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Goggles not fogging, but getting cloudy - Help

Kbat117

Doing snow dances
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So I use Smith goggles exclusively (I got friends who hook me up) and have gone through a few pairs due to the same thing.

So to be clear, they are not really fogging. It's not anything I can wipe away. Everything just starts to get hazy and blurry and I lose definition. The only way it goes away is if I take my goggles off my face for several minutes, and then it never fully goes away. It shows up the worst in the cold and when snowing.

None of them start out this way. Its something that comes on slowly. It often gets worse fast after skiing in very wet snow or having a big crash where I get snow everywhere . I think it might be something related to that. There are no visible marks when looking at the goggles.

I have had two I/O 7 lenses die this way and 1 Vice lense is getting worse every time I use them. The worst part, is the Vice gogles have only been on the hill 5-8 days now.

Anyone else have this problem? Anyone know a solution or have some ideas? Thanks!
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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Both @Fuller and myself have had issues with Smith goggles allowing moist air between the panes. Sometimes switching to a new lens and putting the problem lens in a totally dry environment for a while helps for a while, but then eventually that moist air gets back in.

IMO, every single double-paned goggle out there that has a layer of air between the panes eventually does this, no matter if you treat them as if they could shatter. (I've had this problem with other brands as well.) You can't get to it and on frigid days it'll freeze, worse yet.

My solution, very expensive, was to buy Abom goggles. $279. They have a layer of heated film between two panes, not air. I'm not 100% thrilled with them except they CANNOT fog BETWEEN the panes. And you CAN use a cloth to wipe them. My only complaint is the battery.
 

Fuller

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Smith has replaced under warranty at least 5 lenses on my I/OX goggles. My eyes water a lot and it seems the adhesive they use to glue the foam gasket to the two lenses is water soluble. I started out this year with 2 new replacement lenses, they both failed within 5 days. I did manage to dry them out and gently re-stick everything together which has saved them from the garbage can. I now take them out at lunch time and dry them off as best as I can which is prolonging their life a bit.
 

geepers

Skiing the powder
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Wanaka, New Zealand
So I use Smith goggles exclusively (I got friends who hook me up) and have gone through a few pairs due to the same thing.

So to be clear, they are not really fogging. It's not anything I can wipe away. Everything just starts to get hazy and blurry and I lose definition. The only way it goes away is if I take my goggles off my face for several minutes, and then it never fully goes away. It shows up the worst in the cold and when snowing.

None of them start out this way. Its something that comes on slowly. It often gets worse fast after skiing in very wet snow or having a big crash where I get snow everywhere . I think it might be something related to that. There are no visible marks when looking at the goggles.

I have had two I/O 7 lenses die this way and 1 Vice lense is getting worse every time I use them. The worst part, is the Vice gogles have only been on the hill 5-8 days now.

Anyone else have this problem? Anyone know a solution or have some ideas? Thanks!

Had a similar problem with an older set of goggles I no longer use - technology update. It is moisture getting between the dbl layer so it cannot be wiped away. A couple of things helped:
1. Try not to crash head first so they don't get snow on them ;)
2. If they do get wet (crash or weather) do not put them out of the way still wet. Like in the goggle bag or even in your helmet/hat at lunch.
3. If they do get moisture between the layers they need to be thoroughly dried out. Holding it under a hand dryer can help however if it is a wet, humid day then they need to be restored to normal temperature in a dry environment before going outside or they'll refog.
4. When outside keep the goggles over your eyes and only remove when inside and able to put them somewhere dry.
5.Carry spare lenses if possible
 

geepers

Skiing the powder
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Wanaka, New Zealand
My solution, very expensive, was to buy Abom goggles. $279. They have a layer of heated film between two panes, not air. I'm not 100% thrilled with them except they CANNOT fog BETWEEN the panes. And you CAN use a cloth to wipe them. My only complaint is the battery.

Occasionally I have encountered days when a layer of ice builds on the outside of the lense. Eventually can't see a thing. At one resort that 'eventually' may take only a few turns - at which point attempting to scrape the ice off becomes a waste of time.

It's not fogging - it's ice.

Do those Abom goggles solve that icing problem?
 
Thread Starter
TS
Kbat117

Kbat117

Doing snow dances
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Had a similar problem with an older set of goggles I no longer use - technology update. It is moisture getting between the dbl layer so it cannot be wiped away. A couple of things helped:
1. Try not to crash head first so they don't get snow on them ;)
2. If they do get wet (crash or weather) do not put them out of the way still wet. Like in the goggle bag or even in your helmet/hat at lunch.
3. If they do get moisture between the layers they need to be thoroughly dried out. Holding it under a hand dryer can help however if it is a wet, humid day then they need to be restored to normal temperature in a dry environment before going outside or they'll refog.
4. When outside keep the goggles over your eyes and only remove when inside and able to put them somewhere dry.
5.Carry spare lenses if possible

Haha, I broke a spare lense in my backpack during a crash so I don't do that anymore. Oh, and headfirst is just how I roll... Or tumble I guess :huh::D


I'll take the lense out of the vice goggles and let it dry for a while. Maybe I can save it. Perhaps I could revive the I/O 7 lenses also???
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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What's the problem with the battery?
I have not had a single day in which the light saying there's only 15% power remaining didn't start flashing before lunch. Not one day. They claim that using the blue option will last several days. I had it last just over one. The amber option is supposed to last all day, nope. I think it could be related to temperatures here, which have been very low the last few weeks, plus we get a lot of fog. It seems to flash more frequently the closer it gets to zero. I usually start heading in as this happens. If I were still skiing bell to bell the way I did ten years ago this would be a huge issue. I usually don't turn them on until there's fogging, and occasionally I'll turn them off for chair rides.
 
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Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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I would say they reduce the problem. We were descending into freezing fog one day this week and the initial run was irritating. I hadn't turned them on until it started happening, and then after I did it was a while before they were keeping up. The "rime" issue wasn't as bad as I've seen here -- I've been known to have fairly thick layers of ice developing and have a SkiGee attached to my mittens every day. I don't know yet how well it will work on a really bad day. I'll let you know if I get more days like that. There's a burst option which gets so warm I can feel it on my face, so I would think that would handle it, but that will use the battery more.

Do those Abom goggles solve that icing problem?
 

dovski

Waxing my skis and praying for snow
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I have not had a single day in which the light saying there's only 15% power remaining didn't start flashing before lunch. Not one day. They claim that using the blue option will last several days. I had it last just over one. The amber option is supposed to last all day, nope. I think it could be related to temperatures here, which have been very low the last few weeks, plus we get a lot of fog. It seems to flash more frequently the closer it gets to zero. I usually start heading in as this happens. If I were still skiing bell to bell the way I did ten years ago this would be a huge issue. I usually don't turn them on until there's fogging, and occasionally I'll turn them off for chair rides.
I had a similar battery life problem with my first pair of ABOM goggles, so I called ABOM and they sent me a new pair for free … problem gone :)
That said I do charge my goggles after every use and I rarely use the amber setting as I find flashing the blue periodically works fine for me. I do however like to have the option of using the amber power mode if needed.
 

dovski

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I would say they reduce the problem. We were descending into freezing fog one day this week and the initial run was irritating. I hadn't turned them on until it started happening, and then after I did it was a while before they were keeping up. The "rime" issue wasn't as bad as I've seen here -- I've been known to have fairly thick layers of ice developing and have a SkiGee attached to my mittens every day. I don't know yet how well it will work on a really bad day. I'll let you know if I get more days like that. There's a burst option which gets so warm I can feel it on my face, so I would think that would handle it, but that will use the battery more.
My Aboms have done a nice job both preventing ice from forming in the first place, but also melting it away in turbo mode in a matter of seconds. The trick is to cycle the blue mode when you see moisture forming. FYI I have gone through so many different goggles, used all sorts of antifog devices and treatments, but nothing worked even close to as well or consistently as my ABOM goggles … truly an amazing goggle
 

EricG

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I had an issue earlier this season with film on the lens. I was losing definition and it looked hazy. Below is what the Smith rep suggested, and it worked. In further emails with the Smith rep, she suggested I do this every so often with my IO/x lenses.

Quote:
“It sounds to me like you are probably experiencing something that we call, "Orange Peel". It is a film that builds up from sweat and condensation from using the lens and it is very easy to take care of in home.

You will want to take the lens out of the goggle frame and cover the Porex Filter (black hole with white dot on the outside of the lens on the upper corner) with your index finger. You will then rinse the inside of the lens with lukewarm water for about 60 seconds and then allow it to dry face down. 9 times out of 10 this solves the issue!

If that doesn't work, please send me photos of the issue so I can see it.

Thank you!”
 

cantunamunch

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Haha, I broke a spare lense in my backpack during a crash so I don't do that anymore. Oh, and headfirst is just how I roll... Or tumble I guess :huh::D


I'll take the lense out of the vice goggles and let it dry for a while. Maybe I can save it. Perhaps I could revive the I/O 7 lenses also???

If you have a place to put them that is really sunny as they dry, point the *inside* of the lens towards the sun.
 

Sibhusky

Whitefish, MT
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I had a similar battery life problem with my first pair of ABOM goggles, so I called ABOM and they sent me a new pair for free … problem gone :)
That said I do charge my goggles after every use and I rarely use the amber setting as I find flashing the blue periodically works fine for me. I do however like to have the option of using the amber power mode if needed.
Sent them an email. But, not in a rush to give up this pair waiting for a new pair, either.
 

dovski

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Sent them an email. But, not in a rush to give up this pair waiting for a new pair, either.
Try calling them. They are a small company but their customer service is great. They just shipped me a new pair of goggles, did not ask me to send back the faulty ones. Actually got the replacement pair in under a week. To clarify they sent me the chassis and had me switch the lens and strap … which took all of two seconds
 

raytseng

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The antifog inside you need to think of like a gel.
When you are at the end of the day, you need to put up in low humidity area so the gel fully dewaters out, so it can be ready to adsorb more water the next day.
As the gel goes through more cycles, it becomes less optically smooth, especially the more fully wetted out it gets.

Best though, is if you didn't have time, to carry spare set of goggles and switch once the first pair gets saturated. Even if it temporarily clears up, the gel is already saturated so will fog up again quickly.
 
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neonorchid

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-
As the gel goes through more cycles, it becomes less optically smooth, especially the more fully wetted out it gets.

Best though, is if you didn't have time, to carry spare set of goggles and switch once the first pair gets saturated. Even if it temporarily clears up, the gel is already saturated so will fog up again quickly.
Curious, would an extra Smith I/O lens to swap out work as well as a spare set of goggles, minus the extra fiddle factor? Or would the spare's gel saturate due to body heat and moisture trapped under a shell in the mid-layer jacket chest pocket?

Also what would be the best solution, a spare set of goggles (spare lens) or Abom Heet goggles people here are reporting good results with? I ruled out Smith I/O turbo fan goggles, not reading the best user reviews on them. In my mind Abom's heat film seems like a better approach.
 

raytseng

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I have io. but still carry 2 full pairs.
Youll probably mess up the lens more trying to swap it, because it is a bit finicky, especially when the inside is wet it is most vulnerable to your fingers.

From their description though, if you have a chromopop lens that should have an improved antifog over prev versions, but its still not gamechanging

Additional consideration, if you already have 1 frame that fits you well but a tired lens, you are half invested, you can at least reuse the frame since most retail purchases come with the bonus lens.
 

neonorchid

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I have io. but still carry 2 full pairs.
Youll probably mess up the lens more trying to swap it, because it is a bit finicky, especially when the inside is wet it is most vulnerable to your fingers.

From their description though, if you have a chromopop lens that should have an improved antifog over prev versions, but its still not gamechanging

Additional consideration, if you already have 1 frame that fits you well but a tired lens, you are half invested, you can at least reuse the frame since most retail purchases come with the bonus lens.
My I/O goggles are over 10years old, from the first or second model year. The foam is still holding up and they are usable. In addition to the stock lens I have two brand new lens purchased before Chromopop hit the market. I haven't used them because I purchased the Anon Mig goggle specifically for the fitted magnetically attached face mask and the old orginal I/O lens is still good. I found I am not wild about the Anon Mig goggle/lense interface which has a tendency to come out of alignment when attaching the facemask when on the hill!

Regardless, what's better to deal with foggy lens days, two pairs of I/O goggles (with or without chromopop), or one Abom Heet goggle?
 

raytseng

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i always am a fan of having full independent backups, however you do need to remember to care for both things on the mtn or when you get home.
 

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