Corrective Goggles for Sports

When to Buy

So, when should you even begin your search for corrective goggles? Here are a few sports where they come in handy:

• Swimming
• Skiing
• Motorcycling
• Surfing
• Jet skiing
• Tennis/raquet sports

You can purchase this type of goggle for extra eye safety. In most sports, your everyday pair of eyeglasses won’t work. Why? The wrap feature of goggles protects your eyes from most angles and the polycarbonate material used in the lenses (highly recommended) is shatter-resistant. Plastic lenses, which are commonly used in eyeglasses, are not shatter-resistant.

Some people may think that since they wear contact lenses they don’t need prescription goggles when they play sports. There are three things to consider, however:

1. Who wants to be swimming underwater and deal with an eyelash/contact combination? Ouch!
2. If you do insist on wearing your contacts at least sometimes, you may decide to go with a goggle that has a removable, customizable insert so that if you can't wear your contacts for some reason, you can pop that in and see just as well (or close enough).
3. You don't have to worry as much about losing a lens.

Unless you have 20/20 vision naturally, you may want to at least consider purchasing corrective goggles for sports. Even if your vision is perfect, you'll want to purchase goggles just for the sake of protecting your eyes.

Corrective Goggles for Sports: Top Tips

• Opt for polycarbonate lenses over plastic or glass. They have built-in UV protection, they're shatter-resistant, and they are less likely to fog up while you're wearing them.
• Consider your options:
  • Removable adapters that allow you to take the prescription out of the inside of the goggle. This will be ideal for those who alternate between wearing glasses and contact lenses. The adapters house the prescription and generally clip in on the bridge area.
  • Built-in prescriptions are available right off the shelf in some cases the prescription is in the goggle lens itself. These are especially common in swimming. You won't get a perfect prescription for your eyes unless you're lucky and have a fairly simple prescription, but you may be able to correct your vision well enough to enjoy your time in the water without worrying about contact lenses.
  • Goggles that fit over your eyeglasses are good for those who don't wear contacts and have vision needs not easily met with the step-diopter prescriptions found in many prescription sports goggles. You can even have goggles custom made with your prescription intact, though they will be pricier, of course.
• Check to see if there are specific goggles for your particular sport, and check even further to find out if there are interchangeable lenses in multiple colors for different lighting conditions. You wouldn't want to choose rose-colored prescription ski goggles for motorcycling at sunset! Even if there aren't interchangeable lenses, if you choose a pair designed for your sport, chances are you'll be able to find the lens color and protection against the elements you need.

Buy Yours

While it's convenient to check out the corrective goggles for sports options where you have your eye exam, it may not always be the cheapest route. Here are some sites to try in addition to browsing at your local optical shops:

• Amazon.com, as usual, delivers. You'll find mostly swimming goggles here from a variety of brands. Prices, of course, vary.
• Frames Direct has the Bolle X9 Over the Glasses Goggles. They won’t correct your vision on their own but they will allow you to wear your glasses with them.
• Vision 3K is a United Kingdom site that offers prescription Bolle ski goggles and Aquasee swimming goggles.
• Sport Rx sounds like the name of a sports enthusiast's heaven if they need vision correction. True to the name, this company has prescription eyewear for sports. They even have interchangeable lenses in different colors for motorcyclists and even styles that convert easily from goggles to sunglasses.
• Eyeglass.com has goggles for a variety of sports, including ski, swim, and motorcycle designs.