Originally Posted by sirtirithon

I stopped by REI on my ride home yesterday and proceeded to ride off with my nice Tifosi glasses in my pocket. I lost them somewhere of course. So now I need to replace them. My only complaint about them is they would fog up in the winter, so I'm hoping whatever I replace them with does not fog up when I stop at traffic lights etc. I have ski goggles but they fog up on me constantly too. I'm looking for input from experienced winter commuters on what you folks wear to keep your eyes from freezing up. Thanks!!

Originally Posted by sirtirithon

...I have ski goggles but they fog up on me constantly too. I'm looking for input from experienced winter commuters on what you folks wear to keep your eyes from freezing up. Thanks!!

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

I perennially post about my winter eyewear for my 14 mile year-round commute, from about 35° down to as low as 0°. I must wear my prescription eyeglasses, and fogging is one of the worst dangers of winter riding. I am entirely satisfied with my system:

I have also often suggested that any recommendations for winter riding include description of the conditions in which they are employed, i.e. lowest temperature and distance.

Addendum:
This morning (12/14/13) I did my 14 mile commute at 11° F with no fogging problems. After about one mile I was comfortable with lowering my face mask below my lower lip. When going fast on windswept downhill runs of about a few hundred yards, I raised my face mask to below my nose. The warm, moist exhaled air kept my exposed nose and cheeks warm, and the onrushing air dissipated the moisture before it could fog up the goggles. With a slightly forced exhalation, I could even warm my eyebrows, with no fogging.

I realize now that my goggles and face mask are actually an integrated system of heating and ventilation that keeps my face warm and my vision unencumbered by fogging. The windscreen of the goggles is so effective in keeping my eyes warm that my eyelids actually perspired because my central core body was so warm, and my eyes never got cold, even on those fast windswept downhill runs.

Sometimes brief fogging does occur, literally with each breath but is then immediately swept away. One has to be careful though, that condensation does not linger at particularly cold temperatures less than about 15°, or it can quickly turn to frost and will not go away unless scraped off. This happened on a ride at about 0° at about mile 11 as shown below. Nonetheless it only occurred on the lateral half of the right-hand lens, and I still had enough forward vision, and left-hand peripheral vision so I could use my rearview mirror, and I felt comfortable riding the last 3 miles.

Finally, last Monday I rode in a sleety, wintry mix, and wore a billed baseball cap under my helmet. My prescription eyeglasses stayed dry and clear, and my vision was good with occasional swipes of the goggles with a gloved finger.

Originally Posted by noglider

I get my prescription glasses in a large frame so it cuts the wind.

Originally Posted by sirtirithon

Thanks for the great suggestions so far! This gives me some options to look into. I think the reason I have issues with fogging is because my face mask forces my breathing up into the eyewear.

Originally Posted by sirtirithon

Thanks for the great suggestions so far! This gives me some options to look into. I think the reason I have issues with fogging is because my face mask forces my breathing up into the eyewear.

Originally Posted by KonAaron Snake

I've done best using cheapo 3m safety glasses with some fog spray.

Originally Posted by tarwheel

…You can buy various products that you can apply to the lenses and supposedly reduce or eliminate fogging, but they are not foolproof and have to be reapplied. What works for me -- to a degree -- is to simply move my eye glasses further away from my eyes onto the bridge of my nose when I have to stop at red lights or other reasons.

Originally Posted by scroca

If you get a face mask with fabric over the top of your nose, it should help direct your moist breath down instead of up. I wear ski goggles when the temperature gets low enough to freeze icicles on my eye lashes or when it is snowing hard such that it would hurt the eyes. And those are times that I'll have the face mask on so I don't know about fog on the goggles without it.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

Well, yeah. FWIW see my post #4 above, to consider well-ventilated safety goggles and the face mask as a system to keep your upper face and eyeballs warm. That moist warm exhaled air can be your friend.


From my experience, I have found that fog sprays can be overcome by exhaled vapor particularly at low temps, less than about 20 degrees, and when breathing hard with little oncoming wind, as when riding uphill.


As above, all my adjustments are made with the face mask only. Finally,


I think one problem with trying to seal off the goggles is that it doesn’t take much mosture to fog, so my preference is to ventilate the googles well, as safety glasses with a wide frontal wind screen and widely opened at the sides.

Originally Posted by dynaryder

I used to commute in these:
ICE Series - ESS Products - ESS Eye Pro - Ballistic Goggles - Ballistic Sunglasses - Military Eyewear - Eye Protection – Shooting Glasses

Comfortable,wrap around protection,easy to swap lenses. Fogging wasn't too bad,if I pulled them down my nose a touch at stops,and waited until I was moving to put them back,they did ok. I can vouch for their protection;I once had something from a passing salt truck ricochet off that felt substantial but only left a scratch.