of the slope. Their SONAR color filtering technology gives everything the visual pop you get from Smith ChromaPop or Oakley PRIZM lenses. The Falcon comes with a primary lens that is good for bright and overcast conditions. They all come with a 91% yellow lens that is good for dark flat light days.
The goggles have a cylindrical lens frameless design that follows all the latest styling trends. It uses 10 magnets to attach the lens for easy and fast lens changing.
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Get 20% OFF with code RC20 at OUTDOOR MASTER
3. Oakley Flight Deck
BEST ANTI-FOG SKI GOGGLE
Specifications
- Lens Type – Spherical
- Fit – Medium or Large
- Included Lens – 1
- Interchangable Lens – Ridgelock
What we liked:
- High performance PRIZM lens
- Very good ventilation, and anti-fog coating
- Available in medium and large fits
What we didn’t like:
- High cost
- Old style lens change system
- No extra lens included
If you ski somewhere that tends to get a lot of fog and wet humid conditions, you need the best anti-fog performance you can get. Oakley Flight Deck goggles are the best out there for anti-fog performance. They have spherical lenses with a ton of ventilation and top notch PRIZM lenses that work well in all conditions.
They have Oakley Ridgelock lens swapping system allowing easy lens changes. You do have to take them off your helmet to swap lenses. If you need goggles that stay fog free, check out the Oakley Flight Deck goggles.
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4. Smith I/O Mag, Mag S, & Mag XL
BEST OTG SKI GOGGLE
Specifications
- Lens Type – Toric
- Fit – Large
- Included Lens – 2
- Interchangable Lens – Magnetic & Latches
What we liked:
- Great performing ChromaPop lenses
- Plenty of room and ventilation to work well with glasses
- Comfortable design
What we didn’t like:
- Magnetic lens change system that requires you to take off goggles to change
- High Cost
If you need to wear glasses while skiing, you need OTG goggles. The very best OTG Goggles out there are the Smith I/O Max XL. These goggles have an extra large frame with toric lenses that give you plenty of room to comfortably wear a set of glasses under them. They have enough ventilation to keep the goggle and your prescription lenses fog free.
Smith I/O Mag goggles come with Smith ChromaPop lenses that are some of the best perfoming lenses for flat light conditions. If you have to wear glasses while skiing, check out the Smith I/O Mag XL goggles.
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5. Outdoor Master Pro
BEST SKI GOGGLE ON AMAZON
Specifications
- Lens Type – Spherical
- Fit – Medium
- Included Lens – 1
- Interchangable Lens – Magnetic
What we liked:
- Lots of features like magnetic swapping spherical lenses for $50
- Can buy bundled with an extra lens
What we didn’t like:
- Lenses aren’t as good as Oakley PRIZM and Smith Chromapop
If you are looking for a cheap set of ski goggles that still performs well, you can’t go wrong with the Outdoor Master Pro. They are packed full of features and available for under $50. They have magnetic swappable lenses with 20 available lenses. They don’t have lenses as good as Smith or Oakley but they work good. They are comfortable and do a good job of resisting fog.
They are a nice step up from the cheap basic goggles from other manufacturers that have a single fixed orange or yellow lens. You can buy them alone or bundled with an extra lens. If you want good and cheap goggles, check out the Outdoor Master Pro goggles.
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Get 20% OFF with code RC20 at OUTDOOR MASTER
6. Glade Adapt 2
BEST PHOTOCHROMIC SKI GOGGLE
Specifications
- Lens Type – Cylindrical
- Fit – Large & Medium
- Included Lens – 1
- Interchangable Lens – No
What we liked:
- Photochromic lenses that adjust to almost any light condition
- Cool looking frameless flat lens style
What we didn’t like:
- Photochromic lenses can only adjust so far
- Not quite as dark as we would like on really bright days
If you don’t like swapping lenses as the light changes throughout the day, photochromic lenses are for you. They get darker or lighter as the light changes. The Glade Optics Adapt 2 is one of the best photochromic goggles out there and is available at a very reasonable price.
We have skied the Adapt in almost every light condition from really bright days to night skiing. They work for very bright cloudless sunny days but leave you wishing for something a little darker. For everything else, from partly cloudy to flat light, they work great. If you want a one lens goggle option that works for everything, the Glade Adapt 2 is for you.
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7. Wildhorn Maxfield Pro
Specifications
- Lens Type – Cylindrical
- Fit – Large and Medium
- Included Lens – 1
- Interchangable Lens – Magnetic & Latch
What we liked:
- Wide field of view
- Available in 2 frame sizes and many colors
- Clear lenses with minimal distortion
- Soft comfortable feel to the foam and flexible frame
- Effective color optimization gives good flat light performance
- Good value for the price
- Latches keep the lens secure
What we didn’t like:
- Orange frame is bright when viewed from inside goggle around the nose
- Lens take more effort to change than a pure magnet system
The Wildhorn Maxfield Pro Ski Goggles are the latest offering from Wildhorn Outfitters. They are a true high performance ski goggle with high quality color optimized lenses. They are a step up in performance from anything we have seen from Wildhorn before.
The Maxfield has cylindrical lenses with a big field of view. They use color optimized lenses that are on par with anything Smith or Oakley has to offer. They work great in bright or flat light conditions with the right lens.
These goggles are available in both a large and medium fit version with a bunch of different colors for each. There is a wide variety of lenses available including photochromic versions.
We reviewed the orignal Maxfield a couple of years ago and they were fantastic. The only downside was very few color and lens options. The Pro fixes that and goes full force with options.
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Get 15% OFF with code ACTIVEGEAR15 at WILDHORN OUTFITTERS
8. Vallon Freebird
Specifications
- Lens Type – Toric
- Fit – Medium
- Included Lens – 1
- Interchangable Lens – Yes
What we liked:
- Stylish retro look
- Zeiss lenses for good performance in bright or flat light conditions
- Available in several frame and lens color options
What we didn’t like:
- Higher price
- Old school swappable lens system
The Vallon Freebird goggles are for those who want something a bit different. They are a toric lens goggle with a retro looking framed design. They are available in several frame and lens color options, so you can match them with your outfit. Vallon is a Swiss brand that is well known for making sunglasses that are both stylish and performance oriented. That philosophy carries over to their ski goggles.
The Freebird has a toric shaped lens made by Zeiss. This means they have good optical clarity and will perform in a variety of light conditions. They do have a dedicated flat light lens available. The base goggle does not come with an extra lens. They have an old style lens swap system, meaning you pull the lens out of the plastic frame and then stuff the frame back onto the new one.
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Ryan Craig
Chief Editor
I am a total gear nerd and love learning how things work and thinking about how they could be improved. Nothing excites me more than trying out new gear. I’d rather spend 3 hours taking my bike apart and learning how to change something than go to a bike shop. These days, I reside in Michigan by the Great Lakes and go skiing, biking, and boating as much as possible. Visit our About Us page and learn more.
ryan@greatlakesbikeskiboat.com