best-snowboard-goggles-01.jpg
 

Best Snowboard Goggles of 2023

JUMP TO: SMITH 4D MAG / ANON M4 TORIC MFI / OAKLEY FLIGHT DECK / JULBO AEROSPACE / OAKLEY AIRBRAKE XL / DRAGON DX3 / ZEAL PORTAL / ANON WM1 MFI / BUYING ADVICE

Author: Rob Thijssen

The Short Version

The Long Version

It doesn't matter if you’re bombing through powder or enjoying the groomers on a bluebird day, goggles are your windshield to the world.

They protect your eyes and help you see terrain more clearly. If you ask us which piece of snowboard equipment is the most important, we’d probably say goggles!

If you can’t see properly, you can’t fully enjoy the mountain, no matter how good of a rider you are.

 

A room with a view — a quality pair of goggles doesn’t just help your performance on the slopes; it helps you take in the beauty of the mountain.

 

But while browsing for a new pair of snowboarding goggles, the sheer amount of choice can feel like an overwhelming avalanche. Not to mention all the fancy technical terms manufacturers like to use.

But don’t worry, you have come to the right place! We have done the work for you and compiled a list of the best models on the market today.

Hopefully we can save you some valuable time – which you can spend on things you actually enjoy, like ripping powder, right!

If you love reading this review, then you'll likely love reading some of our other gear review pages:

Need To Know What To Look Out For?

Find the technical terms a bit of mind bender? … Not familiar with the tradeoffs between different lens and frame styles? … Then be sure to check out our detailed buying advice at the bottom of the article.

Best Overall: SMITH 4D MAG

LENS SHAPE: Spherical

LENSES INCLUDED: 2

FRAME SIZE: Medium/large

OTG: Yes

PROS: Best field of view out of all the goggles in this review

CONS: It’s one of the more expensive goggles

Smith continues to change the game in goggles and helmets, and with the 4D MAG they again prove they are at the top of the business. At first glance you immediately notice the tapered bottom of the lens. This is aptly named BirdsEye Vision, and increases your field of view by an astonishing 25%, which lets you see your line better but also the people in your peripheral vision.

It comes standard with two ChromaPop™ lenses (one for low light, and one for high light) which filters out the color confusion and make details pop for a crystal-clear vision in every type of weather. The triggers on the bottom of the frame make swapping between lenses a breeze, even with gloves on, and the 16 internal magnets prevent the lens from popping off when you make an accidental face plant.

Thanks to the specially designed notches in the nose-bridge, it’ll fit comfortably, no matter if you have a wide or narrow nose. Top this off with the standard microfiber bag, the extra lens and a hard case for safe transportation, and you’ve got yourself a winning pair of goggles, even though it is one of the more expensive goggles in this review.

Best Lens-Change System: ANON M4 TORIC MFI

LENS SHAPE: Spherical

LENSES INCLUDED: 2

FRAME SIZE: Large

OTG: Yes

PROS: Superb lens change system

CONS: Included face mask lacks structure

The Anon M4 Toric MFI is a large goggle with excellent peripheral vision. Anon opted to increase its volume towards the bottom instead of up to ensure your helmet still fits comfortably.

It has by far the easiest interchangeable lens system on the market today. As with the Smith 4D Mag, it uses magnets to hold the lens in place, except it doesn’t have the additional locking triggers. This makes changing lenses even simpler. Just grab one side and in a peeling motion take the lens off. This works exceptionally well, even while wearing gloves. Those days when you’re fiddling around unsuccessfully with dead-cold fingers are a thing of the past! Just hold the lens about half an inch from the frame and the magnets snap it securely into place.

On those chilly days, or when you want to prevent face shots on a powder day, the included MFI (Magnetic Facemask Integration) face mask, though it lacks some structure, is a valuable accessory. It snaps easily into place and prevents your goggle from fogging up like it frequently does when wearing a regular face mask.

If you’re looking for a goggle where you can change the lens in a heartbeat, and don’t mind spending the money, the Anon M4 Toric is your go-to goggle.

Best Visibility: OAKLEY FLIGHT DECK

LENS SHAPE: Spherical

LENSES INCLUDED: 1

FRAME SIZE: Large

OTG: Yes

PROS: Insane clarity thanks to the Prizm™ Technology

CONS: Poor ventilation

Oakley has been in the high-quality optics game for many years now, and they’re still a big player. Their Flight Deck is an oversized goggle, giving riders a wide-open view of the slopes and their surroundings.

As is the case with Oakley, you can choose from an array of different lenses, from cloudy to sunny conditions, polarized or non-polarized and of course their very own Prizm™ technology. This technology was developed for the military and maximizes contrast between colors by blocking certain wavelengths along the color spectrum, ensuring a crystal clear vision, even on cloudy or snowy days.

You might think that because of its massive size, it would have excellent ventilation. This, however, is where the Flight Deck loses some points, since it has only a small ventilated section at the bottom, making it not very suitable for those spring runs nor for backcountry adventures.

Although it doesn’t come with an extra lens, and the durability could be better, the Oakley Flight Deck is a stylish goggle with excellent visibility.

If you prefer a more compact goggle, or find that they often put pressure on the bridge of your nose, then check out the slightly downsized version — the Flight Deck XM.

Best Ventilation: JULBO AEROSPACE

LENS SHAPE: Spherical

LENSES INCLUDED: 1

FRAME SIZE: Medium

OTG: No (Aerospace OTG is a separate model)

PROS: The best ventilation of any goggle

CONS: Many moving parts make it more prone to wear and tear.

The Julbo Aerospace goggles provide the most ventilation compared to any other model on the market today! Only not wearing goggles gives you more ventilation…

Julbo’s unique SuperFlow System allows you to hinge your lens forward out of the frame for about half an inch, allowing an insane amount of airflow for when you’re hiking to that secret run that few people know about, or when you sit down in the lift after a long and physical tree run.

It opens easily by pulling the lens out on both sides, and it works effortlessly while wearing gloves. It comes with a specially designed plastic guard, which you can clip to the top to prevent snow from entering through the top.

The REACTIV Photochromic Spherical Double Lens reacts to the changing light conditions by getting lighter or darker, which makes switching between lenses a thing of the past. Julbo lenses vary from category 1 (low light) to 4 (bright light).

The dual soft foam ensures a perfect fit and the slim design and minimalist frame guarantees a comfortable fit with almost any snowboarding helmet out there. Julbo’s Aerospace are a sleek pair of goggles, perfect for freeriding or backcountry touring.

Best Field of View: OAKLEY AIRBRAKE XL

LENS SHAPE: Spherical

LENSES INCLUDED: 2

FRAME SIZE: Large

OTG: Yes

PROS: Excellent field of view and amazing clarity thanks to the Prizm™ lenses

CONS: Lens must be aligned precisely to fit in the frame, which can be challenging while wearing gloves

This is the fifth season for the Oakley Airbrake XL, and it’s still a winner. What makes these goggles so great is the wide field of view, combined with an insane level of comfort and splendid optics.

The Switchlock®️ technology allows for fast changing between the two included lenses, so you can adapt quickly to changing conditions. The lever is hidden away under the hinge on the side of the frame, just flip it up and pop out the lens. The process is however quite complicated while wearing gloves, and that’s where magnetic systems definitely have the upper hand. The lens also needs to be precisely aligned to make it fit, which again needs some getting used to. Having said that, if you don’t mind taking your gloves off, these issues are non-existent.

Oakley’s Outrigger System prevents the frame from bending while wearing a helmet, so you don’t distort the high-quality optics. Basically these are just two hinges attached to the strap that open outwards, so the frame and lens stay in shape, allowing you to fully enjoy the premium vision the Prizm™ lenses offer you, no matter the size and shape of your helmet!

The Oakley Airbrake XL is not the cheapest goggle, but you’ll get a lot for the money, and it has one of the widest field of views of all the goggles out there!

Best on a Budget: DRAGON DX3

LENS SHAPE: Cylindrical

LENSES INCLUDED: 1

FRAME SIZE: Medium

OTG: Yes

PROS: Great price to performance ratio

CONS: No interchangeable lenses

If you’re looking for a simple, compact and affordable pair of goggles that have a surprisingly wide field of view, definitely continue reading!

The Dragon DX3 is the only cylindrical goggle in this review, and they have that old school look and feel, such that anyone who wears them will be transported right back to the times of the snurfer! But, they still kinda tick the box.

Dragon have used their own LUMALENS®️ Optimized Color Technology, which enhances visibility and improves depth perception, allowing you to rip all day long. They have also used a 200% stronger Super Anti Fog Coating to help keep your lenses fog-free, so you can enjoy to the max in any condition.

With the DX3 you have a solid pair of goggles that live below the $100 price point, making them the perfect choice for the weekend warrior. Perhaps you’re new to the sport or looking for a secondary pair of googles. Whatever the reason, with the Dragon DX3 you’ll get good bang for your buck.

Best on a Mid-Range Budget: ZEAL PORTAL

LENS SHAPE: Spherical

LENSES INCLUDED: 1

OTG: Yes

FRAME SIZE: Medium

PROS: High-end goggle features for an affordable price

CONS: Swapping lenses is tricky at first

The Zeal Portal is a great looking pair of goggles – thanks to its rimless design. It has unsurpassed peripheral vision and is available with a polarized, a photochromic or a regular lens. All lenses have exceptional anti-fog properties on the inside and two hydro-oleophobic coatings on the outside. In plain English this means that snow, moisture and dirt will be wicked away faster.

This year, the Portal has been upgraded with the Rail Lock System (RLS) which turns changing lenses into a walk in the park. Like the name suggests, you slide the lens into two rails on either side of the frame until a magnet secures it into place, so even when you make an unplanned front flip into a face-plant, the lens stays put.

It is however not possible to swap lenses while wearing it under a helmet, since the brim of the helmet blocks the channels. This is resolved quickly by putting them on top of your helmet, but then it could be tricky to find the grooves where the lens slides in. Of course, you can always take off your goggles completely which turns the endeavor into a super easy task.

The Zeal Portal has all the other features that you’d normally find in a higher-end goggle, but is a lot more gentle on your wallet, depending on the type of lens you choose (the default model has a photochromic lens, but it is also sold in a more expensive polarized model or polarized photochromic model).

Note that if you want even more visibility you can opt for the Portal XL, which has a larger lens (also available as polarized or polarized photochromic).

Best for Women: ANON WM1 MFI

LENS SHAPE: Spherical

LENSES INCLUDED: 2

FRAME SIZE: Medium

PROS: Specially designed women’s fit

CONS: Lens changing system has a small learning curve

With many goggle manufacturers opting for unisex models, it becomes harder to find women-specific fits with every new season. But luckily, the guys and gals at Anon decided to keep the Anon WM1 in their collection for another year.

The WM1 has a smaller face fit and sits close to your face but still manages to give you a wide field of view, so you won’t have that tunnel vision effect. The two included NEW SONAR lenses are designed by vision super-geeks at ZEISS and enhance contrast, so you can keep charging hard in any conditions.

Since it’s always nice to have options, the Anon WM1, just like the Anon M4 Toric, comes in an MFI (Magnetic Facemask Integration) version and standard version. The nice thing is that the standard version already has the magnets included in the frame, so you can always decide on getting a face mask later on.

The Magna-Tech Quick Lens Change Technology lets you switch between lenses in the blink of an eye, just squeeze the frame in a particular way (you’ll need a few tries), and the lens pops right out before the magnets pull the other one easily into place.

The Anon WM1 is the perfect goggle for all the female shredders out there that are looking for premium visibility and superior comfort.

Note that for Asian riders they make a specifically-tailored model with an Asian-specific fit for better comfort.

BUYING ADVICE FOR SNOWBOARD GOGGLES

Lens Shape

Lenses come in two different shapes, cylindrical and spherical.

  • CYLINDRICAL LENSES: These wrap around your face but are flat from top to bottom. They protect your eyes from the elements and are often used on more affordable goggles.

  • SPHERICAL LENSES: These curve both across your face and vertically. This mimics the natural curvature of your eye, making your view less distorted than with cylindrical lenses. Besides that they give you a wider field of view, thus adding to a higher level of safety and fun on the mountain. Spherical lenses are usually found on more expensive goggles.

Lens Type

When shopping for goggles you’ll have a few options in the type of lens. With many brands you can choose the type of lens for one specific model. The most common are:

  • PHOTOCHROMATIC: These lenses adapt automatically to the light conditions by turning darker when there’s more sunlight and lighter when it’s more cloudy. These lenses give you the most versatility in one lens.

  • POLARIZED: This minimizes the amount of glare coming from the sun and snow by filtering out certain wavelengths. This helps to reduce eye strain.

  • MIRRORED: A mirrored lens has a reflective coating on the outside and will usually be darker and therefor will let less light through.

  • NON-MIRRORED: These lenses are for cloudy days or night-time skiing or boarding. They are not suitable for sunny conditions.

VLT

VLT stands for Visual Light Transmission and refers to how much light will be getting through the lens and is expressed in percentage. The higher the percentage (i.e. 60-90%), the more light will reach your eye, which makes it perfect for cloudy or snowy days. A lens with a lower percentage (i.e. 5-20%), is ideal for sunny days.

Interchangeable Lenses

Since conditions can change rapidly on the mountain, many brands include two lenses, one for sunny and one for cloudy weather. The truth is that no single lens can give you optimal visibility across the full light-spectrum. Carrying more than one lens makes you more adaptable to changing weather and lets you have more fun!

Goggle manufacturers have developed many creative ways to make changing between lenses as straightforward and fast as possible. If you want to avoid fiddling around with dead-cold fingers we suggest looking for a system that works well while you are wearing your gloves, preferably without taking your goggle off. A system with magnets seems to be the fastest.

Ventilation

There’s nothing more annoying and dangerous than a fogged-up goggle, so ventilation is critical. Many brands incorporate ventilation slots into the frame and apply multiple anti-fog coatings on the inside of the lens. The more expensive brands often also put moisture and dirt-repellent coatings on the outside.

OTG

OTG stands for “Over The Glasses” and allows you to wear your prescription glasses underneath your goggles. Nowadays, the trend is to wear oversized goggles to increase field of view and many goggles are therefor suitable as OTG. In this article we’ve marked which goggles are OTG compatible.

Fitting Your Goggle

When shopping for goggles, it’s a good idea to fit your goggle together with your snowboarding helmet to see if there are any pressure points. Make sure that there’s no gap (gaper gap) between the helmet and goggle, or on the sides. Also make sure that it doesn’t push down onto your nose too much.

It should fit comfortably — remember that you’ll be wearing it for many hours at a time. In the end goggles can be expensive, but goggles are one of the most important pieces of snowboarding equipment, and we’re sure you will be glad you made the extra investment.

MORE INFORMATION

So there you have it! Our list of the best snowboarding goggles for this season.

If you loved this gear review article, then you'll likely love reading our other gear-fiend related articles: