You’ll be able to see contours in the snow and differentiate between types of terrain. A wayward patch of ice or a mottled section of piste is no one’s idea of a good time, especially when it’s a surprise, so being able to spot these sections early is ideal for scouting lines or sticking landings.

Prizm manipulates the light spectrum and boosts contrast to offer top notch clarity, they’re tuned for certain environments and conditions. Prizm lenses use different dyes to separate and boost, or block, colours depending on their category, showing you exactly what you need to see.

“You can detect previously unseen detail in the landscape”

Prizm lenses can be broken into three groups that cover the whole spectrum of light, you’ve got Black Iridium and Dark Grey that cater to bright light conditions; Saphire, Jade, Torch and Rose are super versatile covering the mixed weather conditions between sun and clouds; and then for low light conditions you’ve got Hi-Pink and Persimmon.

If you’re planning to only ride bluebird days then one of the bright light lenses will be ideal, just like Persimmon are great for night riding, but if you’re wanting something for varied weather conditions then one of the options straddling the middle could be a better shout.

As of right now there’s no one ‘perfect lens’ to do it all but Prizm performs better across a wider range of lighting conditions, giving you greater leeway for weather changes. It quite literally changes the way you’ll look at the mountain.

Sizing

Oakley goggles come in three different sizes options XS, XM and XL. Think of them like small, medium and large options, and while certain sizes might fit certain faces bette r, there’s nothing wrong with rocking the oversized look if that’s your thing. Some goggles come in all three sizes, some just come in one, but they all carry the same Oakley seal of approval, all the way from the super wide Fall Line XL to the compact Flight Tracker XS.

Jargon

Jargon runs rampant in the snowsports industry, the ingredients in some kit reading like a NASA engineering book, it can sometimes feel like you need a PhD in cryptology to decipher what you’re buying. We’ve broken down some of the key terms you’ll find when swotting up on Oakley’s goggle offerings.

OTG or ‘Over The Glasses’, it’s all in the name with this one. They’re suitable to be worn with prescription glasses thanks to the discreet notched frames, they’ll sit over your specs for ease of use and premium visuals.

“A lighter lens with a high VLT is used for overcast or foggy days where the goal is to let in as much light as possible”

VLT stands for Visible Light Transmission and references the amount of light that can penetrate a lens. It’s shown in percentages and the lower the VLT, the darker the lens will be. It’ll block more light from passing through to your eye protecting you from harsh reflections. Oakley’s Prizm lenses run from around 5% – 45% VLT depending on their tint.

A dark lens is used for bright sunny days, where there’s an abundance of natural light whereas a lighter lens with a high VLT is used for overcast or foggy days where the goal is to let in as much light as possible.

Dual Pane lenses create a thermal barrier and work with the anti-fog coating and the venting systems found in all Oakley goggles. The two separate lenses sit almost flush with one another, creating an insulated air pocket, allowing for some airflow to regulate temperature and prevent condensation from building up in the goggle.

Iridium: Oakley use an Iridium layer with some of their lenses, it’s a proprietary metal-oxide coating that leaves the lens with a mirrored finish. The coating allows Oakley to further tailor the visuals, varying the amount of reflection, glare and light transmitted into the eye.

Lens Systems

Anyone who’s spent time in the mountains knows that Mother Nature can be a wily and capricious mistress, you get to the parking lot on a glorious bluebird morning and by lunchtime it’s flat light with low visibility. Swapping out your lenses can be the critical difference between a good or bad day on the hill.

With Oakley lens change methods vary from goggle to goggle, Oakley use three different systems; Switchlock, Ridgelock and Key-Way System. They’re all pretty simple to use, allowing you to swap out your lenses when the weather takes a turn while being secure enough that your they won’t pop out when you take a slam.

Helmet Compatibility

Oakley’s Modular Brim System makes it easier than ever to get a seamless connection between your goggles and helmet, putting paid to the dreaded ‘gaper gap’. The Mod 3 and Mod 5 designs offer interchangeable brims to suit different goggle sizes for increased compatibility and as a bonus you can chop and change your aesthetic day to day.

Oakley helmets also feature ventilation through the brim of the helmet, this allows hot air to escape your goggles, working with the Anti-Fog coating to prevent them fogging up. As a bonus the goggle clip on the back keeps the silicone lined goggle strap in place when you’re riding, or if you rock your goggles under your helmet, it can be easily removed as well.