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Prescription Eyewear for Winter Sports: Pros and Cons

Updated: Oct 1, 2022



Seeing clearly on the slopes is important for your performance as well as your safety. Impaired vision limited your ability to see rocks, ice, and other obstacles in your way. Winter vision technology has come a long way, but what option is right for you?


Here are your options for visual clarity on the mountain and the pros and cons for each.


Option 1: Prescription Snow Goggles

A good option if you have poor eyesight is the use of prescription goggles. You can have your ski goggles customized by opticians depending on the prescription you need.


Pros:

  • When you choose to use prescription goggles, you will no longer have to worry about any problems with your eyeglasses and any possibility of irritation.

  • You can wear them comfortably like ordinary ski goggles.

Cons:

  • This option can be very expensive.

  • Not all kinds of ski goggles can be customized because of the frame’s extreme curvature.

Option 2: Over-the-Glasses Goggles


In every general way, over-the-glasses (OTG) goggles are just like any other ski goggle, with a few key differences. Firstly, OTG goggles have specially-designed cutouts in the side foam (and sometimes the frame itself) to allow eyeglass frames to pass through comfortably.


Pros:

  • The cutouts prevent your glasses from smash against your face or pressing into your temples.

  • A cheaper, easier option than prescription goggles or inserts.

Cons:

  • Fogging of the goggle lens and the inside glasses can be an issue.

  • These goggles can decrease your field of peripheral vision and offers a smaller surface area to look through than prescription goggles or inserts.

Option 3: Prescription Inserts

Universal prescription goggle inserts are flat, plastic frames that surround custom prescription lenses. The bendable edges of the frame are flexible enough to fit most ski goggles and stay firmly in place.


Pros:

  • Prescription inserts can easily be swapped between goggles if you happen to upgrade or your goggle lenses get scratched.

  • Compared to the over-the-eyeglass option, prescription lens inserts fight fog better.

  • Compared to getting prescription goggles, prescription lens inserts are more affordable and they are durable as well.

Cons:

  • Prescription inserts noticeably harder to clean/wipe the front side of the inserts.

  • Removing them with gloved fingers can be difficult.

Contact Eden Prairie Eye Care Today!

Contact Eden Prairie Eye Care today and find a pair of winter sports eyewear that meets your needs. Call (952) 944-2792 or schedule your appointment with Dr. Oker online. We’ll answer all your questions on prescription snow goggles, prescription sunglasses, prescription eyeglasses, and everything else prescription!

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