Essentials for skiing – goggles

If you’re heading to the slopes on a family ski trip this Winter, it’s important that your kids have good eye protection.  But what do you need to check for to make sure you’re buying the best ski goggles for kids?  For the last month we’ve been testing out the Electric EG1K kids ski goggles, exceptional value at £32 from The Board Basement.

Why are ski or snowboard goggles so important?

Did you know that the sun can reflects up to 80% of the UV rays that reflect off snow? UV rays are also stronger at altitude so being on the slopes without eye protection is unthinkable. Ski or snowboard goggles are definitely one of the essentials for skiing.  Up the mountain and we choose goggles every time for the girls regardless of the weather conditions. They give full protection over sunglasses which let damaging UV rays in through the sides and are prone to coming off constantly. Not ideal with kids and not something I want to keep stopping for on the slopes. Ski and snowboard goggles also protect against tree branches and are toasty warm on bad weather days covering a large area of the face.

The best ski goggles for kids fit snugly to the face within the helmet opening

Review: Electric EG1K ski goggles for kids

The Electric EG1K goggles have been specifically designed to fit snugly to kids’ smaller faces giving them the perfect fit for little faces and give a full 100% protection against unsafe UV rays.

With a contoured double layer face foam for increased comfort the The Electric EG1K feel super soft on the face. My girls report these goggles are super comfy on their face which is a huge factor for us. If you’re going to be up the mountain most of the day, comfort is paramount. 

The best ski goggles for kids have an anti-fog and anti-scratch hard coating which these Electric EG1K’s have. Kids are less likely than adults to look after a pair of ski goggles. Mine pull off their helmets and dump them without any thought to whether their goggles are face down on the bottom of the car/floor of the restaurant etc grrrhh. Anything that reduces scratching is a massive bonus. Once ski goggles have a myriad of scratches over the lens, they’re useless.

Anti-fog is essential. No-one wants to continually stop to wipe off condensation on the inside of lenses. It’s annoying and can ruin your entire day. The air flow seems to be good in the Electric EG1Ks and we’ve never had a complaint of steaming up as yet.

Ski goggle cover over half the face keeping your kids cosy and warm in wind and bad weather conditions

The Electric EG1K goggles come with a dual cylindrical Polycarbonate lens which means they’re double glazed giving good protection against fog form. All good quality ski and snowboard goggles generally have this feature but do check before buying. Air traps between the two lenses providing insulation and preventing fog forming.

With regards to the protection of UV rays, these goggles are rated category 3 in the CE protection category (which indicates the level of UV filtration). We would never recommend using less than a category 3 which is for protection in high solar radiation.

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Essentials for skiing with kids

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What type of lens is best for my kid’s ski goggles?

The range of lenses for ski and snowboard goggles can be mind boggling for those just starting out on the mountain. Basically each differently coloured enables you to see clearer in different weather conditions.

An orange or  yellow lens are perfect for overcast, low light days whilst a copper, brown or grey lens for blue bird, sunny days.  When it’s partly cloudy, amber, rose or red lenses are the best but lets face it, it’s not practical or affordable to buy two spare lenses per child! If you need to plump for just one lens, make it a bronze which is a good all rounder.

Our Electric EG1K’s came with a fitted bronze silver chrome lens but no extra lens. You can buy spare lenses for the Electric EG1Ks but as with any spare lens, they’re not cheap and cost around £17.  The Spare lenses fit easily in a pocket and can be changed over should the weather change rapidly. These lenses are easy to clip out but are quite fiddly to fit the new one.

The best ski goggles for kids have a silicone lining on the strap which grips to beanies

Like most ski and snowboard goggles the Electric EG1K’s are helmet compatible which ensures a good fit over helmets and fit snugly within the helmet opening. We love that the strap has a silicone lining which grips to beanies when we’re doing other sports which don’t require head protection, like cross country skiing.

Verdict: We definitely rate the Electric EG1K kids ski goggles based on it’s high performance and price at The Board Basement

Checklist for buying the best ski goggles for kids

• choose good quality goggles over false economy cheap pairs
• choose category 3 or over to make sure the UV filter is adequate for high altitude environments
• helmet compatibility is vital for kids
• anti-fog and anti-scratch are highly recommended for clear visibility
• silicone lining on strap helps keep goggles secure
• youth frame – specifically designed for kids ensures a snug fit to the face
• interchangeable lens option on goggles are key if you’re more than a fair weather skier

If you ‘d like further reading on what to pack for a family ski holiday, read my Essential Ski Kit for Kids here

Disclosure: The Board Basement provided us with sample products to review the Electric EG1K goggles. Our opinion, however is as always 100% ours and we never review products that we could not recommend to our readers.

How to choose the best ski goggles for kids plus Electric EG1K kids ski goggles review