Tested and Reviewed: The Top Ski Goggles of 2025

Ski goggles have changed greatly since neon onesies and straight skis were common. High-tech goggles of today provide more than just eye protection. They increase visibility on snow as well.

Skiers have to wear goggles that enable them to see clearly despite highly reflecting surfaces (snow). Among the best ski goggles we tested last season, we chose eight that performed well in all conditions.

Everyone looking for an affordable pair of high-performance ski goggles should find something that fits their needs, from oversized fits to small, low-profile looks.

MAG, VIVID, RIG, CBL, Clarity, and AMP are just a few of the proprietary contrast-boosting lens technologies used by goggles manufacturers.

Although they all have their differences, the on-snow performance is pretty similar since they greatly boost contrast and clarity to enhance visibility in low light, high glare conditions, and low light in midwinter.

Goggles shouldn’t be purchased based solely on their lens technology, but rather on the quality of the pair that fits your face and the helmet you’re wearing.

The elements shouldn’t be able to get inside your cheeks and nose with a clean, comfortable seal around them. Goggles are usually designed to fit into their helmets, but they also work with other brands. Here’s what our testers thought worked best.

Goggles with common shapes and lenses:

Ski goggles typically feature three types of lens shapes, each with some pros and cons. Let’s take a look at which is best for you.

Cylindrical: These lenses wrap around your face cylindrically. Some lower-end goggles have an optical distortion and are glare-prone.

Spherical: Spherical lenses bulge out in the middle, resembling bubbles. Glare is reduced by the absence of flat spots on the lens surface. Large faces or skiers who require a wide field of vision will benefit from these.

Toric: Skeletonsized cylindrical lenses, Toric has an aggressive vertical curve and good optics as spherical lenses but offers a better fit for wide faces.

OTG: Over-the-glasses goggles fit over prescription glasses, so you can ski without contact lenses.

Goggles are expensive, so we recommend keeping them clean and protected when not in use. Lens coatings like anti-fog and others will be protected from scratches.

While this isn’t a problem anymore, if your ski goggles fog up on a particularly wet day, don’t wipe the inside! Allow them to dry off in the lodge. While not in use, keep them protected in their case or at least covered with a lens cover.

What Powder’s Best Of Is About

We’ve put together Best Of lists for skis, boots, outerwear, and other gear we tested. Powder’s review process is very transparent, so if you want to learn more, find out. New gear is always being tested and added to these lists.

Here’s your chance to suggest a favorite piece of equipment for us to write about. Let us know if your gear deserves a writeup if you represent a brand or company.

Goggles for Smith Squad XL

Smith’s classic cylindrical lenses are now available in XL size for large faces, and with MAG magnetic lens interchangeability. Frames haven’t changed much for years, but lens technology continues to advance.

Smith’s ChromaPop technology boosts color and contrast in various lens tints for 2025. Our testers tried hard, but couldn’t get fog from these, despite their large straps and venting. These integrate perfectly with Smith helmets (and POC and Giro helmets).

Smith 4D MAG Goggles

Smith’s 4D MAG features Birds Eye Vision lenses, which are great if you’re not a fan of cylindrical goggles. The toric lens tapers into a cylindrical lens at the bottom, significantly improving peripheral vision.

The frames feature Smith’s MAG interchangeable lenses, multiple ChromaPop lens tint options, as well as a low-bridge fit for skiers with wide or high cheekbones.

Goggles for the Giro Comp

Giro’s Comp snow goggle pulls out all the stops as their flagship. Frameless toric lenses offer an extremely wide field of vision in all directions, and Giro’s Snapshot technology allows lenses to be changed lightning-fast.

However, the magic lies in Giro’s VIVID lenses, which block out the part of the spectrum that creates flat light conditions, while letting in more low-frequency blue light.

Therefore, when the sun isn’t shining, irregularities in the snow are more obvious, making the mountain more visible. Large to medium faces fit the Comp.

Goggles with Shred Gratify

Ted Ligety, a gold medalist at the 1984 Olympic Games and co-founder of Shred Optics, knows all too well what flat light is like while skiing when it’s not sunny out.

Gratify goggles and Shred CBL2.0 lenses are designed to combat flat light, providing the widest field of view with a single lens that works for all conditions. Fits any helmet size nicely and looks stylish. OTG goggles are compatible with most prescription glasses.