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Eyesight has always been an important factor when skiing for me. Whether its choosing a goggle with the appropriate UV protection or more recently choosing larger goggles for greater peripheral vision. Sadly as goggle technology has progressed providing me a larger peripherals and better lenses (Prizm, Chromopop and now Sonar) I have found my eyes failing.
Firstly and I guess the easiest option is to wear contacts. For most people this is ok, however having tried them there was a few things stopping me. My eyes got irritated and I didn't like to touch my eye. Call me babyish if you will but I guess I'm just squeamish that way.
The second option is to get a pair of OTG goggles. This option is pretty good, most goggles are made big enough to fit a pair of glasses underneath and this will suit most people fine. The goggles shown in the image to the right are Oakley Flight Deck Goggles and are OTG or glasses compatible.
Again I had two issues holding me back. Firstly I like my glasses, they cost me a lot of money. And the amount of times I fall over trying new tricks or something new I didn't want to risk them breaking when my head is being bounced off the ground. Secondly as a helmet wearer I felt that my glasses arms were digging into the side of my head when worn under a helmet. This meant that I was constantly adjusting and resorting my helmet and this took away from my enjoyment of the slopes.
So then one day I walked past an opticians by chance and in the window they had this strange item on display next to their goggles, the Rx adapter from Bolle. The Bolle adapter can be fitted with your prescription and sits just on the inside of your goggles. The four arms keep the lenses locked in place and allow you the advantages of having your prescription but without the discomfort of the arms of your glasses under helmets and goggle straps. You can see them through fitted in my Anon M3 goggles below which was a perfect fit.
First thing to note is yes they are pretty ugly. Luckily for most the shiny tint and darker lenses that come with most modern goggles do a good job of hiding these. My lowlight lens shown in the M3 above has a high VLT so that means the insert is visible. At the moment, comfort and being able to see outlay anything else and enjoying the day and conditions is more important to me then the aesthetics.
The Rx Adapter sits on the bridge of the goggle meaning they sit in a similar position as your glasses would so your vision is clear. This also means that they do not interfere with any of the coatings placed on the inside of your goggles. The transparent frame means that your peripheral vision is not obstructed so you still maintain the benefit of your larger frames.
Since introducing these to my set up I have felt a real benefit when out riding. I have the ability to see clearly with the support of my prescription but without the discomfort of the arms of my glasses digging in to my head. I would highly recommend this insert or similar to users of glasses who do not feel comfortable using contact lenses.
I would love to hear from anyone who has used glasses inserts or has any other innovative solutions! Feel free to contact me by dropping a comment below or using the social tabs to my twitter or instagram accounts.