If you’re off to shopping for a pair of ski goggles, you must do thorough research on which ski goggles are long-lasting. The endurance of the ski goggles depends on your use and abuse of the goggles, materials, quality, brand, and craftsmanship.
How long do ski goggles last?
A pair of ski goggles can last between 3 to 6 months if used and stored correctly. The longevity depends on the lenses and the material nitrate. Besides, cleaning every time after using, storing in a special goggles bag, keeping them dry, using moderately considerably adds extra life to ski goggles.
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How often should you replace ski goggles?
You should replace your ski goggles depending on your usage, abuse, quality, and maintenance. You have to replace a good quality ski goggle three to six times per year if used regularly.
However, you can maintain a quality ski goggle that lasts longer if you use it properly with care. A lot of skiers tend to throw away the goggles randomly after finishing a drive. Such carelessness will potentially destroy your lenses and the goggle frame.
If you’re an active skier it is recommended for you to buy a high-quality ski goggle of a renowned brand so that it can withstand all the rough abuses. And you have to disinfect the goggles after coming from a skied drive, let them dry, and store them in a ski goggle bag. Thus, you can use a ski goggle for a long time.
Five reasons why ski goggles don’t last longer-
Lenses erode:
The ski goggle is made of very tough material nitrate and can withstand abuses as well as save it from salts and acid impacts. However, ski goggles are not immune to small wear and as a result, they may get scratches from scrapes. Consequently, it loses its effectiveness and blurs your vision.
Formation of debris and rings condensation:
When you don’t store your ski goggles properly, it slowly loses its longevity. Storing ski goggles in a damp place also interferes with your vision. Also, your eyes will feel uncomfortable and can even do permanent damage to your eyes with the formation of condensation.
Contamination:
Your ski goggles may become easily contaminated if you don’t clean and disinfect them immediately. Furthermore, if you simply put the ski goggles inside the bag after finishing a flight and expect them to last through a season, this is actually not a good idea to wear disposable lenses again.
Storing in damp places:
It is recommended to store ski goggles in clean and dry places. Storing your goggles in wet and moist places causes them to become ineffective and brittle quickly which will interfere with your vision. Moreover, you’ll feel irritated and uncomfortable while wearing those goggles.
Maintenance:
You need to wipe your ski goggles out after every time you ski. And dry them off. Compromising with maintaining its cleanliness will effectively make it dirty and they will not be able to provide you with the same level of vision. Also, there will be a build-up of sweat and dirt on the goggles which will lessen its lifespan.
How to care for ski goggles properly?
Taking care of the lens:
The lens is the most crucial and fragile part of your ski goggles. You have to be the most careful while caring for the lens.
Use a microfiber cloth while wiping out or cleaning the lens. Using any other alternative object for cleaning purposes will do potential damage to the lenses. If you don’t have microfibre cloth use the soft cloth that comes with ski goggle packaging. It is designed for wiping the goggles.
After cleaning the goggles let them dry out completely before storing. Furthermore, never wipe the snow out from the lens as the snow contains microscopic ice crystals. As a result, it can leave a permanent scratch on the lens.
What you can do is place the goggles in your pocket close to your body and wait for the snow to turn into liquid. Now you can easily remove it using a soft cloth or microfibre.
Treating the inside lens:
The best thing you can do to treat your inside lens is without intervening in this area. This area is the most delicate part of your ski goggles. Cleaning it carelessly can result in an adverse situation.
Let the lens dry overnight before cleaning it. Then, you can wipe it out using a microfibre cloth. For any non-liquid dirt, you can simply blow clean air into it before wiping.
Furthermore, if the snow gets into it, you can easily shake it off to get rid of the snow. And wipe it again. However, do not use your gloves or any other object to clean your ski goggles. It will rather damage the lens than cleaning it.
Avoid changing the lens frequently. As it can affect the anti-fog coating and alter the performance. However, if need be you’re free to change the lens. But changing your lens should preferably be done indoors.
Storing and general care:
After coming back from a flight, leave your goggles overnight to dry. Now, you can use it again the next day.
However, if you’re not going out skiing anytime soon, after letting it dry overnight, disinfect it and store it in a waterproof bag.
You should never store a ski goggle in a moist and damp place, rather after drying out store it in a special goggle bag to ensure its durability for the next season.
How do you clean ski goggles? – Make it last longer
Step 1:
Take a smooth cloth preferably a microfibre cloth to wipe the lens so that it doesn’t leave any scratches behind. Now prepare a cleaning solution compatible with the ski lens. You can also use ski goggle cleaner or glass cleaner spray as alternatives.
Step 2:
Add two to three drops of the solution to the surface of the goggles. Now take the cloth and gently wipe the surface in a circular motion. You have to be very careful so that you don’t take off the anti-fog coating. Now with a dry microfiber cloth, you finish the cleaning process. And polish the surface so that it is smooth and even.
Step 3:
For the outside frame, you can rub it with any regular cloth and remove all the dirt and dust. For liquid dirt, you can use a cleaner.
What effect does my helmet have on ski goggle safety?
- If the helmet is of the correct fit, it will give protection to your head and you can adjust the ski goggles inside or outside of the helmet according to your preference.
- Your helmet should feel comfortable, backup your forehead, and finish just one inch above the goggle or near the eyebrows. There can be a very small gap or no gap between these two. Either way, the helmet, and ski goggles will be safe to give you protection.
- However, some people complain that the goggle straps fall off when wearing them outside the helmet. You can use goggle clips in such cases. It will prevent the goggle strap from slipping down.
- It is of utmost importance that the helmet is of the correct size. Otherwise, the helmet may sit so slow that it pushes the goggles down. As a result, it will interfere with your vision and safety.
- Nonetheless, a helmet ensures the overall safety of the rider. But a wrong size helmet can interrupt the ski goggle safety and put you in danger. The helmet strap should fit snugly under the chin and your face should be able to rest on it.
Can you replace foam on ski goggles?
If the old foam of your ski goggle has been damaged and doesn’t snug up on your face, you can easily replace the foam by yourself at home. You will need a pencil, a box cutter, a piece of wax paper, safety pins, epoxy glue, and a piece of foam padding.
First, you have to take the old foam and adhesive off your ski goggles with care. Now, cut a new piece of foam pad using the old foam as a template and trace out the inside and outside edges. With the box cutter, cut out the traced part and adjust it on the new sheet of foam.
Now, apply a layer of epoxy glue on half of the mask and press it against the goggle frame giving it a nice fit. Repeat this process until the foam fits accurately on the goggle. Let it dry and try them on.
Can you repair scratches on ski goggles?
You can repair small scratches on ski goggles with a soft or microfibre cloth and glasses repair solution.
For broken and heavily damaged glasses, you have to replace the lens. However, you can easily repair scratches and remove dirt using the soft cotton cloth and lens cleaning solution.
Why do my ski goggles keep fogging up?
The main reason behind fogging up ski goggles is the temperature difference between the outside and your body. Your body is comparatively warmer than the outer environment.
And when the warm air from your body goes inside the lens, the water in the air starts condensing into tiny droplets since the lens was initially cooled down by cold temperatures outside, and hinders your vision.
Having a proper ventilation system in your goggles can stop them from fogging up. You can also use some anti-fog solutions to prevent fogging up.
All in all, with proper care and less abuse, you can extend the life of your ski goggles and have amazing rides. Since, it is very important for your vision, replace it as soon as possible if it gets damaged.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Do Ski Goggles Fog Up? How to Keep Them From Fogging?
Do Ski Goggles Go Over Helmets?