A day on the mountain is one of the greatest feelings ever. It is only made better by a few inches of fresh powder, empty chair lifts, and a great pair of goggles. They offer a way to keep eyes safe from the wind and snow, but also will keep them from drying out while flying down the hill. Picking out the right pair is important and will make the day even better.

Goggles lens have a ton of features themselves. Standard, Polarizing, and Photochromic, are a few of the different types of lenses offered by goggle manufacturers. Standard lenses are the most common, and therefore the cheapest. They offer simple protection against the sun and wind, and unlike polarizing and photochromic, can’t change to different sun intensities. If you’re looking for a lower priced option, then these are for you.

However, if you need more protection and convenience, than you may look at polarizing or even photochromic. Polarizing lenses are great for increasing definition of objects by reducing glare from snow or water. Photochromic lenses are the best choice if you’re going to be out on the slopes for an entire day through into the night. They automatically adjust to the intensity of light coming in, and will deflect more or less depending on this.

Working up a sweat shredding down the slopes can cause your goggles to fog up. And if you don’t want to spend all day wiping or blotting the fog off from the inside of the goggles, try and find one that ventilates well. Bigger vents on the top, bottom, and sides will prevent the goggles from fogging easily, but they increase air flow around the eyes. Your eyes may dry out more and your face will be colder, but it’s a trade off to consider when choosing your goggles. If you intend on getting some top of the line goggles, there are models that even include a little fan to wick moisture away.

A good pair of goggles will also be comfortable to wear all day. Ideally, it will have several layers of padding around the frame so that it’s not pushing against your face in a way that is annoying or painful. All pairs of goggles bought today will generally have 2 layers of padding. They form a seal around the side of the face and help protect you against the wind and the cold. The more layers, the more comfortable it will be to wear all day. If comfort is just that much more important, try and find pairs that have 3 layers of padding. These will be the most comfortable for every day, and all day, use.

Make sure the padding isn’t too thick as well. Padding that is too thick will cause your goggles to fog up easier. You want to find a pair that won’t pinch on your face and breathe well, so that you’re not regretting your purchase after a few hours on the slopes.