Your Guide to Building Custom Goggles

Custom gear makes the world of a difference when traversing the outdoors. In skiing/snowboarding, custom fitted gear can mean the difference between a day of yard sales and conquering powder bowls. In this guide, we’ll walk you through building your custom goggle kit and what to keep in mind when choosing your frame, lenses, and straps. 

Frame:

The frame of your goggles should always create a flush seal around your eyes to protect them against the elements. Snow goggle frames can come in a wide range of options, varying from brand to brand. Common frame styles are over the glasses (OTG), Asian fit, and standard fit. 

OTG frames are made to fit over prescription glasses, allowing you to wear both comfortably at the same time. OTG goggles have cutouts in the foam padding that accommodate low profile prescription glasses.

Asian fit frames are made to accommodate lower nose bridges. Those with smaller noses sometimes experience gaps between their nose and the foam padding, which allows cold air, snow, and glare to enter their goggles. To ensure a proper seal, Asian fit frames are designed with additional padding in the nose region. 

The Lenses:

When building your snow goggle kit, it’s a good idea to opt for 2-3 different lens colors. Each lens color will have a corresponding VLT, which means that different lenses have advantages in different environments. 

While selecting lenses for your goggles, be sure to choose both a lens with a higher VLT (50-75%) for flat light conditions, and a lens with a lower VLT (30-15%) for bright, bluebird conditions. Having both will ensure that you can adapt to any condition on the mountain and stay out there longer. 

The Straps:

Goggle straps are where you get to have some fun. Straps serve to adjust sizing and fit around your head/helmet. We recommend opting for bright colors and loud patterns. 

Build your own set of custom snow goggles here.