Photochromic Versus Changeable Lens Goggles
Ski goggles come in many flavors. Choosing the best goggles to match your needs requires a basic understanding of tech and setting a few priorities. If you’re not familiar with lens shapes and their advantages, check out our Ski Goggles 101 article for some basic goggles tech and know-how.
When it comes to key goggles features, the ability to match the lighting conditions should be on your list. There are two ways to handle changing light. You can go with changeable lens goggles, which let you swap the lens for a new tint, or choose photochromic lens goggles, which automatically adapt to changing light conditions.
Here are two competitively priced ski goggles: one with an easy-swap magnetic lens-change system and one with the latest photochromic technology. The Outdoor Master Ultra Zeiss Ski Goggles and the Smith Squad Photochromic Ski Goggles.
Outdoor Master Ultra Zeiss MagKlick Ski Goggles $139
Never heard of Outdoor Master Goggles? Me either. But you should take notice. Not only do the Outdoor Master Ultra Zeiss goggles look great, but they also feature tech found on goggles that cost twice as much. At $139, the Outdoor Master Ultra Zeiss goggles with MagKlick technology are a killer deal.
First off, Zeiss optics are the real deal. These are high-end goggles featuring quality optics, materials and tech for a fraction of the price of the big goggle brands. In addition to the high-quality Zeiss optics, they feature magnetic lens tech that rivals the functionality of high-end magnetic lens attachment systems. The Outdoor Master Magklick-Tech system features 10 powerful magnets for simple, fast lens swaps. It’s a latchless design featuring a clean, simple and powerful connection much like Anon’s Magna-Tech system. Just pull the lens out and let the magnets guide the new lens into place.
Part of their Pro series, the Ultra Zeiss goggles with Magklick technology rival the fit, feel and performance of the best goggle brands on the market. If you wear your goggles in all conditions, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better deal.
Get 15% off the Ultra Zeiss goggles with this link.
Smith Squad Pro Photochromic Ski Goggles – $159
Once unreliable and slow to change in cold weather, photochromic lenses have come a long way in recent years. The latest Smith ChromaPop™ Pro Photochromic lenses offer a wider visible-light transmission (VLT) range and faster activation in winter temperatures than. Their new photochromic goggle lens also includes their definition-boosting ChromaPop™ technology. The result is a photochromic ChromaPop™ lens with the tint range and look of traditional mirror-finish ski goggles. Sounds expensive, right? Well, Smith’s new photochromic ChromaPop tech is available in the mid-priced Smith Squad Pro goggles for $159.
You can literally ski in all conditions without ever changing your lens with Smith’s new photochromic ChromaPop lens goggles. Photochromic ChromaPop offers a set-it-and-forget-it approach with a single lens that rules them all. The new formula is designed to respond to visible and UV light, not to temperature, offering stable tinting in cold conditions. According to Smith, it adapts to changing light conditions twice as fast as a traditional photochromic lens.
The new lens offers a VLT range of 55%–16%, virtually matching the extremes required for stormy to bright, sunny days and everything in between. Of course, you can still change the lens if needed. They even come with a bonus low-light lens for night skiing or dedicated storm riding.
Check pricing and availability on the Smith Squad Pro Photochromic ski goggles.
Offpistemag is an AI-free zone. All content is created by experienced skiers and riders. If you find a mistake on offpistemag.com, rest assured, it was made by a human being.
