What Category Sunglasses Are Needed for Skiing?

Wondering what category of sunglasses is needed for skiing?

sunglasses for skiing

To keep your eyes safe, you need to focus on buying the right sunglasses before heading out for skiing or snowboarding.

Sunglasses are as important, if not more so, than your skiing or snowboarding boots. They are an integral component of your skiing kit since they are vital for eye safety.

The majority of eye injuries that transpire while skiing are due to not wearing sunglasses. Wearing the wrong type can be just as detrimental. For instance, if one falls, poor quality sunglasses could shatter from the impact and hurt their eyes.

Not wearing any eye protection will expose your eyes to the harsh UV rays that are extremely damaging to your eyes. Something could also hit your eye, like an extended tree branch or a ski pole.

Here are the necessary characteristics for skiing sunglasses.

UV Protection

UV rays (both UVB and UVA) are a significant risk factor for a wide spectrum of eye diseases and premature aging.

They can damage the eyes in many ways. One of them is photokeratitis – this is retina sunburn. UV rays can also lead to eye cancer, macular degeneration, cataracts and other eye conditions.

As beautiful as it might appear, snow-filled landscapes have one ominous feature. They are good at reflecting sun rays. This can be very damaging if there is no eye protection. Even on cloudy days, a lot of sunlight can enter unprotected eyes.

It is best to wear sunglasses that offer 100 percent UVB and UVA protection. UV400 sunglasses are ideal since they offer maximum protection from UV rays.

Polycarbonate or NXT Lenses

When snowboarding or skiing, you can go for polycarbonate lenses. NXT lenses, on the other hand, are much more resilient.

The problem with plastic and glass lenses is that they are prone to shattering upon impact. These flying particles can badly damage eyes.

The really great thing about NXT and polycarbonate lenses is that they are highly resistant to shattering.

NXT lenses are so tenacious that they won’t splinter even at very high impacts.

The main advantage of polycarbonate (besides resilience to shattering) is that it is resistant to fogging and lightweight. This material is also natural when it comes to absorbing UV light. Even clear polycarbonate lenses can feature full protection from UV rays.

Although glass is clearly prone to shattering (and thus hazardous), it is fairly scratch resistant.

Frame Material

Even the frame material matters. Plastic frames are the clear winner for winter applications. They are much better than metal. The problem with metal is prone to becoming brittle at lower temperatures and snapping. So if they snap suddenly, they could poke your eye.

To avoid this hazard, you should buy plastic framed sunglasses. Also, since metal is quite rigid, it won’t fit easily around your face.

However, plastic can conform to the contour of your face without too many problems. Hence, you can get a fairly wide view, fuller coverage, and greater stability with plastic frames. With their better fit, they can keep your eyes safe from snow and wind.

Plastic frames are thus great for mitigating glare since their fuller coverage keeps out sunlight coming in from both sides.

You should think about buying advanced eye protection to add to the side for greater safety.

Your sunglasses should also be lightweight. Not only will it add to your comfort, but these can also be worn easily for longer time frames.

Air ventilation is also a necessary aspect since it prevents the buildup of fog and condensation.

Also, nose pads and temple grips should be made out of no-slip rubber material so that the frame does not move about your face when you are making high impact manoeuvres like ski jumps.

Polarized Lenses

Another problem to look out for is polarization of light. When reflected from surfaces like snow and water, light can become polarized. This will result in glare. To avoid this, you can resort to polarized lenses.

However, there is one problem to note. The trouble with polarized lenses is that it will become much harder to distinguish between snow and ice. So if you will be facing icy conditions, it might be better to avoid polarized lenses.

Photochromatic Lenses

Photochromatic lenses vary the level of shade with respect ot sunlight intensity. So when sunlight is more intense, these take on a darker shade. If there is less sunlight, they adopt a lighter shade. Hence, you will be able to see well in sunny as well as cloudy conditions without needing to fiddle with different glasses designed for different conditions.

Here is the best type of eye protection that you can buy for skiing.

OutdoorMaster Ski Goggles OTG – Over Glasses

ASIN – B01HLV5HR6

These all-purpose ski goggles fit well around your face to protect your eyes from all sides.

The lens sports superb optical clarity and is highly resistant to fogging.

You can get 100% UV400 protection to give your eyes the protection they need from scorching sun rays. This is the highest level of protection that you can give to your eye against ultraviolet rays.

It is also durable and resilient, meaning it can last for several years without degrading.

Since these glasses are so long-lasting, the manufacturer provides a lifetime warranty. This means that you will not have to buy more eye protection in the future.

Even on the coldest days, they can prevent the buildup of ice that can hinder your vision.

As a result, these sunglasses are a hot favorite with snowboarding and skiing enthusiasts worldwide.

Our Final Thoughts

Now that you know what category of sunglasses are needed for skiing, you can make a better buying decision.

You will need to consider a lot when buying the right protection for your eyes.

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