# Goggle Fogging and Scratching



## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

that is some great info WiredSport, this ought to be Stickied in the goggle forum imo

just want to add, i've been having good luck with scratch fixing (on Oakley yellow lenses) with a plastic polish from the autoparts store, meant for polishing car headlight lenses covers, works about 90%, and does not seem to affect fogging, as supported by your 90/10 importance of the antifog coating...


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## t21 (Dec 29, 2010)

Thanks for the info. I've been having problem with my IO/X fogging right at the middle of my sightline. I can only blame this on my Helmet and my baclava since i figured that my helmet(Smith hustle)has a brim and it seems to cover most of the upper venting on my goggles and my breathing directs it up the lower part with my baclava over my nose. It also happens more while i'm on the chairlift and it takes a while to dissipate when i'm off. It was hard to see the snow terrain once i get moving and sometimes leads to a close calls wrecking.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

2 things I would add:

1: to your factors: HEAT. Body heat moving upwards out the neck of your outwear not to mention internal heat trying to exit mostly through your head. You got an equatorial rainforest on the inside of your goggles and snowboarding on the outside with some really thin plastic between.

2: don't get too attached. I collect goggles more than anything else and put little stock in them, nice ones are nice but they get fucked up.

I randomly wiped ice across my favorite lowlights a couple weeks ago and they have like 8 scratches horizontally across the whole things...wtfever! @#$%@#$!!!!

Awesome post/thread.


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## ridinbend (Aug 2, 2012)

snowklinger said:


> 2 things I would add:
> 
> 1: to your factors: HEAT. Body heat moving upwards out the neck of your outwear not to mention internal heat trying to exit mostly through your head. You got an equatorial rainforest on the inside of your goggles and snowboarding on the outside with some really thin plastic between.
> 
> ...



Best snow invention ever. Rime killer.


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## CassMT (Mar 14, 2013)

agree with the 'don't get too attached' bit..and would add, don't spend to much..for me, i regret the $16o for these oakley, coulda saved $100 and got something that would have lasted just as long with proper care...meh


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## Lamps (Sep 3, 2011)

Great post Wiredsport. Lots of great info


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

I have 4 pairs of Oakley Crowbars and a pair of Oakley Airwaves...

The Airwaves get abused that is for sure, and i have the added problem of heat inside the goggles from the electronics and battery...

They do fog up on a few occasions, and i wipe the arse out of the outside of the lens and never have any issues with scratching, but i would never wipe the inside...!!!

My biggest problem, is remembering not to put up on my helmet, and after 2 seasons of using them, i still do this on occasion, and they fog in seconds...!!! The crowbars never did this so quickly, they would fog, but it would take minutes...

My Stepson uses Anons, and his never fog, neither do my g/f's Crowbar and they both put there up on there helmet... Strange...


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

CassMT said:


> agree with the 'don't get too attached' bit..and would add, don't spend to much..for me, i regret the $16o for these oakley, coulda saved $100 and got something that would have lasted just as long with proper care...meh


I always buy goggles in the offseason. You can find just about anything you want for 50% off. Planning on snagging some Anon M2s this summer.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

ridinbend said:


> Best snow invention ever. Rime killer.


Does this work ok with the highly reflective finishes, such as fire chrome on VZ's etc? As in, will that damage it in any way? I had a rainy day a week or 2 back (in fact it was a 4 seasons day, with bluebird, rain, snow and dense fog alternating hourly), and i was desperately wiping water/snow from my lens with what i thought was the soft portion of my glove, only to find i had been removing some of the reflectiveness on the lenses.


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## tokyo_dom (Jan 7, 2013)

While i am asking questions... How about safe/correct storage in the microfiber pouches. What do you do with the strap? I always thought that the inside of the lens is sacred and should never come into contact with anything other than the nipples of heavenly angels. And since goggle straps and their clips are considerably rougher than that, i dont want the goggle strap getting up in there...

Any tips?


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## boarderaholic (Aug 13, 2007)

Is the lens material made out of polycarbonate? If it is, that would be why they scratch so easily. There is not much you can do but be very gentle with the lenses and use the microfibre cloth to handle it if at all possible.


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## kadil (Feb 25, 2014)

*Hoping for less fogging this next trip*

I wore prescription sunglasses the first few times snowboarding and suffered a lot of fogging. Then I bought a pair of goggles that go over spactacles which was better but still not ideal. I have now had my vision corrected by laser surgery so I am hoping for more improvement. I think my biggest problem is sweating inside the goggle area since they were large to cover the spactacles. Next goggles I buy I am thinking minimise the area coovered by goggles, less sweat inside the goggles.

I also wonder if it would be better to have open vents instead of foam covered vents on the top of the goggles?


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

tokyo_dom said:


> While i am asking questions... How about safe/correct storage in the microfiber pouches. What do you do with the strap? I always thought that the inside of the lens is sacred and should never come into contact with anything other than the nipples of heavenly angels. And since goggle straps and their clips are considerably rougher than that, i dont want the goggle strap getting up in there...
> 
> Any tips?


The configuration can be different between models and brands but it is typically two polycarbonate lenses separated (and sealed) by foam or similar. Both lenses can have anti scratch layers applied (but not all do - most have at least anti scratch on the outer). Both lenses can have antifog layers applied (most typical inside). 

Polycarbonate is incredibly impact resistant but is very soft in terms of scratching. While the protective films etc. are quite good, they are very thin even when multiple layers are applied and can be scratched or even rubbed through. Antifog layers are not durable.

The unfortunate bottom line is that you need to be very gentle in terms of cleaning and storage. Nothing hard or abrasive should ever contact your lens. Blotting is only better than rubbing in that it typically requires a gentler contact and less surface abrasion. Also, after repeated use even microfiber cloths will retain particles of debris from the "water" they are dealing with. These can then act as abrasives.

All of this might sound a bit defeatist. It is not. These coatings/films are a huge improvement over untreated polycarbonate, but it is important to realistically go beyond marketing hype and understand the real world limitations.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

kadil said:


> I wore prescription sunglasses the first few times snowboarding and suffered a lot of fogging. Then I bought a pair of goggles that go over spactacles which was better but still not ideal. I have now had my vision corrected by laser surgery so I am hoping for more improvement. I think my biggest problem is sweating inside the goggle area since they were large to cover the spactacles. Next goggles I buy I am thinking minimise the area coovered by goggles, less sweat inside the goggles.
> 
> I also wonder if it would be better to have open vents instead of foam covered vents on the top of the goggles?


wow, you went from wearing glasses straight to LASIK? thats a bold move. I just dont have the balls to do lasik cuz what if it went wrong? I wear contacts when snowboarding.
most time fogging is due to breath getting into the goggles from wearing face masks. it can also be goggles being not properly fit around the nose area. opening vents is not very good idea cuz it would introduce too much air into the goggles and it can also make the goggles get too cold causing icing.


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## kadil (Feb 25, 2014)

speedjason said:


> wow, you went from wearing glasses straight to LASIK? thats a bold move. I just dont have the balls to do lasik cuz what if it went wrong? I wear contacts when snowboarding.
> most time fogging is due to breath getting into the goggles from wearing face masks. it can also be goggles being not properly fit around the nose area. opening vents is not very good idea cuz it would introduce too much air into the goggles and it can also make the goggles get too cold causing icing.


Lasik is the best thing I ever done. But contacts never worked well for me due to the shape of my eyeballs.

I think most of my figging problem is from sweating inside the goggles area so I think extra ventilation might help. :dunno:


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## Wiredsport (Sep 16, 2009)

kadil said:


> I also wonder if it would be better to have open vents instead of foam covered vents on the top of the goggles?


There are goggles with large removable solid (not foam) vents such as the Dragon APX. When the inserts are out (designed for hiking) there are essentially large strips removed from the horizontal vent areas. There are of course positive and negative effects from this.


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