By Don Jurries
Gordini, a glove, goggle, and winter accessories manufacturer, has introduced their Luxury Collection (Gordini GLC
The open cell structure of Gordini’s memory face foam reacts to body heat and pressure by molding to your facial features in order to prevent gaps and relieve pressure points. The Luxury Collection of snow goggles have hinged outriggers for helmet compatibility and include an anti-fogging air flow design. Using mesh-covered vents built into the frame, the snow goggles maximize air circulation, helping to extract moisture and keep your vision clear.
I had the opportunity to test a pair of Gordini GLC goggles during a ski trip to Germany and Austria. They saved me in Germany when a heavy snow storm left up to 30 cm on parts of the mountain. The snow was in your face all day and nearly every part of the goggle worked as promised. During the cold snap that hit Europe shortly after, I had expected the mesh-covered vents to let in freezing air. While I sensed a small amount of air circulation, it was never really cold, annoying or uncomfortable.
About the only downside to the GLC goggles was at extreme temperatures below -20C (-4F) when little ice crystals hanging in the air started to cling to the lens. The crystals didn’t obstruct my vision, however, and disappeared as soon as I got back into an enclosed space, such as a ski lift station. Also beware the inside of the lens does not have the same coating as the outside and can easily scratch.
When purchasing Gordini GLC goggles, make sure you choose the lens tint to meet the conditions you expect on the mountain. I chose green, a mid-way tint between bright and low lights. At the end of each day, when the light became low, a different color would have been more suitable. Gordini addresses this problem with their Interchangeable series, where the lens can be popped out of the frame and swapped with another tint, perfect if you only want to carry one set of goggles.
Gordini's Luxury Collection of snow goggles