Behind The Pines Goggles

We have sold snowboard goggles for years.

That also means we have spent years hearing what people like about them — and what annoys them.

Lenses that are fine in the sun but useless once the clouds come in. Lens changes that require more patience than they should. Foam that feels good for five minutes in the shop but starts pressing after half a day. Goggles that look great on their own and leave a huge gap once you put a helmet on.

Eventually we wanted to make our own.

The Behind The Pines goggles are part of our wider Behind The Pines collection and are built around a fairly simple idea: good optics, an easy lens system, comfortable fit and as little unnecessary complication as possible.

The lens is the important part

A goggle frame can look great.

But when the light goes flat, you stop caring about the frame pretty quickly.

Being able to see changes in the snow is what matters. Small rollers, chopped-up sections, ice and transitions all become much harder to read when contrast disappears.

That is why we have put a lot of attention into the lenses in our current goggles.

Our latest premium models use Zeiss Sonar® lenses developed to improve contrast and make terrain definition easier to read in snow conditions.

It is one of those things you appreciate most on the days when visibility is not perfect.

One lens is rarely enough

Mountain weather has a habit of changing halfway through the day.

You start with sun at breakfast, clouds arrive before lunch and by three o'clock you are trying to work out where the piste ends and the sky begins.

That is why our current goggles are built around interchangeable lenses.

The main lens handles brighter and mixed conditions, while current Zeiss-equipped Nimbus and Helios models come with an additional yellow low-light lens for darker, flatter days.

We think two useful lenses make much more sense than trying to pretend one tint is perfect for everything.

Magnetic lens changes

We wanted changing a lens to be something you can actually do on the mountain.

Not something that requires taking the goggle back to your hotel room and watching a tutorial.

The magnetic systems on our current models let you remove and replace the lens quickly as the weather changes.

Simple.

And once you have ridden with an easy lens-changing system, it is difficult to go back to forcing a lens into a frame with cold fingers.

Different frames, same idea

Not everybody wants the same goggle shape.

The Nimbus uses a clean frameless construction with a wide field of view, while the Helios has a more defined framed shape. Both use magnetic interchangeable lenses in the current lineup.

We like having that choice.

Some riders want as little frame in their peripheral vision as possible. Others simply prefer the feel and look of a more traditional frame.

Neither automatically rides better.

The one that fits your face and helmet properly is the better goggle for you.

Your helmet matters

Try your goggles with your helmet if you can.

A good combination should sit together naturally without a large gap above the goggle and without the helmet pushing the frame down onto your nose.

The strap needs enough adjustment to sit securely over the helmet and the goggle should still seal comfortably around your face.

Our current models use helmet-compatible straps with silicone grip to help them stay in position.

If you are putting a full setup together, compare them with our Snowboard Helmets.

Fogging usually starts with moisture

No goggle is completely immune to fog.

Snow inside the goggle, a wet face covering, blocking the ventilation or immediately putting a damp goggle into a closed bag can all create problems.

Our current lenses use dual-layer construction with anti-fog treatment, but how you treat the goggle still matters.

Let it dry properly after riding.

And be careful with the inside of the lens. When it is wet, leave it alone rather than rubbing it aggressively with a glove.

A scratched anti-fog coating is difficult to put back.

A hardcase is not excessive

Goggle lenses scratch much more easily in a travel bag than they do while you are riding.

That is why our current goggles come with a hardcase.

We actually use them.

Especially on road trips where goggles somehow end up underneath gloves, helmets, chargers and half the contents of the car.

Good optics are worth protecting.

Made because we snowboard

The Behind The Pines goggles did not start with a plan to build another accessories category.

They came from riding and from years of having goggles from different brands in the shop.

We knew which features we actually used.

Good contrast. Quick lens changes. A proper low-light option. Comfortable foam. Helmet compatibility. A case that means the lenses survive the trip.

The rest can stay fairly simple.

That is generally how we like snowboard equipment.

Explore all Snowboard Goggles if you want to compare our models with the other goggles we carry.

Behind The Pines Snowboard Goggles

Our goggles are made for full days on the mountain and the weather that comes with them.

Good lenses when the light is good, a low-light option when it isn't and a system that lets you switch between the two without making a project out of it.

Shop Behind The Pines goggles online or come by the store in Amsterdam and try them together with your helmet.