Glasses fog up with my mask: What can I do?

Linda Eigner
08.01.2021

Winter sports enthusiasts are looking forward to the reopening of the ski areas. Ever since the openings the NAKED Optics team has also been constantly on the slopes. But the start of the season also brings challenges. It is currently very important to find a good solution for the cold temperatures and the accumulated humidity. The combination can cause warm air to back up. As a result, the lenses can fog up. What can you do about fogged up ski goggles? NAKED Optics has some tips for you.

Why can ski goggles fog up?

Especially in cold temperatures it can happen that the glasses fog up. As soon as warm air in the ski goggles comes into contact with cold lenses, the temperature difference is too high. This causes water drops to form, which are collected on the surface of the lens. Especially with an FFP2 mask we expel a lot of warm air. This means that the ski goggles can fog up more easily than usual.

When can ski goggles fog up?

Fogged by snow cannons

The snow cannons are currently running at full speed. This can affect the view. If possible, avoid the snow cannons. Otherwise, you should definitely keep your hand in front of the goggles so that as little snow as possible lands on the goggles. If both the goggles and the helmet are full of snow, then it is important to clean the helmet on top in the gondola. This will prevent the goggles and foam from getting wet. If the foam is damp, your best bet is to try to get the water out and dry (squeeze, strip) it. If the lens is already fogged up and iced up on the inside, then be sure to warm it up and de-ice it. This can easily be done, for example, with the body heat in the jacket pocket.

Ski goggles on the helmet: Fogged lenses

As soon as you are in the gondola or at the chair lift, you automatically put your goggles on your helmet. It is currently very important to check in advance whether the top of the helmet is dry. It's best if you just wipe over it beforehand. This prevents the foam of the goggles from getting wet through the helmet. If you put the goggles on the helmet, it is important that the edge of the helmet and the edge of the goggles end together. As a result, the warm air cannot rise into the inside of the lens, for example when you are talking. If the warm air rises, it can happen that the moisture settles on the inner glass. After a certain time, this leads to fogging of the pane. Again, our advice is : remove the layer of snow / ice from the helmet and warm and de-ice the glass.

Foggy from the warm air in the gondola

We currently generate a lot of (body) heat and moisture, especially in the gondola. As soon as you wear the face mask, the glasses are on the helmet and there is a lot of talk with colleagues, it can also happen that the inner lens ices over. This happens because the warm air does not move forward as usual due to the mask and all the talking. This collects and slowly rises as moisture, freezing the inner lens. Again, our tip: dry the foam, remove the layer of snow/ice from the helmet and warm and de-ice the glass.

Can anti-fog sprays help?

Anti-fog sprays are often mentioned to prevent fog. The spray allows a separate layer to be applied to the glasses. Although the anti-fog sprays can help with optical glasses, they should never be used with ski goggles. As a result, the actual anti-fog layer is permanently damaged and the lenshas to be disposed of. 🚨 Therefore: Never use anti-fog sprays for ski goggles. 🚨

Perfect perspective with your NAKED Optics ski goggles

Do you already know the NAKED Optics ski goggles with a super anti-fog coating ? The STORM and The NOVA are 300% more resistant to fogging than other models and they offer the best visibility on the slopes.

Photo: Michael Strauss

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