Low Light and Sun Lens Recommendations

[MattD]

I have a pair of Smith I/O goggles. Current lenses are the Ignitor Mirror and Blue Sensor Mirror.

I would like to add a low/flat light lens for the worst Vermont cloud/fog conditions. While visibility will always be compromised in these conditions, I would love to hear if there is consensus around which replacement lenses are the very best for those days.

Would also consider adding a lens for sunny conditions, so suggestions there would be welcome as well.

Thanks!

 

[KingGrump]

Much depends on your eyes. My eyes are pretty sensitive to the light. My favorite Smith low light lens is the red sensor. Not as cold as the blue sensor. That said, I'm on the red solex about 70% of the time, including overcast days.

I also have experience with the green solex and black out lens. Those two are a bit darker then the red solex and I usually reserve them for spring skiing.

 

[hbear]

For really bad white out and fog conditions there isn't a lens I've found to be fool proof. It's a very difficult condition to see in for a reason.

That being said in those awful conditions I go with a Hi Intensity Yellow lens (still has high light pass through and I find that bit of contrast helps me).

If it's just overcast and not white out, I really love the Oakley Prizm Rose. The Prizm tech is actually the real deal and works as described. Have a number of optometrist friends that confirm the science behind it....not super new just was primarily used in sunglasses for colour enhancement reasons. (E.g. Maui Jim). It's specific application to snow lenses is however new and the wavelengths they block out and enhance.

 

[MattD]

Thanks for the replies. I am sticking with the Smith I/O replacement lenses, since I am happy with the goggles.

Having really good contrast for the foggy/overcast days is my primary concern ... looking for some improvement in "reading" snow conditions so I at least have a little more time to react to snow variations/bumps, roots, etc. before I am right on top of them. Nothing's perfect in these conditions, just looking for every advantage I can find!

 

[Scrundy]

For really bad white out and fog conditions there isn't a lens I've found to be fool proof. It's a very difficult condition to see in for a reason.

That being said in those awful conditions I go with a Hi Intensity Yellow lens (still has high light pass through and I find that bit of contrast helps me).



If it's just overcast and not white out, I really love the Oakley Prizm Rose. The Prizm tech is actually the real deal and works as described. Have a number of optometrist friends that confirm the science behind it....not super new just was primarily used in sunglasses for colour enhancement reasons. (E.g. Maui Jim). It's specific application to snow lenses is however new and the wavelengths they block out and enhance.

Have both and use both all around. But the yellow is used much more. If I had to choose one lense for everything, it would be the yellow for sure

 

[MattD]

That being said in those awful conditions I go with a Hi Intensity Yellow lens (still has high light pass through and I find that bit of contrast helps me).

Have both and use both all around. But the yellow is used much more. If I had to choose one lense for everything, it would be the yellow for sure

Yellow Sensor Mirror is the only yellow I/O replacement lens I saw listed on the Smith website ... is that the one you recommend in the Smith I/O line?

 

[Lorenzzo]

Thanks for the replies. I am sticking with the Smith I/O replacement lenses, since I am happy with the goggles.

Having really good contrast for the foggy/overcast days is my primary concern ... looking for some improvement in "reading" snow conditions so I at least have a little more time to react to snow variations/bumps, roots, etc. before I am right on top of them. Nothing's perfect in these conditions, just looking for every advantage I can find!

As far as sticking with the Smith I/O to save coin...I have two pair because the "quick release lens change system" sucks and I hate having to make a change in the parking lot. So I'm invested. But I haven't been able to find a Smith I/O flat light lens that's effective. It might be the getting older thing as it does make flat light vision worse but at this point I'm willing to start from $cratch.

Last time I did research the two lenses that kept coming up as significantly better in flat light than the rest were the Oakley Prizm Rose and a Zeal lens that purportedly has advanced the tech in this area. I tried searching to find the specific Zeal lens but all I kept coming up with were threads on Epic filled with annoying bickering. Imagine that.

When I have a chance I'll dig deeper.

 

[jwaltz]

Oakley Prizm has great lenses for all conditions, yes they are on the pricier side of goggles because of the "high contrast" lenses they offer, but they honestly are great lenses. For sun, I would recommend Prizm Saphire and for low light Prizm rose.

 

[hbear]

Prizm black is super for Sun, while still being usable in the shadows. Love the Prizm lenses.
The range of light condition each lens works in is amazing. Apparently the light transmission is quite low, however how it looks to your eyes is more indicative to a higher transmission lens.
The Saffire Prizm looks sweet (blue mirror coating) but since I already have the black and rose I'm covered. My daughter LOVES the Emerald Prizm in her Lindsey Vonn goggles.

For perspective I Used to have the Black Iridum lens (great in full sun, almost useless in the shadows/trees) and primarily used the VR50 Pink Iridium (which wasn't the best in full sun (too bright) but worked really well for everything but) because of this.

Now I can use the Black Prizm in everything from full sun to mostly overcast and see perfectly. I will use the Prizm Rose on fully overcast days and if the sun comes out no big deal (won't be blinded by the bright light). Quite a large range of light conditions for both lenses.

Yellow comes out when it's awful to see or at night for me (I prefer yellow to clear at night).

 

[AmyPJ]

The Prizm Rose is still my go-to for super flat light/white out/low light conditions. I think a lot of lens preference is age and just, well, preference. Sometimes, ya just can't see that well! I actually picked up some Oakley High Yellows last season, and I still prefer the Prizm Rose for everything, even sunlight. The Prizm don't let quite as much light in, but the contrast is better.

 

[Ron]

I would like to add a low/flat light lens for the worst Vermont cloud/fog conditions.

Matt, I used to use the Mirror sensor but after trying the Anon Blue Lagoon, I am hooked. The Blue Lagoon adds a bit more detail over the sensor. undulations in terrain, especially in the trees are just a bit clearer and more defined.

 

[MattD]

Which Oakley goggle that uses Prizm lenses is best for a bit thinner face? Same question for the Anon.

As a "frame" of reference (see what I did there??), the Smith I/O is definitely as big as I can go before the fit and look are just not workable.

 

[Ron]

Anon makes an Asian model and a M1 model that should work. that said, I have a smaller face and the M2 works fine.

 

[hbear]

Trend is to bigger goggles so smaller ones are tougher to find. I'm not certain but I believe the Oakley A Frame 2.0 would work. My 8 year old has a pair and they fit her quite well (seal well and don't look too big). Given more athletes are using something like the giant Flightdeck this isn't surprising to me.

 

[AmyPJ]

Oakley makes the Flight Deck in a smaller version. I own it. I'm wearing it in my profile pic. I believe it's called the Flight Deck XM.

 

[Ron]

bigger frames provide a much larger field of view. Go as big as you can comfortably fit into

 

[Lorenzzo]

Thanks for the replies. I am sticking with the Smith I/O replacement lenses, since I am happy with the goggles.

Having really good contrast for the foggy/overcast days is my primary concern ... looking for some improvement in "reading" snow conditions so I at least have a little more time to react to snow variations/bumps, roots, etc. before I am right on top of them. Nothing's perfect in these conditions, just looking for every advantage I can find!

Turns out you may be in luck. Smith is introducing new lenses using technology that currently exists in their sunglasses, is supposedly comparable to Oakley Prism lenses and is available for the I/O. They're calling them ChromaPop. $95 on their website. The flat light version is Storm.

The one caution is Smith claiming changes to the I/O so you'd need to confirm the replacement lens works with your version.

http://www.smithoptics.com/us/Root/Men's/Accessories/Lenses/c/1350

 

[Philpug]

I have seen the Chromopop in the Sunglasses and it is really good. For me, the Smith Sensor Blue has been the reference for low light lenses. While a yellow lens has it's merits in extreme low light situations, I liek that if we get a ray of sunshine or the clouds break, the Sensor lens does not feel like you are burning your retinas.

 

[54-46]

I have a spare red sensor for Smith IO if anyone wants to try it.

 

[Yo Momma]

For me, the Smith Sensor Blue has been the reference for low light lenses. While a yellow lens has it's merits in extreme low light situations, I liek that if we get a ray of sunshine or the clouds break, the Sensor lens does not feel like you are burning your retinas.

I'll second that on the Blue Sensor Mirror (check my avatar). I gave up on the yellow that I used for years and found the Blue Sensor a better fit for low light east coast.