Backcountry Guides' Favorite Goggles '24-25 Season | Pro Choices and Reviews

Visibility is everything to backcountry guides who escort their guests while ensuring their safety, comfort, and enjoyment. They must ensure clear visibility in blizzards, sunny skies, flat, cloudy skies, uneven slopes with poor visibility, and in dense trees. How far they can see is directly linked to the quality of their guiding. What kind of goggles do professionals use to instantly grasp the situation and move safely on snowy mountains?

*All prices shown include consumption tax

DRAGON｜PVX

DRAGON's best-selling model, the PVX. The frame is designed to wrap around the sides of the face, ensuring a field of view that exceeds the human visual field. The PANOTECH LENS is a hybrid of spherical and flat lenses, providing an astonishingly wide field of view. The highly transparent and clear JAPAN LUMALENS delivers an even more refreshing panoramic view

◆Official website: https://www.dragonalliance.jp/

Good visibility in both bright and dark conditions, less likely to fog up, and no flat light | WARP Arima Arata

I use DRAGON's "PXV" and "NFX2." The lens color is "LUMALENS MIDNIGHT," which is said to be suitable for sunny days with a VLT (visible light transmittance) of 6%, and both models use the same lens.
When changing, I only change the goggles, not the lenses. LUMALENS MIDNIGHT does not have flat light, so I really appreciate that it provides good visibility in both bright and dark conditions, is less likely to fog up, and does not have flat light.

GIRO | CONTOUR

The sleek, unconventional toric lens and cutting-edge EXV+ technology deliver a wide field of view comparable to that seen with the naked eye. The quick-change lens system allows you to change lenses in an instant

◆Official website: http://giro-japan.com/

"The contrast is clear and the visibility is high" | IDEHA Takahiro Ishizawa

I use the CONTOUR+ spare lens. It has high visibility and sharp contrast, making it easy to see the undulations of the snow surface. The high contrast of the VIVID lens makes it ideal for capturing the undulations of the snow surface in the backcountry. The wide-vision lens, which does not have an outer frame, also provides excellent visibility, reducing the risk of slipping. Lens changes are easy, and one replacement lens is included, so it's great that I don't need to carry a spare pair of goggles and just need the lens.

I use the pink spare lens for sunny/cloudy conditions. I don't use the spare lens very often, but I do use it when snow gets inside and it becomes difficult to see. It's very convenient because you can change the lens while wearing the goggles. The magnets hold the goggles in place, so there's no hesitation.

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GIRO | CONTOUR RS

◆Official website: http://giro-japan.com/

The CONTOUR has been resized to a more compact size, with a design that takes women's sensibilities into consideration and accommodates smaller faces. The VIVID toric lens with a new lens curvature and EXV+ technology ensure a field of view as wide as the naked eye.
The quick-change lens system makes lens replacement easy, and EVAK Vent Technology minimizes fogging. The plush max fleece face foam is gentle on the skin, a consideration of women's needs.

"The lenses are easy to see and I trust them." | Mariko Sato, Spur Akita Mountain Guide Service

I trust them because they fit my facial features well and the lenses are easy to see through.

I use "VIVID infrared" as a spare lens. I
switch between them and "VIVID Pink" depending on the weather and the amount of light, as the visibility of the slope changes depending on the weather. The magnets make it fairly easy to change them out quickly, even in bad weather, and I like how they don't put any extra strain on the frame sponge or lenses.

OAKLEY｜Line Miner™

The Line Miner is one of OAKLEY's classic models. Its cylindrical design provides unprecedented downward and side peripheral vision. It also fits larger faces and is a perfect fit for most helmets

◆Official website／ https://www.oakley.com/ja-jp

"I like flat lenses and they provide a wide field of view" | GRANIX mountain guide Satoshi Arakawa

I love Oakley. I like the flat lenses and wide field of view of the "Line Miner™." The "Prizm Snow Argon Iridium" lenses allow me to see the unevenness of the snow surface, whether it's sunny or snowing, making them versatile for a wide range of weather. I always carry a spare pair of the same Prizm Snow Argon Iridium lenses with me so I can use them in case snow gets inside or if a guest's lens gets fogged up

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POC｜Fovea WF

Toric lenses provide a wide field of view. Clarity lens technology enhances contrast for sharp vision in a variety of lighting conditions. The malleable frame and triple-layered face foam provide a comfortable, secure fit for any face shape, ensuring flexible comfort even in the coldest conditions

◆Official website: https://www.full-marks.com/poc/

"The key to choosing skis is making sure they fit your face" | KinTouN Backcountry Guide Kenichi Minegishi

I like the pink lenses because they make it easy to see even on cloudy days with little light.
I use a variety of models, but I personally find that Fovea suits my face, so I often find myself using Fovea.

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POC | OPSIN CLARITY COMP

This racing model from the OPSIN CLARITY combines a classic frame design with a Clarity lens. In the rigorous competition and backcountry skiing scenes, split-second decision-making is essential. The OPSIN CLARITY COMP lens is optimized with a special color scheme that provides bright, clear vision, allowing you to accurately grasp snow conditions that change with the weather and time of day, and make quick decisions and move. One spare lens is included for cloudy days

*The OPSIN CLARITY COMP was discontinued last season. Its successor for the 2024-2025 season will be the OPSIN WF, as shown below

This is a standard model that is not specifically designed for racing, but can be used in a wide range of situations. Therefore, if you want to use it in racing scenes or backcountry skiing where the weather is prone to change, you can use the OPSIN WF frame and change to the spare lens (sold separately)

◆Official website: https://www.full-marks.com/poc/

"The fit of the goggles themselves is exceptional" | Tomohiro Shakawa

I mainly use OPSIN CLARITY COMP with Spektris Blue & Spectris Pink lenses. I carry a spare pair of goggles and only use them when skiing, such as when I'm in the mountains. I use a wind-proof comp type so I can handle speed and wind. I use lenses that aren't too dark even on sunny days. They're just the right brightness to accommodate age-related eye limitations. Another great thing about these goggles is that they fit exceptionally well

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SMITH | 4D MAG

This model boasts the best field of view ever thanks to its ChromaPop lenses, providing clear and sharp vision, as well as Bird's Eye Vision technology. The AirEvac™ function ensures a perfect fit with your helmet. The SMITH MAG Lens Change System makes it easy to attach and remove lenses, allowing you to instantly change lenses depending on the weather or conditions. Two ChromaPop lenses are included as standard

◆Official website: https://smithjapan.co.jp/

"Includes two spare Chroma Pop lenses!" | Kazuya Igarashi, Kagura Powder Station

The 4D MAG comes with two spare ChromaPop lenses. They offer a wide field of view, are easy to see, and are less likely to fog up!

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SMITH｜Squad MAG

The MAG Lens Change System allows you to easily remove lenses by simply unlocking the left and right sides, allowing you to instantly change lenses to suit changing weather or conditions. This is the first flat lens to feature 5X™ Anti-Fog Technology, making it the most powerful model ever. It also features the most powerful CP Pro Photochromic lens ever, offering all-weather protection in a single lens, available in a wide range of colors. Two ChromaPop lenses are included as standard

◆Official website: https://smithjapan.co.jp/

"Because I want to use it without changing lenses" | Niseko Mecca Hisataka Tanaka

I use photochromic (light-adjusting) mirror lenses because I want to be able to wear them on snowy and sunny days without having to change lenses

"The lenses are easy to attach and remove!" | Rhythm Works Ryuta Asahi

I like flat lenses and love the Squad MAG Black. I use dark lenses, Sun Black or Sun Platinum Mirror. I carry a slightly brighter spare. The lenses are easy to attach and remove!

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SWANS｜OUTBACK　

The SWANS OUTBACK is SWANS' flagship model, equipped with cylindrical lenses that minimize distortion. It features the A-BLOW system, which allows for quick defogging with a single push of the levers on both sides of the frame. It's a great way to easily ventilate the goggles

OB-MDH-CU-LP SBLU [Lens: PHOTOCHROMIC x ULTRA LIGHT PURPLE x ICE MIRROR, Strap: SBLU]

Photochromic (photochromic = photochromic) technology changes the brightness of the lenses in response to UV rays, automatically adjusting the brightness of the lenses in all weather conditions, making them extremely versatile

OB-MDH PBK [Lens: Gray x Shadow Mirror | Strap: PBK]

The SHADOW MIRROR lens is a highly transparent mirror lens that maintains the cool look of mirror lenses while reducing glare on sunny days without being too dark

◆Official website: https://www.swans.co.jp/

"We've been waiting for this! Breathable goggles with flat lenses" | Mountain Guide Coyote Furuichi Ryuta

These goggles offer excellent visibility even in Niseko's snowstorms. They're breathable, meaning the lenses hardly fog up even when walking a little, letting in fresh air, making them ideal for backcountry skiing.

While bright lenses are certainly beneficial in Niseko, where it snows almost every day, the weather can change quickly and suddenly become sunny. On days like these, the photochromic lenses in the spare lenses, which change color depending on the amount of UV rays, are extremely useful. I personally prefer the light gray, which looks more natural, as I don't particularly like the sky changing color.

"I like the distortion-free field of view of flat lenses." | Masaaki Sato

I'm often sweating between hiking and skiing, so being able to pop up the lenses and ventilate them before changing modes and starting to ski really helps prevent my goggles from fogging up. I like the distortion-free, flat lens of the OUTBACK. I use either the ULTRA Light Purple Photochromic or the Gray Shadow Mirror lenses depending on the weather, and both are very easy to see through, probably because they suit Japanese eyes

Sweet Protection｜Clockwork [+Bonus Lens]

The Clockwork features high strength and Sweet Protection's signature RIG lens. The RIG lens minimizes color distortion and reduces eye fatigue with excellent contrast. The 2.8mm thick premium toric sculpted lens provides exceptional impact resistance, ensuring a wide field of view while maintaining a low volume and snug fit in a compact design. The double lens is equipped with GORE® Protective Vents, which prevent deformation of the inner lens due to changes in air pressure, creating an optimal environment for your eyes

◆Official website: https://sweetprotection.jp/

"Reliable goggles with all three features" | CIRCLE GAME guide service Shohei Sasaki

These reliable goggles offer a wide field of view, clear lenses, and a comfortable fit

"The clearest view I've ever had, and it's easy to see the slopes." | Infield, Toyokazu Nakano

These goggles have the clearest field of view and the easiest lenses to see the slopes. The Japanese model has foam padding designed for Japanese people, so there is very little space between the nose and the padding, preventing snow from getting inside. The design is also cool. The lenses never fog up, so I don't carry spare lenses

"It gives me a sense of security, like my face is protected." | 　Jun Nagai JUNRINA mountain service

The field of view is wide and easy to see, and the durable lenses give a sense of security as if your face is protected. I use the RIG Light Amethyst lens as my main lens, which I recommend for the harsh winter weather. The Clockwork lens is not too large and is just the right size for my preference. I also use a helmet from the same brand, and it goes very well with the helmet. As a

spare lens, I use the RIG Topaz mirror lens, which I find very useful in the harsh spring sun.