How to buy ski goggles for someone (10/01/2013)

'Nothing but me and the elements..ahhh I got snow in my eye!'

Do you know a keen skier? Want to buy them ski goggles? Want them to open your present and not think 'is he taking the piste?' (sorry...)

Well buying ski goggles is a much more complex process than I had ever imagined!

Forgetting for one moment the important style aspect; ski goggles are so much more than plastic devices to avoid a snowball in the eye!

You need to consider the following:

1. Do the goggles fit? This means the goggles have to be the right size for the face so that they sit comfortably on the nose/against the face. Even if they are the correct size; do they feel comfortable to wear;
2. The lenses - are they sufficiently tinted for your purposes? Lenses in the 0-3 category should be sufficient for most purposes, with a category 4 lens reserved for extremely light conditions;
3. Anti-fogging - do the lenses have an anti-fogging coating? Do the goggles have double lenses (creates extra thermal protection against fogging)? What kind of ventilation is provided?;
4. Anti-glare - are the lenses mirrored or polarised for added protecting? What is the UV protection of the goggles?
5. Do you need prescription lenses? Or are you going to wear your goggles over prescription glasses?
6. Will the goggles fit with your head wear (primarily; will they sit comfortably when you have head wear on, but I guess this does also apply in the fashion-sense as well); and 
7. What accessories come with the goggles (e.g. extra lenses)?

When buying for someone, you also need to consider how serious that person is about their skiing. If they are an occasional skier, then something in the <£30 range (which will likely only last a couple of ski holidays) may be appropriate. For a dedicated skier, you are probably looking around the £40 - £100 range or more (on a sliding scale of how serious a skier they are).

Then you will need to consider brands. Although there are a number of brands available, the most popular ski goggle brands appear to be:

• Bolle;
• Oakley;
• Smith; and 
• Uvex. 

For an excellent guide on what else you may wish to consider when buying goggles; have a read of this article.

So now you have your list of items to check but the problem is that you are buying for someone else. You don't even know the size of your own face - let alone the face of your intended recipient. So what do you do?

In a word (or two!): gift vouchers.

Buying gift vouchers for a ski wear and accessory shop will save you being burdened with such banal considerations as 'how big is my sister's face?' and 'just how bright is extremely bright?'.

My recommendation would be to search out a shop near to the intended recipients home address and buy gift vouchers from that shop. That way the intended recipient ('IR') can not only choose their own eye wear but visit the shop, at their convenience, to try the goggles out before they buy them.

You're way off track with these lenses

For me, Snow + Rock were ideal because, firstly, they have a large stock of top brand ski goggles at a variety of prices. Secondly, they offer gift vouchers and, finally, they have a shop in the same town as my IR.

The only downsides being that the vouchers could be purchased online but not used online (not a problem here) and only three voucher levels are available online (you have to ring up for a custom amount - again, not a problem here).

If you cannot find a store near your IR, then you are stuck with an online retailer. The important thing here (in addition to the usual large stock of top brands and variety of prices) is a retailer with a decent returns policy (your IR may need to use it if trying items for size by post).

In this case, I was very impressed with RX Sport. They offer free Royal Mail Tracked Delivery on all UK orders and a 100% refund or exchange on all non-prescription eye wear for 28 days after delivery. The icing on the cake is a home trial service for prescription eye wear.

So with the gift voucher option you buy a great gift, get thought of as a great person (which you surely are!) and avoid an avalanche of criticism for buying the wrong goggles and having to reverse camber your way out of it! Sorry, bad attempt at a (very) bad skiing joke...

This is my blog, my attempt to document one new thing I have learnt everyday. We learn so much and it is easy to overlook just how much we do learn. Any of the products or websites mentioned in my blog are ones I have found useful. I have no link to these websites (unless otherwise stated) and do not receive any benefit from linking to them. I am not an expert in any of the products I mention so you will have to do your own research and reach your own conclusions.