How to choose a ski mask?

Vision gives us 9 times more information about the world around us than all other senses. We use it to assess our position in space, plot our route, calculate distance, speed, possible threats and make decisions. In order to fully enjoy every minute of rest on the ski slope, it is very important for skiers and snowboarders to qualitatively and objectively assess the changing situation every second. That is why amateur and professional skiers and snowboarders use special ski masks / goggles adapted to their needs.

How to choose the right ski mask or ski goggles? What criteria should be taken into account? We talk about this in detail in this article.

1. Function of a ski mask.
2. Ski mask design.
3. Ski mask selection criteria.
   1. Choosing a lens.
   2. Choosing the right shape.
   3. Checking helmet compatibility.
4. Ski masks with a quick lens replacement mechanism.
5. What should you pay attention to when choosing a ski mask?

1. Functions of a ski mask.

A ski mask is the basis for safe and comfortable skiing: it reliably protects your eyes from wind, snow, cold, ultraviolet rays and provides clear visibility of the slope in various weather conditions.

Wind protection. In a headwind, eyes work poorly without protection. It instantly dries out the mucous membrane. The body immediately switches on a protective reaction - tears appear. The stronger the effect of the wind - the more your eyes water, and the worse you see. Poor visibility is a direct path to injury.

Protection from snow. Optics reliably protect eyes from falling snow and "grains" flying from under the edges of skis. Both at high speed leave micro cuts on the delicate tissue of the eyes, which can put an end to your vacation.

Protection from the cold. After just 10 minutes, in the cold, with a headwind, the exposed parts of the face become overcooled. Long-term exposure can lead to local frostbite. With a mask, a skier does not have these problems.

Ultraviolet protection. On a clear sunny day, you can get a tan on a ski slope no worse than at sea. The situation is aggravated by the fact that exposed areas of the body are exposed to both direct and reflected sun rays from the snow cover. There is a high probability of getting a burn of the cornea and face. Special lenses on the mask reliably protect the eyes and skin from harsh ultraviolet radiation.

Clear visibility of the terrain. Optics with a properly selected light filter or polarized lenses increase clarity, brightness, and contrast. In any weather (especially in bad weather), you always see the track with high relief detail. Consequently, your skiing becomes safer.

2. Construction of a ski mask.

Some manufacturers insist that snowboard optics are much larger than ski optics. We consider this division to be rather arbitrary. Considering that all masks are structurally identical, we will not differentiate between them and will call them "ski" in the article. So, the mask consists of a frame, optics, ventilation system and strap.

Frame.

Can be frameless (almost flat) and framed (voluminous). Both versions are made of thermoplastic polyurethane. Thanks to this, the mask does not tan in the cold, does not burst and remains flexible. On the outer side there is a lens, and on the inner side there is a layer (layers) of polar-fleece foam of different density. The higher the class of the mask, the more layers (premium class has 3). The foam absorbs sweat and provides a snug and even fit to the face.

Optics (lens).

Modern masks are available with two lens shapes - cylindrical and spherical. Cylindrical lenses are curved horizontally across the face and completely flat vertically. They cost less, offer a good field of view horizontally and a lower one vertically. Spherical lenses are curved simultaneously from left to right and top to bottom. They are more expensive than cylindrical lenses because of their more complex shape, but have three important advantages: wide fields of view, no optical distortion of the picture, and are less prone to fogging. A type of spherical lens is toric. It is noticeably curved in the horizontal plane and only slightly - in the vertical plane. Its advantage is purely aesthetic, but it costs the same as a spherical lens. If your budget allows, buy a spherical or toric ski mask.

The design of the optics can be single-layer (single lens) or double-layer (double). The air chamber between the two layers of the lens compensates for the large temperature difference between the inner space of the mask with warm, heated face air and the outer space – cold air of the environment. The mask fogs up less. Masks with single-layer lenses are used by skiers or snowboarders racing at high speeds. A powerful air flow, passing through the ventilation system of the mask, sharply equalizes the internal temperature to the limits of the external one, which eliminates fogging. Double and single lenses are used both in the mountains and on city slopes. The only difference is in speed: if you ski fast, you can use single-layer lenses.

Ventilation system.

Good ventilation in glasses is very important, and there is no such thing as too much of it. It affects whether your optics will fog up and prevent you from seeing clearly in different weather conditions. And if in the city, on short ski slopes, there are practically no strong differences in temperature and humidity between the top and the bottom of the slope, then in the mountains they manifest themselves very sharply. Therefore, for the city it is quite enough if the mask is equipped with 1-2 ventilation systems, and for large mountains - at least with 3-4 ventilation systems. Regardless of the number of ventilation systems, manufacturers of ski masks almost always cover the optics with a special antifog coating. It additionally prevents the formation of condensation and individual droplets on the inner surface of the lenses.

Strap.

It fixes the mask on the rider's head. It can have one-sided or two-sided tension adjustment, be with or without a latch. It is almost always very wide (at least 4 cm), which ensures a tight fit of the mask to the face with or without a helmet. Attaches to the mask with outriggers for reliable balance, regardless of whether you are wearing a helmet or a cap. More expensive ski masks have straps with a silicone layer on the inside, which eliminates any slipping of the strap while riding.

3. Criteria for choosing a ski mask.

When choosing a ski mask, follow three main criteria.

1. Choosing a lens.
2. Choosing a suitable shape.
3. Checking the compatibility of the mask and helmet.

3.1. Choosing a lens.

At this stage, you should choose a filter and the degree of darkening of the lens. They directly depend on the weather conditions prevailing in the area where you are going to ride. To make the right choice, familiarize yourself with the existing lens technologies and practical advice on their selection.

Let's consider:

• colored lenses;
• polarized;
• mirror lenses;
• lenses with different darkening;
• photochromic lenses or "chameleons".

Colored lenses.

They improve the visual perception of the ski trail - they cut off part of the light spectrum, remove noise from sun glare, make the white slope more contrasting and detailed. You clearly distinguish the ski trail and the terrain: hills, rises, pillars, holes.

• Yellow - cuts off the blue part of the spectrum, increasing contrast in cloudy weather.
• Orange - provides a clear perception of the slope in cloudy weather and variable cloudiness. Masks with an orange lens are among the most popular in the budget and mid-price segments.
• Pink - emphasizes shadows in cloudy weather, conveys volume and contours of objects well.
• Gray and black - for skating in sunny weather. Slightly muffle the brightness of colors without distorting their perception.

Polarized lenses.

On a sunny day, blinding glare (horizontal light in different directions) on a slope keeps your vision in constant tension and in certain situations can become dangerous. Polarized lens technology eliminates such things. The multilayer optical structure, inside which a transparent polarizing filter is built in, allows only vertical light to pass through and simultaneously blocks rays reflected from snow, ice and other horizontal surfaces.

Ski goggles with polarized lenses prevent blinding. Eliminate annoying glare. Improve color perception. Provide clarity of vision and better contrast in bright light. Most often, these are very dark lenses (category S3). They are not cheap, but are quite justified if the slopes of the ski resort where you plan to ski are mostly sunny.

Mirror lenses.

These are lenses with mirror coatings of different colors on the outer surfaces, which muffle sun glare, increase the contrast of the “picture” and slightly reduce the light transmittance of the filter. The difference between polarized and mirrored lenses is that the latter not only remove glare, but also transmit less sunlight, i.e. darken, which makes riding in bright weather more comfortable. This parameter is designated VLT - Visible Light Transmission or literally "visible light transmission".

VLT Lenses with Different Visible Light Transmittance.

The degree of darkening of a lens or visible light transmittance VLT is measured in percent. Depending on how much the lens darkens, it is assigned its own category (or index). Today there are five of them: S0, S1, S2, S3 and S4. Each category allows you to choose a lens for specific weather conditions.

• Category 0 lenses - transmit more than 80% of light. These are not tinted lenses. Recommended for riding in low light conditions, at night, under artificial lighting and in cloudy weather.
• Category 1 lenses - transmit from 80% to 43% of visible light. Designed for bad weather (snow, fog, rain).
• Category 2 lenses - transmit from 43% to 18% of visible light. Recommended for riding in partly cloudy weather. These are fairly universal lenses.
• Category 3 lenses - transmit from 18% to 8% of light. Recommended for sunny days.
• Category 4 lenses - transmit less than 8% of light. Typically used at high altitudes where the sun is very bright, such as on glaciers.

Photochromic lenses.

Many ski resorts are characterized by sharp changes in weather during the day, and for long runs - during the descent. Start with the sun, and descend to the foot, immersed in fog. Sound familiar? For such cases, it is advisable to have a spare ski mask or a replacement lens if your mask has a quick-change mechanism. A photochromic lens can also be a good alternative.

A photochromic lens is a "chameleon" lens. It changes its degree of darkness depending on the intensity of sunlight, like the well-known lizard that changes its color to adapt to its habitat. The main advantage of this type of lens is its automatic adaptation to changing conditions. Typically, it covers a range of two to three VLT categories, such as S2-S3 or S1-S3. This makes it extremely versatile and convenient. Unfortunately, the "transition" process does not happen instantly. It can take up to a minute and a half to fully adapt to changing light. And this is not the only drawback that prevents "chameleons" from becoming leaders in ski optics. Among others, we note the following:

• A photochromic lens reacts to fog (it contains a lot of diffused light), sharply worsening visibility.
• "Chameleons" are not always supplemented with technologies to increase image contrast.

3.2. Selecting the appropriate form.

Visit the website of a branded ski equipment manufacturer and pay attention to the range of ski masks. Using filters, you can choose protection by color, weather conditions, availability of replaceable lenses, gender and other parameters. But you will not find a choice by size. It simply does not exist!

Manufacturers offer 3 categories: adult (men's, women's), children's (boys, girls) and unisex, respectively, for adults and children. And since there is no way to choose a thing by size (unfortunately, like with shoes, this is not possible) - the mask must be tried on. Because the quality of the optics and the product itself will lose all meaning if the accessory simply does not sit on the face. In the right size, the mask will not cause you discomfort. It will sit tightly along the entire length of the frame, without gaps and without interfering with free breathing through the nose. If you feel the slightest discomfort, choose another model.

3.3. Checking for compatibility with a helmet.

It's not about the aesthetic side of the issue (although that's also important), but about the practical side - the correct fit and full compatibility with the helmet. Ideally, you should buy a mask and a helmet at the same time. We recommend buying a set from one brand. In this case, you will get the best compatibility of both accessories on the front, side surfaces and strap attachment points.

It's okay if you buy the protection separately. Put on the helmet and secure it. Adjust the straps on the mask and put it on. Move around, it shouldn't slide down your nose and cheekbones. If it's comfortable, but you see that both accessories don't fit tightly to each other in the forehead area ("beginner's gap") - change the mask or helmet.

4. Ski masks with a quick lens replacement mechanism.

Almost always, masks with a quick lens replacement mechanism are equipped with a replaceable lens or lenses. This is very convenient. The replacement mechanism itself can be implemented through levers-clamps, small buttons or powerful magnets. There is no limit to perfection here, and leading manufacturers improve old ones every season, and offer new solutions.

Today, you can change the optics without even taking off your mask, and in some cases, without taking off your gloves or mittens. Note that this ski mask with a quick lens replacement mechanism is good for the mountains - with their unpredictable weather and is practically useless on city slopes, where the weather is most often stable.

5. What else should you pay attention to when choosing a ski mask?

Make sure the polar fleece foam on the mask fits snugly to your face without gaps, following its curvature around the entire perimeter of the frame. To compensate for the difference between the right and left sides of the face, some brands produce masks with more layers of foam on the bridge of the nose.

Ski masks have an adjustable strap, sometimes with a clip or buckle. If you tighten the strap all the way and the mask is still too loose on your face, it won't fit.

When wearing a knit cap, the clip or buckle should not dig into the back of your head.

Keep in mind that a wider strap is much easier to adjust for length and will generally hold the mask better on the cap and helmet.

When buying a mask for a child, pay attention to the presence of adjustment - some children's models do not have it.

Riders with glasses should look for ski goggles designed to be worn with glasses for vision correction. These are usually marked with the abbreviation OTG, which stands for “Over the glasses.”

Almost all quality masks have a ventilation system. It is important to make sure that the ventilation holes are compatible (not blocked) with the shape of your helmet. Otherwise, your glasses will fog up.

In the mountains, the conditions for riding are more severe, which can be compensated by choosing the right lenses for specific weather conditions. In the city, you can ride with universal filters.

If you are skiing far from the ski lifts and civilization, it is better to take with you not a spare lens, but a spare mask.

We wish you safe skiing, memorable holidays and successful shopping with FREEVER!