REVIEW: SunGod Vanguards Snow Goggles

I’m looking for effective goggles that give me clear vision, are robust and easy to handle, comfortable and look great. I’m not great at ‘product care’, meaning I don’t tend to keep goggles in their boxes! A good product for me is a practical one, which these goggles definitely are. During the winter they live in the designated goggle pocket of my rucksack, and only during the summer do they get the full protection of their box. These goggles roll with the punches of a skiing lifestyle and provide a wide-screen TV view of the mountain – no fuss and 100% effective.

I tested two sets of lenses in the same frame, one suited to low light and the other to brighter days. The test involved skiing in all conditions throughout March and April in Chamonix in the French Alps. The conditions ranged from bright, sunny days to lower light, overcast days and well into the evenings. I tested them on and off-piste across different light levels to test the clarity of vision on unknown off-piste terrain. I was particularly impressed with the low light lens and liked the blue colour of them. Previous low light lenses I’ve used have been red but blue is nicer and the off-piste powder routes were much easy to decipher.

One thing to note is that I always wear a helmet, so these goggles have only been tested in conjunction with a lid! I have a Smith helmet which fits well with the Vanguards – the goggles fit snugly across the front of the helmet.

The cost of the Vanguards with SunGod’s standard 4KO® lens is £120, for the 8KO® lens (which has a decent bit of additional science behind it!) it’s an additional £50. It’s well worth checking out SunGod’s lens guide to find out which lenses are best suited to your activity, as the different tints have different suitabilities to light levels. The case is extra (£20) but as I’ve said, it’s quite bulky and therefore less practical for active use, but tough and handy for summer storage.

Given that SunGod’s products come with a lifetime guarantee, for me this cost bracket is reasonable. You definitely get a lot of value for spending your hard-earned cash on a pair of Vanguards.