Best Ski & Snowboard Goggles For Kids
I've done all the hard work so you don't have to. Here are the best ski goggles with more in-depth reviews for each one beneath. Googles that protect your kid's eyes and keep their face warm from the wind and snow.
Top 5 Best Ski & Snowboard Goggles For Kids 2022
- Anon Kids Fit Tracker Ski Goggle
- Zionor XMini Kids Ski Goggles
- POCicto Goggles
- WildHorn Cristo Ski Goggles
- OutdoorMaster Ski Goggles for Youth
1. Anon Kids Fit Tracker Ski Goggle
The anon kids are one of the most popular kid's ski goggles on the market and for good reason. They're suitable for all ages from 2-14 years of age and come in an awesome range of colors and graphic prints for boys and girls.
We are reader supported. We may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Main Features:
- Dual-layer face foam to wick away moisture and extra comfort.
- Strong & lightweight thermoplastic polyurethane frame.
- No-Slip Silicone Strap
- Cool colors: 18+ lens tints and color options.
- Full venting for maximum airflow and fog-free vision.
Where to buy:
2. Zionor XMini Kids Ski Goggles
The Zionor X Mini offers a wide-angle panoramic lens with a great field of vision. Mirrored and unmirrored options are available for this kid's specific lens.
The lens is designed for a youth-specific fit, while also allowing maximum visibility. The goggles have detachable straps and lenses, so you can swap out damaged lenses without replacing the entire frame OR have multiple lenses for different light conditions.
Main Features:
- Designed specifically to fit kids' faces and wrap around tightly for warmth and protection.
- Spherical wide-angle shape.
- Detachable lens and strap (buy multiple tints).
- Two-way venting for a solid anti-fog lens
- Range of tints, frame colors, and mirrored options.
Where to buy:
3. POCicto Goggles
POC is a well-respected ski brand and its goggles deliver high performance and excellent lens quality.
Snug and comfortable fit with minimalist but bold strap and frame prints that come in a regular and small fit. It Will fit most helmets but pairs for a seamless fit with the POCito skull helmet. Variety of lens tints from blue to orange.
Main Features:
- Hydrophobic coated lens so snow, water, and dust roll off without smearing.
- Two-density foam: Very comfy and secure. Double layer; soft foam and dense foam.
- High-quality lens for optimal vision clarity.
- Silicone grip: very solid grip.
Where to buy:
4. WildHorn Ski Goggles
Made by Wildhorn, the official US ski and snowboard supplier. These goggles come in adult and junior sizes and provide great clarity and contrast with the 7 different lens colors across a full range of light conditions.
Main Features:
- Interchangeable lenses: easy to swap out new lenses for any light condition with the magnetic frame.
- 7 lens tints and colors.
- Wide-view panoramic spherical dual-lens design
- Anti-fog and anti-scratch coating
- Triple-density foam for comfort.
- Shatterproof and strong polycarbonate material.
Where to buy:
5. OutdoorMaster Ski Goggles for Youth
Main Features:
- Universal helmet compatibility: extra long straps.
- Anti-fog lens
- Wear over classes (OTG)
Where to buy:
Best Overall Ski Goggles
If you're looking at my overall pick for the best ski goggles - read my in-depth review for this season.
Why Are Ski Goggles Important?
Skis goggles are essential for protecting young skiers' eyes from harmful UV rays and snowblindness. Ski goggles improve your vision on the slopes by blocking out sun glare and increasing contrast in low-light conditions.
Ski goggles also act as shields for the eyes and protect kids from damaging their eyes during crashes or falls. When you collide with other skiers or objects on the slope, ski goggles combined with a ski helmet will lower the chance of sustaining head and eye injuries.
Moreover, ski goggles insulate the top half of your face and stop snow and wind from hitting your eyes, which makes you squint, your eyes water, and lowers your core temperature. Ski goggles are part of a skier's toolkit for staying warm on the mountain.
The best ski goggles for children should have strong frames and lenses for protection and block 99-100% of all harmful UV light. Snow is highly reflective and the higher up the mountain you go the more important UV protection becomes.
"Fresh snow reflects nearly 80 percent of UV radiation, and UV radiation intensity increases 16 percent for every 1,000 meters above sea level."
American Optometric Association. UV protection this winter.
The UV radiation intensity is not determined by the temperature and even in dense clouds or fog, some UV rays pass through. On partially cloudy days, evidence suggests that UV rays maybe even stronger due to reflection.
Key Features To Look For:
1. UV protection (essential)
Luckily even the cheapest ski goggles (from reputable retailers) will come with UV protection. Knock off 'fake' ski goggles or clear ski goggles may not.
2. Polarized Lenses (nice but not essential)
Polarisation is a cool technique that some ski lenses have whereby glare is reduced on areas of snow or water with high reflectivity. Ski goggles with a polarised filter are not essential but are a nice-to-have feature for extra clarity on bright sunny days.
3. Photochromic Lenses (not essential)
This is an advanced type of lens filter that adjusts the amount of light that its blocks depending on how bright the outside environment is. The great thing about a photochromic lens is that you can ski with greater clarity across low light and bright light, from the sun to the shade.
It's a cool feature and a great deal breaker if you're deciding between lenses. If you're interested I wrote a review of the best photochromic ski goggles.
4. Mirrored Lenses (not essential)
These lenses have a coating on the outside that reflects light back, so you can't see a person's eyes through the goggles. For adults, it's a cool feature if you like privacy or the effect it gives your goggles.
For kids, it's normally more helpful to see their eyes through the goggles so you can at least get more of a sense of how they are while you're talking to them. That said, most lenses are hard to see someone's eyes through, but a mirrored lens makes it almost impossible.
Mirrored lenses are not essential, and only pick this style if you or your child love the look. One thing to note, ski goggles with mirrored reflection will block out more light (10-50% more) and so will make skiing in very low-light conditions more challenging.
Lens Shape
Ski goggles come in a few different fits, but the main shape of the goggles can be classified as either a spherical lens or a cylindrical lens. Cylindrical lenses have a flatter profile and are generally smaller and cost less. Spherical lenses are more rounded and curved around the face and are said to reduce lens flare and distortion.
I'd recommend spherical lenses for adults but for young skiers, the difference is negligible compared with the quality of the lens. For young kids look for a small lens fit. For older kids a small or a medium depending on their head size.
Lens Tints For Different Light
If you didn't already know, ski goggles come with a range of different lens tints that change the color of how the wearer sees the outside world. Lens tints come in all manner of different colors and the main purpose is to work better in different light conditions. For example in bright light, grey lens tints work great, while in low-light brown or rose color tints are better.
The color of the tint plays a role in how contrast and shadows appear in different light conditions, but the amount of light the lens blocks plays the most important role. Check the product description of your lenses before buying
- All-weather tints: the most popular are yellow, orange & some shades of blue.
- Low light: (snowing, fog or rain) rose and brown are common.
- Bright light: grey is a popular choice by lens manufacturers.
Unless you plan to buy two pairs of goggles, for most parents, the best option would be to buy a pair with a lens tint that works fine in all weather.
Understanding LVT
The final and perhaps the most important part of any ski goggles is its LVT ( visible light transmission) which determines how much light a lens lets through. The lower the LVT percentage, the more light the lens blocks. For example, 15% LVT would be good for a bright sunny day where you want to block more light and reduce glare. (blocking 85% light).
The higher the LVT percentage, the less light the lens blocks. For example, 75% LVT would give the skier better depth and contrast perception when skiing in low-light weather. (blocking only 25% light). Unless you planning to buy two pairs of goggles to match the weather, picking between a range of 40-70% LVT would be a wise decision for most weather skiing.
If you ski at a resort with more sunny days on average (like my local resort the Sierra Nevada), then picking a lower LVT within that range would make more sense and vice versa for skiing somewhere with mainly overcast weather.
If you want more of an understanding of ski goggles, read my full ski goggle buyers guide. (3,600 words)
Top Tips When Buying Kids Ski Goggles?
What To Look For:
- Good fit - measure your child's head + helmet.
- LVT between 40-70% if you're buying one pair for all weather.
- Appropriate lens tint color for most weather conditions.
- Anti-fog coating and good airflow (vents).
- Compatible fit with your child's helmet (so no goggle gap).
What To Avoid:
- Bad frame fit for a child's face size.
- Fake or 'knock-off' ski goggles that might not have UV protection
- Very high or low LVT unless you plan to buy two goggles (or multiple lenses).
- Poor lenses that easily fog or scratch.
How To Measure Your Child For Ski Goggles?
Before you order a pair of goggles, you'll need to check that they're the right fit. The best way to do this is to grab a tape measure and measure:
- The width of your child's face: Measure the width from the middle of each temple on either side of the face across the eyes.
- Measure the depth of the face: Measure from a point just above the eyebrow to the middle of the cheekbone.
Problems With Fit
Finding the right fit ski goggles is essential for your child's comfort. Too big and they may come loose and obscure vision. Too small and your child will have a large gap between the top of their goggle and ski helmet.
If it helps, you can draw out the measurements of a ski goggle onto a piece of paper, cut it out and then wrap it around your child's head to visualize how the goggle will sit on their face.
Here are the most common ways in which kid's ski goggles are a bad fit and potential solutions.
- Pinching the top of the nose: This can often happen if the goggles are worn too loosely. Try tightening the strap which will lift the goggles at the front and relieve pressure on the top of the nose.
- Pressure on the outside of the eye: This is common when the goggles are too narrow for the child or they have outgrown their developing face shape. Try loosening off the strap, if that does not relieve the pressure while maintaining a good overall fit, it may be time to buy a new pair.
How Should Your Child's Ski Goggle Fit?
Your child shouldn't feel a tight squeeze or lots of pressure on their face or be left with strong goggle marks after a day of wearing them.
- The perfect ski goggle fit is one where it covers their eye and brow without limiting vision or digging in.
- Goggles should be snug but comfortable and fit around a helmet without making a large goggle gap.
To avoid the goggle gap buy a compatible helmet and ski goggles or check the measurements against your child's head. A small goggle gap is fine in most weather but in colder weather, exposed skin will make you colder faster, so avoid it when possible.
How To Avoid Goggles From Fogging?
- Don't wipe the lens with your finger or glove or it can smear the snow (shake or use a cleaning cloth).
- Buy goggles with anti-fog coating and good ventilation
- Store goggles inside a soft cloth in your inner jacket pocket (body head reduces condensation) or on your helmet (but not your forehead).
- Allow goggles to air out and dry overnight.
- Buy goggles with anti-fog coating and good ventilation
- Store goggles inside a soft cloth in your inner jacket pocket (body head reduces condensation) or on your helmet (but not your forehead).
- Allow goggles to air out and dry overnight.
P.S Read my full guide to stop goggle fogging.
Final Thoughts
Buying ski or snowboard goggles for your child is an important part of their journey as new skiers. It's better to buy frames that will last many seasons and offer great clarity than cheap frames that scratch and fog easily.
About Us
Hello, I'm Simon & I love skiing. I started skiing in 2007 and I founded this website to help new skiers learn everything there is to know about skiing. NewToSki.com has grown to be a trusted resource for over a million skiers to plan their ski trips each year and learn more about every aspect of skiing. Be sure to join my email list for the best tips and handpicked deals each week.
Featured In
Subscribe & Follow
