8 tips to avoid ski goggle fog
There’s nothing worse than suffering from goggle fog. But it’s a quick fix. In fact, there are a few ways to ensure your goggles stay clear, so you can rip in HD all day. Discover our 8 simple tips below!
If goggle fog has struck, we’re sure you’re cursing the brand, the shop that sold them to you, and probably the gods, too. Nothing ruins a ski day faster than foggy goggles — except maybe long lift lines. But fear not – we’re here to help with our 8 top tips on how to keep ski goggles from fogging.
Before we get there, though, it’s important to know why goggles fog. In short, goggle fog is condensation, which happens when two sides of a surface (i.e., your lens) have a large enough disparity between temperatures. So, it causes the warm air on the inside to condense into tiny droplets of liquid. As such, this temperature difference is what we aim to cure and avoid in the future. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is, thankfully.
Oh, and once your vision is restored, you’ll no doubt have plenty of envy for everyone riding around in their slick new MONTEC goggles. Want to join them? Check out our range of men's ski goggles and women's ski goggles. You might find that simply upgrading your specs is the best way to cure your fog problems. At least, that’s what our first recommendation is. So, let’s get to the other tips, shall we?
Top 8 tips for keeping your ski goggles fog-free
1. Get high-quality goggles
One of the most common reasons fog happens is down to goggle design. Simply put, lower quality and off-brand goggles lack the key features that better goggles have to mitigate fogging.
Dual-layer lenses (two separate lens layers with a partial vacuum in between) are pretty standard with high-quality goggles. These act like a double-glazed window, minimizing heat transmission between the layers and preventing condensation. High-quality goggles often have superior foam, too, allowing for more heat loss and enhanced ventilation. Oh, their designs also encourage airflow and cool the interior, preventing the dreaded fog buildup.
2. Stop your breath from entering your goggles
Another way fogging happens is through heavy breathing funneling inside your face mask and into the goggles. The temptation to tuck your face mask under your goggles is natural. However, this creates a channel where hot, moist breath can rise into the goggles and cause mist.
So, make sure this isn’t happening by avoiding tucking your face mask under. Alternatively, choose a ventilated mask, so the breath goes out, not up.
3. Make sure your vents are clear
Did you know goggles are designed to self-ventilate while you move to prevent fogging? However, the front of your helmet or beanie cuff can cover the top vents of your goggles. And that never comes to any good. Blocked vents are a common culprit of goggle fog because they prevent airflow and heat escape.
And the bottom vents? Your face mask or jacket collar is often to blame for blocking those vents. So, make sure air can flow both in and out of multiple vents to keep the temperature disparity as close as possible.
4. Keep moving
One of the best ways to prevent (and clear) goggle fog is to get some wind in your face. Vents are all well and good, but they’re not very effective if you’re stationary. While you ride, you’re actively forcing cold, dry air through your vents, carrying away excess moisture and heat, regulating the temperature inside, and keeping it closer to the ambient outside temperature.
This will also help regulate your body temperature, cool you down if you’re too warm, and allow the goggles to function as intended. People often say, ‘My goggles fog no matter what I do!’ Our response? ‘Have you tried riding faster?’
5. Let your goggles dry thoroughly
Throughout the day, your goggles become damp with moisture building up inside the lens, on the lens, in the foam, and in the frame. What happens if you let this moisture sit overnight and then go back out the next day? You’ll find your goggles fog quickly and stay that way.
So, after skiing, it’s important to remove the lens (if possible) from the frame and place it somewhere warm and dry to ensure all moisture evaporates. Just keep your goggles out of direct contact with a radiator or stove — plastic melts, after all.
6. Skip placing your goggles on your forehead
A typical mistake riders make is placing their goggles on their forehead. As we sweat from here, this introduces moisture inside the lens, which, as we know, is a bad thing! It’s very easy to do, and it’s only natural when you first start out.
Similarly, if you’re warm, putting your goggles on top of a beanie or helmet can produce the same effect. And there’s lots of heat loss through the beanie or the helmet vents. So, if you find your goggles getting foggy and do this … stop.
7. Avoid overdressing
When you first start, two things are guaranteed: you’re going to be working really hard, and you’re going to be overdressed. These two things in isolation cause excess sweating, inevitably leading to goggle fog.
It’s tough to judge how much clothing you’ll need to wear while riding, and it’s a learning process. But, as a tip, if your goggles are getting foggy, try losing a layer to lower your skin temperature and the level of sweat you’ve got going on. Moisture is always the enemy on the hill – for both body temperature regulation and goggle fog!
8. Resist wiping the inner lens
Finally, we want to round this list off with a parting piece of advice: don’t wipe the inner lens. Not with a goggle wipe, and definitely not with your fingers.
This worsens the moisture issue as you brush the tiny droplets into larger ones, making it much harder to clear your goggles. Some moisture evaporates, but ultimately, it just overwhelms your goggles and their ability to vent it out. And the result? More fogging. The solution? Take them off and let them air dry for a while.
Wrapping up
Well, that’s it! Our top tips for keeping your goggles clear of the dreaded fog. Still having issues? Reach out to our team, and we’ll do our absolute best to help you out.
Just email crew@montecwear.com. We’re always on hand to lend advice if you need it.
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