When the weather grows cold and the days grow short, sometimes it’s easy to become a bit lax about eye protection. The truth is that eye protection is just as important in the winter as it is in the summer. Eye safety is especially important if you participate in winter sports like skiing or snowboarding, or simply like to spend time outdoors during the snowy season. Whether you’ve recently had LASIK eye surgery or simply want to make eye safety a priority during the winter, understanding your eye protection options to prevent injury is the perfect place to start.
Winter Sports Eye Safety
…the Slopes, the Snow, and Outdoor Adventures
Snow goggles are the most popular choice for winter sports eye protection, especially if you’ll be spending time on the slopes. You can find snow goggles made by most of the top sunglasses brands, along with a few companies that focus exclusively on winter eye safety goggles. In addition to protecting your eyes, goggles do a nice job of shielding your face from the cold.
- Just as with sunglasses, the first step in identifying a good pair of snow goggles is to look for 100 percent UV protection. This is a must, as UV protection helps shield your eyes from the sun’s most damaging rays.
- Polarized lenses are also important, and will make life much easier if you spend time on the snow. Snow-covered terrain can be full of glare, and polarized lenses help protect your eyes from glare, making it easier to see.
- Snow goggle lenses come in a wide range of colors, and if possible it’s a good idea to try different colored lenses outdoors to see which work best for your vision. Remember that light-colored lenses can still offer the necessary eye protection, as long as they are polarized and 100 percent UV resistant.
- A high-quality pair of goggles also helps protect your eyes from airborne debris, which can be a real issue given the high speeds involved in many winter sports. For an added layer of protection, look for break-resistant lenses, which are designed not to shatter in the event of a fall or heavy impact.
- Need prescription lenses for your snow goggles? Prescription lenses are available, and some manufacturer’s also produce goggles designed to fit over a pair of glasses.
- For both your comfort and quality of vision, look for eye protection goggles with very good ventilation. Foggy goggles are no fun, and good ventilation helps keep your field of vision clear.
- If you live in a place with extreme cold, goggles will also help protect your eyes from the dangers posed by very cold weather. With or without high winds, cold weather can be dangerous for the eyes.
- For more leisurely winter outdoor activities, a good pair of sunglasses can also get the job done quite well. You’ll mostly be looking for the same key qualities: 100 percent UV protection, polarized lenses, and the durability to stand up to wintry conditions.
Finding the right eye protection is a critical step for eye safety while you enjoy your favorite winter sports, and it’s easy to do. Most ski shops and sporting goods stores will carry a nice selection of snow goggles, and you can shop for sunglasses in the same places you would during the summer. In addition to protecting your eyes, the right winter sports eye protection will help you make the most of all your favorite winter activities.
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