Goggle Lens Color and Snowmobiling

“What lens color should I use?” I think this is the most common question we get. It is a great question and some sites have suggestions, but the next question is “Why?”.  Another great question, so let us explain each lens type in detail and its advantages.

First, let’s understand a couple terms.

Light Transmittance Value, LTV, VT or Tvis are the same thing and are simply the amount of light that is allowed to pass through. The higher the LTV value the more light that is allowed through. Your tinted windows and snowmobile headlight would be very low, but the windows in your house would be very high.

Blue Blocking is a term used to describe a lens that prevents your eye from seeing blue hues. This greatly helps by blocking the blues in the snow that cause a hazy feeling. Blue blocking goggles provide the most contrast and help your eyes process the snow conditions.

Now let’s talk colors.

Polarized/Mirrored Lens – This is our top seller and we do like the look of it the best. These are great goggles on those sunny days. They are polarized so it cuts the glare and the mirrored finish has a slight grey hue. Your riding partner can have his darkest shades on and they will still not compete because most of the issue on sunny days is glare back. You will notice you can see more details on a sunny day with these also. These also look awesome! At night these will appear a little too dark and we suggest another lens for night riding.

Orange – Our favorite and suggested all around lens color. If we have to grab one lens to ride all day with, this is the lens we prefer.  It is the direct opposite of blue on the color wheel and is an excellent blue blocker. This is the best all around blue blocked with a high LTV.

Yellow – This is common favorite and would say is equal to orange. This is best for those real dark overcast days. This has the highest LTV of any goggle that JUDGED stocks.  This is a great blue blocker and is the best blue blocker on heavy overcast days.

Rose – Not an extremely popular choice, but worthy to have.  The LTV is the same as orange, but a red shade at night can help with pupil dilation at night. Many flashlights are shaded red to have this same effect. This is another great blue blocker and is the best blue blocker on sunny days.

Green – A popular choice in dirt, but preferred by some in snow too. Your eye can actually see the most shades of green than any other color—that is why night vision goggles are green. It is not a blue blocker, so on those sunny days it can give the washout effect.

Blue – Scientifically this does not make sense to wear, but still a popular choice. Blue is the easiest color on the eyes.

Clear as mud? Buy a mirrored polarized for those really sunny days and an orange pair for everything else. If you like things a little brighter, go with yellow instead. If you ride at night a lot, go with a rose instead.