Most goggles aren鈥檛 cheap. And once you鈥檝e tried a good pair, which can easily cost over $200,聽you鈥檒l never want to wear your $20 bargain-basement model. Unfortunately聽with goggles, a higher price tag doesn鈥檛 necessarily mean better durability. Unlike skis, poles, and boots, which can be tossed in the back of a truck without suffering damage, goggles are liable to get scratched if you set them down unprotected while gearing up or grabbing a beer. For me聽this usually means replacing mine after a season of use. That鈥檚 why the ($15) is my favorite new piece of ski gear.
I discovered the Vancouver-based company聽at Outdoor Retailer in November,听补苍诲 since then, its protective sleeve has come on every ski day聽with me. Made from recycled plastic bottles, the 鈥渟ock鈥 is designed to stretch over almost any size聽goggle, protecting the lenses from scratches. It鈥檚 simple, easy to use (even with gloves on), and small鈥攊t fits comfortably in the pocket of my snow pants. Plus, if you鈥檙e brave enough聽to show off a bit of personal style, it鈥檚 available in more than 80 different eye-catching designs, including the聽听补苍诲 .
Looks aside, I鈥檓 just relieved that, after 14聽days聽of skiing so far this year, my brand-new goggles are still scratch-free.