Low-light snowboarding can be difficult if you don’t have the proper gear to help you see clearly. Goggles that are capable of increasing contrast and color without much light can pay off in these situations.
I’ve been snowboarding for years and have seen just about any type of light condition you can imagine. I have experience with a handful of options that work well in low-light.
The Anon M4 Toric is my pick for the best low-light snowboard goggles. These give you an expansive field of view and a quick change lens system to adapt quickly to changing conditions.
This post will show you a few other top choices that will help you see better in lower lighting. They can all be effective for this purpose and come highly recommended.
Time to see clearly.
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Who Should Get This
You never know what the conditions will be like when you go snowboarding. The weather can change quickly, and a bright sunny day can turn into a nasty snowstorm in a matter of minutes. Things can change even faster at higher elevations.
A low-light goggle helps prepare you for shifting light conditions and ensures you never get caught off guard no matter where you like to ride. These goggles will allow you to keep riding even when the lighting isn’t favorable.
Top Low Light Snowboard Goggles
Here are my picks for the best low-light snowboard goggles.
1. Best Overall: Anon M4 Toric
- Best for: Overall
- Key features: Low profile frame, Magna-tech quick lens change system, wall to wall vision, no-slip silicone strap
- Frame Size: Large
- Lens: Interchangeable
- Cost: $$$
The Anon M4 Toric is an excellent goggle for low-light conditions. These have a Magna-tech quick lens change system that will allow you to change your lenses to adapt to variable conditions on the fly.
The Toric is also a high-end option that will give you excellent performance across the board. They are incredibly lightweight for lasting comfort and have a wall-to-wall frame that extends your field of view as far as possible.
The lenses are built using an Integral Clarity Technology that uses a cellulose inner layer to help repel water. The outer lens is treated to enhance vision in variable situations and keep moisture from building up.
The Magna-tech system uses 14 strong magnets to hold the lenses in place while you ride, but you can pop in a new tint to match your lighting condition with the flip of a lever.
They are expensive, but I think it’s very much worth it for all the features and capabilities they have to offer.
==> You can also get it on Evo or Tactics or Sun & Ski Sports.
2. Best For Small Faces: Oakley Fall Line XM
- Best for: Small Faces
- Key features: HDO lens tech, dual vents, triple-layer polar fleece foam, rigid exoskeleton
- Frame Size: Medium
- Lens: Interchangeable
- Cost: $$$
If you have a small face and want to see through low light, the Oakley Fall Line XM goggles are recommended.
These have HDO lens technology built-in that works to increase your viewing angles and amplify ambient light. You can expect a bright and clear field of view and expansive peripheral vision with these on your face.
They also come with an interchangeable lens system that lets you quickly pop in a new tint if you want to change things up. The lenses are coated with anti-fog material to help reduce moisture and humidity.
Dual vents help increase airflow and keep things clear when the lighting is bad, and a triple-layer fleece foam helps with comfort and extra moisture-wicking.
These are a relatively tight-fitting goggle, so aren’t recommended for anyone with a large head.
==> You can also get it on Evo or Backcountry or FramesDirect.
3. Best for Cloudy Days: Dragon X2
- Best for: Cloudy Days
- Key features: Swiftlock lens change system, frameless design, helmet-compatible, armored vents
- Frame Size: Large
- Lens: Interchangeable
- Cost: $$
The Dragon X2 is a good option to use if you ride on cloudy days often. These will give you good low-light performance and a comfortable fit that you can rely on all season long.
The replaceable lens system that comes with the X2 is a vital part of their low-light performance. You can choose which lens tint best matches the conditions you are riding in, and if things change, you can adapt as well.
Utilizing an optically correct spherical lens system, the X2 gives you outstanding clarity and increases light when things are dim. This also helps to limit distortion.
They also have an excellent anti-fog coating that is one of the most effective in the industry. Armored venting keeps air flowing even when the snow is falling and helps reduce fogging as well.
These goggles don’t have the widest field of view, but they still offer excellent all-around performance.
==> You can also get it on Evo or GritrOutdoors or Mountain Warehouse.
4. Best Photochromic: Julbo Cyrius
- Best for: Photochromic
- Key features: Frameless construction, dual soft foam, photochromic lenses, full silicone strap
- Frame Size: Medium
- Lens: Photochromic
- Cost: $$$
If you don’t want to deal with changing out your lenses when the light gets lower, the Julbo Cyrius offers a self-adjusting tint thanks to photochromic lenses.
This feature makes them a little bit more expensive, but the convenience and clarity on the go are well worth it. The tint will lighten up to let in more surrounding light and increase when the sun comes back out.
They also have a frameless construction that offers a vast field of view for enhanced clarity and peripheral vision. You get wall-to-wall viewing angles with these on, and it’s pretty impressive.
Comfort considerations include a dual soft foam to provide a cushion against your face and a silicone strap that allows for precise adjustments.
They do have a weird look, but style considerations aside are a great pair of low-light goggles.
==> You can also get it on Evo or A Sight For Sport Eyes or Backcountry.
Best Low Light Snowboard Goggles: What to Consider
Before you purchase a pair of low-light goggles, read through the following section and keep these critical factors in mind.
VLT
VLT, which stands for Variable Light Transmission, measures how much light a goggle lens will let through. For low-light situations, you want goggles with a higher VLT.
I would suggest at least 50 percent VLT, but you can go much higher than that in low-light conditions. For night skiing, you could go as high as 100 percent VLT, which is a clear lens.
Depending on the conditions you most often find yourself in, you can get several lenses that all come with a different VLT. That helps you match different lightings.
Anti-Fog
A good thing to look out for in any pair of goggles is an anti-fog design. Low-light situations can be challenging for any snowboarder, but they get almost impossible to see in when your goggles start to fog up.
All of the options in this list have extra venting or anti-fog coatings that make them more resistant to fogging up.
There is no such thing as a completely fog-proof lens (believe me, I’ve looked for it!). As such, if you tend to run hot or build up a lot of extra body heat when you ride, you might struggle with fog from time to time.
Just be sure to look for goggles that are either fog-resistant or built with anti-fog technology.
Interchangeable Lenses
Another good way to prepare for low-light conditions when you’re out snowboarding is to get goggles that allow you to interchange their lenses. That way, you can change from bright-light to low-light lenses easily.
You can even do it when you are on the chairlift or in the lodge. Not all goggle designs allow you to do this, so it’s good to look out for this feature when you make your purchase.
Useful Tips & Resources
When lighting conditions become difficult while you’re out snowboarding, you always need to pay extra attention to your surroundings.
Even if you have low-light goggles, poor visibility means that it’s much harder to see changes in the terrain around you. It will also affect your depth perception.
Such issues can make catching an edge or wiping out hard more common. It’s a good idea to slow things down if visibility gets bad.
If you want to learn more about lens tint and how this can help or hinder your snowboarding, check out this video.
My Verdict
If you want to be sure you can see when the lighting is bad, the Anon M4 Toric is my choice for the best low-light snowboard goggles. These have a very wide field of view, and you can easily switch to lower-light lenses on the fly.
The options listed here will help you navigate better in low-light conditions, and they all make the list due to their performance in that regard. Poor visibility doesn’t mean you can’t snowboard; it just means you need to adapt to the changing environment.
About Lorraine