Best Photochromic Ski Goggles 2024
Trying to decide which ski goggles to bring up the mountain can be a pain. You never know what the weather might do, so you may be better off packing multiple pairs to account for all possible light conditions. But who needs to take up that precious extra space in their bag with something they might not even use?
You can always buy a pair of goggles with interchangeable lenses, but these tend to cost more money, and you might still wind up carrying around extra accessories that may not be necessary.
Choosing the right goggles for the right light conditions is a tricky dilemma that can cost you precious time on the slopes, so what exactly are you supposed to do?
Photochromic ski goggles are one solution to this common problem. With photochromic goggles, your lenses will adapt to whatever light conditions are present, taking the burden off of you to figure out which goggles to bring and carving out extra space in your bag for whatever else you might need.
If that sounds like an enticing solution, then you’re going to want to check out our list of the best photochromic ski goggles of 2024. We took a close look at an array of different goggles that offer photochromic lenses and narrowed it down to the four finest selections.
What Are Photochromic Ski Goggles?
Photochromic ski goggles are goggles that use adaptive lenses that have the ability to adjust their tint based on the surrounding lighting.
For instance, if it’s an extremely bright and sunny day, phototropic lenses will automatically become darker and change colors, allowing less light through, so you don’t have to strain your eyes.
When the light conditions are low, photochromic lenses will lighten, allowing the maximum amount of light through, so you can have as clear of a view as possible.
Our Choices for the Best Photochromic Ski Goggles in 2024
There are a bunch of great companies that use photochromic lenses in their products, and we really like a lot of them...but we couldn’t give you 45 top choices, or you might as well just go photochromic goggle shopping on your own!
We did the difficult work of paring our list down to the four the best choices we could find. We hope this will give a clear view of the trail ahead on your next ski trip, no matter what kind of weather Mother Nature throws at you.
The Glade Adapt 2 needs no introduction. Widely considered the best goggle on the market today, this goggle has won just about every award in the industry including Ski Magazine's Best Overall Goggle, Freeskier's Editor's Choice award, Outside Magazine's Best Goggle, and Blister Gear Review's 'Best Of' award for the last 2 years in a row, to name a few. At only $150 this goggle is truly a steal. One thing to note: Glade seems to sell out of this goggle every season so your choices may be limited depending on when you are looking to purchase.
Features
The Glade Adapt 2 comes standard with anti-fog treatments, an anti-scratch lens with 100% UV protection and a wide range of vision. Still, instead of providing multiple different lens options with varying VLT percentages, the photochromic lens can give you anywhere from 16-61% VLT as it adapts to whatever light conditions are present.
Style
With that signature clean and simple Glade look, to Adapt 2 is another pair of beautifully designed ski goggles. The range of options has expanded to six photochromic lens colors and seven strap colors available, so you can effectively customize your look, while always getting the single lens solution.
Affordability
Again, it’s doubtful you’re going to find too many photochromic ski goggles at this price point with such a great look and these features. Anything within the near vicinity of $150 is a good deal, and with lenses that adapt to various light conditions, you’re saving even more money by ridding yourself of the need to buy extra pairs of goggles.
Does that price range seem a bit strange? Well, that’s because the Dragon Lumalens isn’t a single pair of ski goggles -- it’s an a patented photochromic lens that the company uses in a number of their products.
Sure, we’re bending the rules here a little bit, but trust us: This lens needed to make this list!
It uses color-optimized lens technology to give you an ultra-HD view, no matter what light conditions you’re working with. Not only that, but it enhances color, improves your depth perception, and reduces eye fatigue. We told you it was an awesome lens!
Other Features
The Dragon Lumalens is hydrophobic (water-resistant), oleophobic (resistant to oil, dirt, and dust), scratch-resistant, and ionized for enhanced glare reduction. It is available on a variety of Dragon ski goggles, so the frame and strap features will depend on the selection you make.
Style
Again, the style will vary depending on the type of goggles you choose, but Dragon always makes a stylish product. We personally love thePXV2, which comes in 15 different color options. In any case, you’re bound to find something you like.
Affordability
If you’re interested in a pair of photochromic Dragon ski goggles that use Lumalens technology, then your budget shouldn’t really be an issue. There are Lumalens goggles available at pretty much every price point.
The Phantom+ lens is another photochromic wonder that we had to mention. This incredible light adaptive lens utilizes four different technologies to give you a sharp, clear view of the slopes, no matter what the weather and no matter what the light conditions might be.
Of all the Bolle products that use the Phantom+ lens, we prefer the Tsar. Read on to find out exactly why.
Other Features
The Bolle Tsar offers an anti-fog, anti-scratch, UV-protected double lens with a beautifully broad field of view. There’s also plenty of ventilation to keep you cool and your view fog-free. They’re even equipped with an outrigger to ensure a firm and comfortable fit.
Style
The Bolle Tsar has a beautiful overall design, but it only offers six different color choices. We personally like all six of them, though, and knowing that they’re all sporting that incredible Phantom+ photochromic lens makes them even prettier.
Affordability
Prices range on the Bolle Tsar from rather affordable to the lower side of the higher-end, meaning it’s a great pick for budgets of all kinds. It’s hard to argue with that range of features within this price point.
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Julbo has plenty of high-quality ski goggles to offer, and the Cyrius model is probably their finest as far as their photochromic offerings go. It uses a REACTIV photochromic lens, which offers between 17% and 75% VLT and employs non-temperature-sensitive technology to ensure that the lens retains its photochromic properties regardless of temperature.
Other Features
The Julbo Cyrius goggles are anti-fog coated, ventilated to prevent condensation, and padded with dual-density foam for added comfort and shock absorption. They’re also designed with frameless construction to give you the broadest field of view possible.
Style
We love the look of the Julbo Cyrius goggles. With multiple strap options and seven different color choices, they have enough variety to satisfy a number of different tastes, which isn’t always the case when it comes to photochromic lenses.
Affordability
This is the decidedly high-end selection of our favorite photochromic ski goggles, so the price point might be a little beyond your budget. That’s totally cool; there are some great options for half the price elsewhere on this list.
However, if you’re not worried about the price tag and you’re looking for the best of the best in photochromic lenses, the Julbo Cyrius is most likely the option for you.
