# Prescription sports goggles for snowboarding



## sarathmenon (Mar 16, 2013)

Here is my dilemma. I sweat pretty heavily while on the snowboard, and I have to wear prescription glasses. I've tried OTG goggles and once , and borrowed the fan goggles, they all work fine for a while, but eventually, my glasses end up fogging and from there on, it's beyond recovery. If I go indoors, put on the goggles and sit there for a bit before heading outdoors, it works for a while until it starts fogging up again. Also, my Rx glasses fog up very regularly when it's cold. I don't want to go the lasik route, and I really hate contacts.

I have been on glasses since I was a kid, and by now, I have very high spherical and cylindrical power, so getting a prescription ski goggle will be out of the question. I like the concept of goggle inserts, but I doubt they will help that much, and they are more of a one trick pony.

This brings me to sports goggles. They aren't meant for this task, but I am sure I can rock something like this. I checked with my local optician - they have a few frames in stock, and can get them RXed and tinted in the color of my choice. On the slops, if it get's cold, there is always options like ski masks, and balaclavas. And an added bonus, they can be used for other sports as well. 










So, has anyone with glasses tried this approach? I am stuck to a single lens, but for the benefits, it's not the end of the world for me.


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## Nivek (Jan 24, 2008)

Learn to like contacts. Glasses wont cut it on a pow day.


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## BurtonAvenger (Aug 14, 2007)

Completely random question but are you zipping your jacket all the way up so it covers your face, then wearing a face warmer, and all that fun shit that makes you look like you're bundled up for an arctic adventure?


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## Bones (Feb 24, 2008)

If you sweat that much, then you really need to do something about it.

Wear a beanie for the lift, take it off at the top. Ditto for jacket and pant vents. Wear better base layers and less mid layers.


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

I use inserts......different light conditions, just swap insert into different goggles. I'm with everybody else......figure out a way to not sweat so much.


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## FalseFlag (Mar 8, 2014)

I have no input on the rx glasses you've shown. Hopefully for your sake they work out if you do that. I do know what your going through though...

When I had glasses I never could wear goggles. No mater what combo of clothes I had on they would fog up. I tried all types of anti-fog sprays and creams and they would only work for short times. I would end up spending most of my mountain time just wearing my glasses. This issue was one of the reasons I went and got lasik eye surgery 2 years ago. That was the best thing I've ever done

Good luck


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## Fewdfreak (May 13, 2013)

Yeah I am in the same boat as you, can't see, wear glasses, hate contacts... I just bite the bullet and wear my old contacts on the slopes and change into glasses for the way home... I tried the OTG and they are a gimmick--yes they fit over glasses and don't fog but it is the glasses themselves behind the gogs that fog and I have like tried using warmed up glasses from the car heather in the goggles and cold ones in there but they all fog... When I just wore glasses themselves without goggles they did not fog so maybe you are right about the sports goggles and if you can get a little tint thats even better. My eyes kinda got cold tho and I was always so afraid I was gonna lose them on the slopes... 

Those ones in the pic look alright, when you first said sports goggles I was sure picturing some Horace Grant style specs lol...


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

Saw a guy last year that had a helmet with a "bubble shield" or visor like a moto helmet. It was open underneath and flipped up. He was wearing presciption glasses and said they never fog up. Visor came in different tints and euro made. Can't remember the name, but it was designed and marketed for winter sports.:dunno: Zero5 is a version, not the one i saw, but gives you an idea.


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## davidj (May 30, 2011)

Nivek said:


> Learn to like contacts. Glasses wont cut it on a pow day.


This... also, I ordered lens inserts for my OTG goggles - Smith IOS fwiw. Don't have fogging probs. Don't know if inserts which sit closer to the lens than actual spectacles (closer to your skin) would make the difference for you :shrug:.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

Just get the LASIK and be done with glasses for the rest of your life. Those glasses would work for spring riding, but in a heavy storm, or any pow day, you're gonna want goggles, not glasses.


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## onthefence (Dec 16, 2010)

I've worn my glasses under my VZ Fishbowls in storms, pow, and everything else. The only time they started fogging was when I zipped up my jacket all the way to my nose, wore a facemask/bandana thingy, took off my goggles on the lift, or went indoors. I do recall having a slight bit of fog in the middle of a run once or twice, but I think I just pulled out my glasses-wipe lens thing and fixed it on the spot. Otherwise its been no probs, and I plan to wear my glasses + Fishbowls this coming season as well and expect no outstanding problems.


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## davidj (May 30, 2011)

Sarath, where do you most frequently ride? Maybe understanding the atmospheric conditions (humidity, temp, etc) you're in will help get you better answers.


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## SnowDragon (Apr 23, 2012)

mojo maestro said:


> Saw a guy last year that had a helmet with a "bubble shield" or visor like a moto helmet. It was open underneath and flipped up. He was wearing presciption glasses and said they never fog up. Visor came in different tints and euro made. Can't remember the name, but it was designed and marketed for winter sports.:dunno: Zero5 is a version, not the one i saw, but gives you an idea.


OSBE Ski Helmets

Worth a try in the OP's situation.
I'd wear sport goggles underneath the visor.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Fewdfreak said:


> Yeah I am in the same boat as you, can't see, wear glasses, hate contacts... I just bite the bullet and wear my old contacts on the slopes and change into glasses for the way home...


What kind of contacts do you have? Did you try soft ones? They usually are very comfy... I can't stand the hard ones but wear soft ones w/o problem all day. They're also available for 1 day use (which I use for water sports - no monetary harm if one floats off)


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## Toomeyct (Apr 4, 2012)

Let's assume you don't want to get lasik, which is the best solution. 

I had the same problem as you. Tried all the stuff: cat crap, OTG goggles, fans, etc. I even looked into getting prescription goggles. However, eventually I found Motosolutions FogTech. It's absolutely the only thing I have found that actually works. I rub it on my glasses in the morning before going out and no fog all day. 

Thread over.


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## sarathmenon (Mar 16, 2013)

For some reason, I wasn't getting notifications though I had set to subscribe to this thread. Wierd. Anyway, let me explain my problem in more detail.

I had a outer cornea tear as a kid on my left eye because a piece of glass got lodged in there (long story). The risk potential for Lasik jumps up, and I don't like the odd chance that I will go half blind. Contacts also don't really work. I tried it once, my eyes dry up, and it's just simply wierd. There is something sticking to my eye, and it's creepy. As much as they are great options for a lot of people, both of these aren't options for me.

I am in California, and ride Tahoe mostly. I am not sure if it's me sweating, but fogging becomes a problem especially if I get into a pickle: lose momentum in deep pow and start plowing through, for example. Or better, try riding moguls, and then get a workout after I get stuck. And once they start fogging, there is no salvaging while out on the slopes. Of course, most of this can be prevented by better technique, but hey, that doesn't happen unless I practise it  The only real option to save the day at this point is to ride to the base, step into a lodge, warm up both the goggles and the glasses, put then back on yada yada. This gig gets tiring after the first time. 

OTG goggles are a pain, the glasses get pressure points at various locations, and while the goggles don't fog, it's usually the glasses that do.

I ride a motorcycle as well and some of you mentioned this as well. My motorcycle helmet has an internal sun visor and it's pretty neat and slick. I can flip it up when it's too dark or in a tunnel, and it works very well with glasses. Why can't some manufacturers come up with an inexpensive snowboarding helmet that does the same thing? I checked online and I see the 300 dollar OSBE that is listed as available. I am not kidding, there is an incredible amount of choice in motorcycle helmets.

I know glasses aren't the best thing to snowboard on, but my reasoning is that if it covers a lot of peripheral vision and sits a lot closer, it should get the job done. I can always rely on a baklava for really cold days. I usually have a helmet on (motorcycling habit, I feel naked without one) so that solves the problem of snow/rain going into the eyes.

So far, it looks like I am the only person going to try the glasses route. It's not a bad choice for me, since insurance covers it. If the plan totally blows up, I will still have a pair of glasses that I could use for other sports/hiking and I might look into the Rx lens inserts.


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## Toomeyct (Apr 4, 2012)

Toomeyct said:


> Let's assume you don't want to get lasik, which is the best solution.
> 
> I had the same problem as you. Tried all the stuff: cat crap, OTG goggles, fans, etc. I even looked into getting prescription goggles. However, eventually I found Motosolutions FogTech. It's absolutely the only thing I have found that actually works. I rub it on my glasses in the morning before going out and no fog all day.
> 
> Thread over.


I can assure you this is both more economical and probably more effective then buying special glasses for this.


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## sarathmenon (Mar 16, 2013)

Toomeyct said:


> I can assure you this is both more economical and probably more effective then buying special glasses for this.


Hmm, maybe I should give this a try. I've used catcrap in the past and well, it was crap  That thing would work for a while, but eventually, things get foggy.


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## Toomeyct (Apr 4, 2012)

sarathmenon said:


> Hmm, maybe I should give this a try. I've used catcrap in the past and well, it was crap  That thing would work for a while, but eventually, things get foggy.


Yeah Cat Crap never worked for me. Basically you rub the fogtech on like an alcohol pad, then instead of fogging the worst you might see is a little condensation on your lense. Usually barely any at all. I've gone a few days in a row forgetting to re-apply it and it still works.


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## Bones (Feb 24, 2008)

I'm not a candidate for Lasik at the moment either (apparently my eyeball is too flat) but I hope the technology will continue to improve. It took me 7 or 8 different brands of soft contacts to find one that fit well, but even then I'm only good for 8 hours and then my eyes get too dry.

For the couple of seasons that I rode with glasses under my goggles I fought the same fogging problems as you: goggles were fine but the glasses fogged. And OTG goggles just mashed my glasses into the bridge of my noses.

I never got a permanent solution because I finally found contacts to wear, but I did discover a few things that helped delay the onset of fogging. 1) I stopped wearing anything under my helmet, bought a helmet with tons of ventilation holes and left them all open full blast all the time. 2) If I was cold on the lift I put my hood up, but I always took off the hood at the top. 3) I got a shorter hair cut 4) I stopped wearing a balaclava or facemask and 5) if I felt like I was going to get too warm (like at the start of a long mogul run) then I opened up every vent I had on my jacket and pants before I started. 

None of this was a long term solution, but it cut down the defogging stops to 1 or 2 a day (and usually none in the morning)


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

I use Rx inserts. If I've got too much on, zipped up or am working hard....shit starts to fog. Gotta unzip, take beanie off under helmet or put goggle on top of helmet fer chair ride. Lotta times all it takes is to pull the goggle away from from your face for a second and let in some cool air.


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## sarathmenon (Mar 16, 2013)

Toomeyct said:


> Yeah Cat Crap never worked for me. Basically you rub the fogtech on like an alcohol pad, then instead of fogging the worst you might see is a little condensation on your lense. Usually barely any at all. I've gone a few days in a row forgetting to re-apply it and it still works.


That actually is promising. I ordered a bottle from Amazon. It's a pity I can't field test this before the season starts in another 2 months...


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## Toomeyct (Apr 4, 2012)

sarathmenon said:


> That actually is promising. I ordered a bottle from Amazon. It's a pity I can't field test this before the season starts in another 2 months...


Just spread it on and then breath onto it and see if it fogs up. Its pretty surprising how well it works.


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## sarathmenon (Mar 16, 2013)

Bones said:


> I'm not a candidate for Lasik at the moment either (apparently my eyeball is too flat) but I hope the technology will continue to improve. It took me 7 or 8 different brands of soft contacts to find one that fit well, but even then I'm only good for 8 hours and then my eyes get too dry.
> 
> For the couple of seasons that I rode with glasses under my goggles I fought the same fogging problems as you: goggles were fine but the glasses fogged. And OTG goggles just mashed my glasses into the bridge of my noses.
> 
> ...


I hear you, and glad that contacts worked for you. I have been through every single one of those methods, except the hair cut. I have mine on somewhat short, any shorter and I start feeling the cold trickle down to the scalp. I can get it down to once or twice a day, but everytime it happens, my only solution is to take off the goggles and limp down the slope. This probably will be the year that technology will solve the problem 

Anyway, I am convinced that tinted glasses is worth a try. No metal in them, so it should handle cold. As I said, insurance is paying for it, and I haven't got new glasses in a while. Let's see, I will update this thread after the season starts and I have some real world experience in them.


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## mojo maestro (Jan 6, 2009)

I tried Rx sunglasses when I first started board'n........any kind of wind or snow and you will not be happy.


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## sarathmenon (Mar 16, 2013)

Here is an update from my end. I checked with my ophthalmologist and they recommended against lasic. I have traumatic cataract in my left eye from an accident I had when I was a kid. That eye is very tricky to operate on, and their recommendation was to leave it alone. 

I also have high astigmatism. This rules out wrap around frames - the curvature along with the curvature needed to match my vision makes frames longer than 150 impossible. The same problem exists for inserts. Anything that goes into sunglasses has to play with the same physics. 

All this left me with is contacts. I reluctantly got a set. Yeah, they are great, and it's very impossible to fog them, but my usual problems remain. Any time the lens rotate, my vision becomes useless. At low light, the imperfect correction for astigmatism shows up. My eyes get blurry quicker. And sometimes, I get a headache from having to deal with rotating lens. These are the expensive toric ones, I've probably got some really weird eyes.

So, if you have perfect eyesight, you have a good thing going. Don't fuck that up. Take this advise from someone who has to struggle with issues like these.


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## aggie05 (Nov 12, 2014)

I dealt with a lot of the same when I originally switched to contacts (before I got Lasik). Headaches, starbursts in lowlight, odd feeling in eyes, etc. I also had astigmatism in both eyes, but this will all go away after regular use with the contacts as your body will get used to them. (except for the starbursts as that is just going to happen due to having corrected vision with contacts) Contacts really are your best option though. It leaves you with the full range of goggles/helmets rather than a very narrow field of options. Good luck!


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## Blueburd (Feb 15, 2015)

Have you checked out RA Optics? They are big enough to fit over glasses and they do not fog. I love mine and the price is amazing! Http://www.Boardblu.com


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