You got a pair of Ski goggles and want to use them when you go riding your dirt bike? Nothing strange about that really.
But the question is if you can, or even should?
Well, technically you can. But it’s not something that we or goggle manufacturers recommend.
Let’s find out why…
Why you “can’t” use your Ski goggles when Dirt biking
1. The first thing you’ll notice is that the ski goggles won’t fit your dirt bike helmet. They often have larger frames and lenses than mx goggles.
Even if you manage to get them “inside” the helmets eye port the goggle frame and foam won’t sit snug on your face. Dust and debris will get inside your goggles and that’s not something you want.
2. Ski goggles have double lenses and the second lens have a strong anti-fogging agent. This prevents all moisture, or condensation, from forming inside your goggle.
If you were to get sweat or water on the inside of them, it can create a water mark in the lens. This happens when the anti-fogging agent reacts with the incoming water.
I sweat a lot when riding, and if you do the same, this can be a huge problem.
3. If your skiing goggles have a dark tinted lens you’ll struggle to see, especially on darker cloudier days. Riding in the woods with dark lenses could be extremely dangerous.
Other differences between the Goggles
We have an article covering all the differences between ski and mx goggles. But let’s also name a few here.
- Peripheral vision – ski goggles have much wider view to give you the best peripheral vision. When riding MX you don’t want or need that.
- Ventilation – in skiing you want excellent ventilation. But too much ventilation for mx will just help dust find its way into the goggles.
- Tear offs or roll offs – no way to fit either tear- or roll offs on a ski lens.
- Silicone strap – most skiing goggles don’t have a silicone bead on the goggle strap that helps them stay in place.
They are both goggles so there are of course similarities between them as well.
For the Dirt Bike beginner
Asking this question I’m assuming that you are somewhat of a beginner.
Motocross is a sport that come with certain risks. To be 100% prepared and have the safety equipment needed is highly recommended.
Your vision is one of the more important things to have right. You’ll learn this as soon as you start riding.
Therefore, we don’t advice you to use other goggles than specific dirt bike ones. Though they might look similar.
Other questions related to Ski and Mx goggles
Well you can, but you’ll notice pretty soon that it’s not optimal. There are several areas that these two goggles are different and not ideal.
One big being UVA and UVB protection. You need this for skiing or else you might end up damaging your retinas.
They are pretty similar when it comes to the build and shape of the goggles. But since snowmobiles are used in the snow (bright and low contrast conditions) these goggles often come with a tinted lens as well as double lens. These might not always be perfect or necessary for dirt bike rides.
Conclusion
You can, technically, use your ski or snow goggles when riding motocross. But it’s not recommended.
In some cases it won’t even be possible, pending on the size of you ski goggles. They won’t fit your mx helmet.
But there are differences, and they exist for a reason.
We understand however that there is a financial aspect here. They look similar and new mx googles will set you back 100 bucks or more. But they are well worth the investment. Promise!
Have you used your skiing goggles when riding? Did it work or was it a once and never again thing? Let us know.
