# What lens is best for flat light and when its snowing?



## SBK

Can't say what is best but something with a reddish tint seems to be pretty popular.

I have a lot of trouble with flat light, it almost brings me to a halt and haven't found anything that can counter really bad conditions.

I have a pair of Smiths with the Red Sensor Mirrors that work reasonably well. I have an older pair of Bolle's with a polarized red lens that works better in some light conditions. 

I used to have a pair of yellow lensed goggles and only used them at night.


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## wrathfuldeity

smith's with blue sensor mirror lens are the standard at bakes....but sometimes nothing really works very well.


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## racer357

persimmon or amber


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## poutanen

I use orange, plain old $30 orange goggles. It's a blue blocker and tends to highlight variations in the snow.

Best thing though is to get into a trees on flat light days, way more contrast in the trees than on open pistes!


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## kalev

I used SPY blue contact goggles last year at Big White Out and I found the blue really helped me see the definition in the snow when visibility was bad 

I'm pretty sure it boils down to personal preference / how your individual eyes interpret colour, depth, light, etc

And yes, when the visibility is bad, head for the trees!


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## neni

poutanen said:


> I use orange, plain old $30 orange goggles. It's a blue blocker and tends to highlight [variations in the snow.


Worth a try



wrathfuldeity said:


> smith's with blue sensor mirror lens are the standard at bakes....but sometimes nothing really works very well.


Got the same ones but as he said, sometimes nothing works. Tho blue (or red or orange) is still better than nothing in flat light-fog-whiteout. 



kalev said:


> I
> I'm pretty sure it boils down to personal preference / how your individual eyes interpret colour, depth, light, etc


+1
Spent a lot of time in a shop staring out into the fog to find out if this or that lens would get slighly more contrast for my eyes... blue worked better for me, SO swears by orange. Best thing you can do IMO is to go to a shop with a decent selection on a flat light day, take them out and check what works best for _your_ eyes.


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## JoeyOranges

When I lived in the PNW used to run pink lenses on a pair of Spy goggles. Worked like a champ!


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## 2hellnbak

I've used both yellow and amber in flat light, I actually prefer the yellow myself. I've also wondered about clear lenses, it could either be better or worse lol. I almost wonder if it would make it look more flat without any type of color filter to make the shadows look stronger... I won't know until I try them but one day I will. I know for night riding I would have LOVED clear lenses.


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## radiomuse210

I like amber for those dreary days. I was using some old Scott goggles - I think they were for kids actually. I've had em forever. Flat lenses, horrible peripheral, but decent on cloudy days. For this season I picked up some new Scotts - amber lens, you can see my eyes but they have a bluish mirror tint. Spherical lenses so I can see around me now.


This makes me think of how many avatars there are here of goggles with a lil bit of face. :laugh:


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## Milo303

Rose or Yellow for sure. 

I like Rose/Red personally

Anyone else eyeballing the new Oakley Prizm lenses?!


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## Argo

I use orange and pink and swap them out as the fog up. They always fog up on pow days...


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## Fewdfreak

I hate flat light , last season I had to go buy a new pair of goggles on the hill because it was super flat and snowing and I couldn't see any definition between snow and air... I got some of the Smith sensor mirror in a roseish tint work very well. I also have some Giro perisimmon mirrored tint ones work well too.


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## radiomuse210

THIS is what I'm talking about what I see threads like that dude and his tech goggles - I wish goggle advancement would also focus on making the best goggles possible as far as it's actual PURPOSE: BEING A GOGGLE. Anti-fogging that works, warm yet still breathable, a lens that adjusts to any light at any time - and works flawlessly, crazy comfort, great vision with options to fit different face sizes (i have a big problem with this. giant lenses absolutely dwarf my face and don't necessarily mean better vision. you can't see through a goggle frame). THAT would be worth the money to me. If something like this is on the market already, let me know. it's something I'd love to save up for.


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## CassMT

purpley yellow ala Oakley are the best ive tried ever


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## SkullAndXbones

radiomuse210 said:


> THIS is what I'm talking about what I see threads like that dude and his tech goggles - I wish goggle advancement would also focus on making the best goggles possible as far as it's actual PURPOSE: BEING A GOGGLE. Anti-fogging that works, warm yet still breathable, a lens that adjusts to any light at any time - and works flawlessly, crazy comfort, great vision with options to fit different face sizes (i have a big problem with this. giant lenses absolutely dwarf my face and don't necessarily mean better vision. you can't see through a goggle frame). THAT would be worth the money to me. If something like this is on the market already, let me know. it's something I'd love to save up for.


how about the electric eg2.5?


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## radiomuse210

SkullAndXbones said:


> how about the electric eg2.5?


Those are ones I need to get around the trying. I tried the bigger EGs and the lenses are great - but they are massive on my face. This is me with one of the EGs and a goofy look on my face:


need to clear out some pics on my photobucket - will repost.


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## SkullAndXbones

woah. do you mean the EG2s? that's what they look like to me.


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## radiomuse210

SkullAndXbones said:


> woah. do you mean the EG2s? that's what they look like to me.


I think so. Keep in mind I'm small - I mentioned this before haha. So my goggle hunt has been a struggle. As is everything when it comes to snowboarding gear.


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## Argo

radiomuse210 said:


> I think so. Keep in mind I'm small - I mentioned this before haha. So my goggle hunt has been a struggle. As is everything when it comes to snowboarding gear.


My wife is really small too and the EG2.5 is right for her. They still look kinda big but no bigger than an eg2 on a normal head. She is 5'2" 105-110......


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## radiomuse210

Argo said:


> My wife is really small too and the EG2.5 is right for her. They still look kinda big but no bigger than an eg2 on a normal head. She is 5'2" 105-110......


Nice - great info! I should refer to you when I'm struggling with small lady problems.  I'm 4'11 and around 100 - and I think the EG2.5 is the way to go especially with your info. I've been hesitating to buy online without trying them first...but I feel a bit more confident about it now.  Hopefully some will pop up with a decent price at the end of the season.


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## Fewdfreak

I have a small face as well, I have some small Smith Transits and these fit a small face but are uncomfortable on my and smush my nose area between my eyes. I have some unisex Giro Signals that are decent that I got used off Ebay super cheap that are like very nice googles/comfy and a tad larger. I found some Von Zippers on Geartrade end of season LY used and I will be trying this this winter. They are the spherical lens type and look huge but fit small on, time will tell once I test out with full gear on. Von Zipper has the ladies Chakras which fit small and are narrower and also the Skylab is a lil larger but still fits a girls face.


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## radiomuse210

Fewdfreak said:


> I have a small face as well, I have some small Smith Transits and these fit a small face but are uncomfortable on my and smush my nose area between my eyes. I have some unisex Giro Signals that are decent that I got used off Ebay super cheap that are like very nice googles/comfy and a tad larger. I found some Von Zippers on Geartrade end of season LY used and I will be trying this this winter. They are the spherical lens type and look huge but fit small on, time will tell once I test out with full gear on. Von Zipper has the ladies Chakras which fit small and are narrower and also the Skylab is a lil larger but still fits a girls face.


I'm using Scott Dana goggles which fit well, but only have the one lens which is more suited for low light/cloudy conditions and I don't think they can switch out. Would like something I can switch lenses in and out of easily. I'll check out those suggestions.


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## deagol

I would stay away from clear lenses for everything except night use. 
Mine are rose tinted and work well in mid-range light conditions. Super sunny days are too much for them and seriously cloudy/foggy conditions are also beyond their capability.


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## Homies911

Dr. Freeman said:


> Is yellow lens good enough?
> What you think about clear lens?
> Maybe some special lens will be better?


*Clear Lens* - _Pro_: Best for dark conditions. Shows all light that you would normally see without sunglasses (bare eyes). _Con_: terrible in bright conditions, you will be blinded by the snow and sun. Also, you will see the snow that landed on your lens easily.

*Yellow Lens or Amber* - _Pro_: Like hunting lens. Brings out shapes, increases movement awareness. For dark, cloudy days. _Con_: yellow lens tends to reduce our blue receptors in our eyes, making your eyes relax, which then might make you want to sleep or get fatiqued earlier than usual (If you allow it to! Don't let it!).

*Gray / Black Lens* - _Pro_: Like sunglasses. _Con_: Would you wear sunglasses at night? (Except Corey Hart, so he can, so he can, watch her weave then breathe her story lines.)

THEN there are *Mirrored lens*. These block from 10% to 50% of light because the mirror reflects said light. From lightest to darkest.

1. Light Blue
2. Red
3. Green
4. Dark Blue
5. Gold (but this is basically no light. Paintball players use this tint but it is available for snowboarding, too)

_BUT_ it all comes down to personal preference. Like if I'm just going down hills without doing anything insane, I'll reach for my gold goggles, but if I feel like having to catch some air, I'll reach for my red goggles.


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## Dr. Freeman

As i can see many people like red lens, i have two, Mirror Amber and Amber 
But when i first saw flat light i could not decide should i use any lens or ride without it, because Amber lens was not very useful.
And in low linght it was not well too.
Amber lens has 50% VLT and Yellow lens has 75% VLT.
Is Yellow lens better then Amber lens in low light only?)


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## SnowOwl

Non polarized sunglasses ftw, but that may be the Bear in me. As for yellow, I use em on foggy and night sessions


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## Lamps

CassMT said:


> purpley yellow ala Oakley are the best ive tried ever


Yep. Oakley hi-yellow


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## Argo

radiomuse210 said:


> Nice - great info! I should refer to you when I'm struggling with small lady problems.  I'm 4'11 and around 100 - and I think the EG2.5 is the way to go especially with your info. I've been hesitating to buy online without trying them first...but I feel a bit more confident about it now.  Hopefully some will pop up with a decent price at the end of the season.


EG2.5 have been popping up on whiskeymilitia quite a bit lately.....


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## Steezus Christ

oakley HI yellow is the tits


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## Dr. Freeman

Steezus Christ said:


> oakley HI yellow is the tits


In what conditions?


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## cav0011

In tons of conditions. I run them in anything other than blubird


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## ridinbend

I have difficulties with varying light and have tried all sorts of different goggles. I will acknowledge hi yellow is a great lens, however, light changes all over the hill and so I have the iox with five lenses. All serve me on certain days, and yeah it may be overkill but if I need to switch out a lens I need something I can still see with on flat light days, which are the bulk of days at bachy.

Black out
Sensor mirror
Red sol x 
Igniter mirror
Photochromic


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## cav0011

I agree bend. My comment was more about versatility. I'm hoping my jade prizm will solve my craziness


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## ridinbend

cav0011 said:


> I agree bend. My comment was more about versatility. I'm hoping my jade prizm will solve my craziness


Would love to try one of those new prism lenses but not at the cost of new goggles.


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## redlude97

Hi yellow on extreme overcast flat light. Pink iridium for bright but still flat light


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## havin_a_ball

Milo303 said:


> Rose or Yellow for sure.
> 
> 
> Anyone else eyeballing the new Oakley Prizm lenses?!


I tried on the Oakley Flight Deck Goggles with the Prism lense. The shop guy told me this:

The prism lense is supposed to be a better multi condition lense by enhancing objects closer to you. This is also why they are supposed to work well for flat light. The US snowboard team was using or had the option to use prism lenses in the 2014 winter Olympics and target shooters love them.

I was trying to figure out if the peripheral vision in the Flight Decks is noticeably better than the Airbrakes, before I go out and buy a new prism lense. Anybody have an opinion on that?

My guess is not much, because the frame is still there, just behind the lense. That was what I found with the Dragon APX.

Also, the prism lense doesn't adjust how much light it blocks, or anything, so for low light, I am guessing a yellow or orange lense will still be better.


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## taco tuesday

Brights...


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## PalmerFreak

I have HI Yellow lenses in my Wisdoms and A-Frames and they work pretty well. Sunny weather doesn't seem to bother me at all so I wear them in all conditions.


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## Dr. Freeman

Does any body tried Anon Blue Lagoon lens?
Could it be better then Yellow?
I have tested it only in the store. Everithing becomes green with it, but visibility is good.


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## direride

i use H.I Yellow in flat light and its unbeatable. Couple of my buddies even bought H.I lens' after riding with mine for a run. 

Not sure who makes High Intensity lens' or if they come in different shades. But i rock oakley crowbars. 

if i not mistaking, a standard "yellow" is different from H.I


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## Lamps

HI stand for high intensity. I think it's an oakley specific thing and refers to the iridium coating on the outside which is reflective. 

So HI lets in a little less light than regular yellow, maybe reduces glare. 

Yellow Vs H.I. Yellow, Persimmon Vs H.I. Persimmon | Oakley Forum

This I think helps if you have the yellow on and it gets bright, for guaranteed low light the non hi is probably slightly better. 

I have a pair of sunglasses with the non Hi yellow lens, and goggles with the hi-yellow lens. I can't tell the difference when wearing them. Both the goggles and the sunglasses have interchangeable lenses so I carry both with opposite lenses, and set up at start of day with the expected lens on my goggles with the opposite on the sunglasses. If the sun comes out on a gray day I put my yellow goggles on my helmet and put on the sunglasses. 

I find on sunny days where the sun sets behind the hill the light goes very flat in the afternoon, so I switch to yellow at end of day. Or at Whistler where conditions flip constantly.


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## Snowfever

Check out the new oakley prizm rose lens. There are little reviews online but those who have said to have used it are very impressed.


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## Triple8Sol

Some kind of yellow ion or rose ion lens that lets in a higher % of light works best. Clear lenses should be reserved for night riding, and even then a little tint or reflectiveness helps to cut down on glare from the artificial lighting. I always have a pair of flat light goggles on hand since 90% of PNW days are cloudy, overcast, foggy, etc... low light days and I'm too lazy to switch lenses, no matter how easy it is on some of the models out these days.


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## stickz

I ride in flat light like 90% of the time. PNW. I've always used IOX either red or blue sensor, but they fog to much for $180 and honesty for everyone saying they're the best, they're not really great in flat light. This yr I'm going with a photochromic lens and a yellow lens from grayne. $75 for both lens. Can't beat that


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## theprocess

redlude97 said:


> Hi yellow on extreme overcast flat light. Pink iridium for bright but still flat light


Completely agree. Original pinks not the new vr50 version. Add dark grey for the bluebird days.


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## ridinbend

stickz said:


> I ride in flat light like 90% of the time. PNW. I've always used IOX either red or blue sensor, but they fog to much for $180 and honesty for everyone saying they're the best, they're not really great in flat light. This yr I'm going with a photochromic lens and a yellow lens from grayne. $75 for both lens. Can't beat that


That's a scary statement about the iox because I'm a heavy sweating dude, riding bachelor and the iox are the only goggle to not ever fog. Good luck not fogging in something else.


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## poutanen

So I got a pair of Smith I/Os with the Red Sensor Photochromic lens. Tried them out this weekend and not sure about them. The conditions were flat/snowing where I would normally use an amber/orange lens.

The lens seemed to make things darker, but if I left them on it felt good. I'm wondering if the lens blocks so much UV light that my eyes dilate more and compensate for the light blocking?

So far I'm undecided. I didn't compare them back to back, as I want to give these a good 10 days before I switch back to the ambers and see. But so far, for a $200 pair of goggles I don't see anything better than my $30 pairs of ambers. Maybe a little more fog resistant?


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## Argo

Fortunately I get my iox with two lenses for $65. I got the red solx and a blue sensor. They got here yesterday but my first day using them will be tomorrow.


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## ridinbend

poutanen said:


> So I got a pair of Smith I/Os with the Red Sensor Photochromic lens. Tried them out this weekend and not sure about them. The conditions were flat/snowing where I would normally use an amber/orange lens.
> 
> The lens seemed to make things darker, but if I left them on it felt good. I'm wondering if the lens blocks so much UV light that my eyes dilate more and compensate for the light blocking?
> 
> So far I'm undecided. I didn't compare them back to back, as I want to give these a good 10 days before I switch back to the ambers and see. But so far, for a $200 pair of goggles I don't see anything better than my $30 pairs of ambers. Maybe a little more fog resistant?


I don't wear my pc lens in really flat light days, more so intermittent light versus storm. I have blue and red sensor and prefer the blue mostly for flat light days. Pc comes in handy more for spotty sun days. I do enjoy it on the right days. I also have five different lenses as I want back ups etc


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## snowklinger

check out the smith vice, rocking them this year, stoked!

the mirror just looks ill as fuck and can't go wrong with full face yellow.


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## Kink

snowklinger said:


> check out the smith vice, rocking them this year, stoked!
> 
> the mirror just looks ill as fuck and can't go wrong with full face yellow.


i/o7 it's where it''s at. Recommended it to several people this season and they were stoked to spend a bit more money on it but get a really solid goggle.

red sol-x and blue sensor mirror is a great setup.


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## codzilla

diggin the smith phenom with blue sensor mirror


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## F1EA

Anyone tried Smith Blue (or Yellow) sensor for night riding? How is it?


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## Matty_B_Bop

Dr. Freeman said:


> Does any body tried Anon Blue Lagoon lens?
> Could it be better then Yellow?
> I have tested it only in the store. Everithing becomes green with it, but visibility is good.


used blue lagoon since it's the default spare lens with Anon a few days ago. They're usually great, but not in really flat light. 

was on a groomer on one of the most flat-light days i have ever experienced, and the blue lagoon lens did nothing. i couldn't even pick out the moguls that were right in front of me. it was insane. with that said, I think i'm going to order the yellow tint from Anon and give that a go for flat the extreme flat light conditions.


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