Summary of your thoughts on product: True to size
Pros: You can wear your glasses under them!
Cons: lack of colors
Rate (out of 5 stars, 1 being awful, 5 being perfect) the following categories:
-Quality: 5
- Features: 5
- Fit: 5
- Durability: 5
- Eco-Friendly 3
Write - Up
Intro
I tested the Julbo Lightyear goggles throughout the Mountain West while freeskiing, race training, and guiding. I put these goggles to the test across a full month of wildly variable conditions and they exceeded my expectations in every scenario. Conditions ranged from rain and wet snow, to -20ºF with wind, to sunny 45º spring-like days.
Story time
For the last 10ish years, I have skied almost exclusively in POC Julia Mancuso with a full quiver of interchangeable lenses. Sadly, this year the top of these ripped, which made this the perfect time to test the Julbo Lightyear goggles. One of my biggest problems lately is that last year I began to need glasses and I quickly learned that contacts do not agree with my eyes. I was stoked to try out the Julbo Lighyear goggles which claimed to fit your glasses underneath. My mom had a few pairs of goggles that claimed to fit over glasses over the last 20 years, but all of them either fogged, only worked with specific frames, or smushed your glasses into your face or against your helmet. This is where the Lightyear truly stands out. I have worn these goggles with three different glasses frames and all of them fit comfortably underneath with no pressure points. I genuinely forget that I am wearing glasses at all.
Previously while coaching, I would keep my glasses in my radio harness and then lift my goggles off and put my glasses on every single run to watch my athletes. This is fine when it is warm out, but horrible while its cold. With the Julbo Lightyear’s which go right over my glasses I do not have to fiddle with anything or take my hand out of my glove, greatly improving my efficiency as a coach and the quality of my skid day!
Performance
I have a pretty small head (XS/S helmet), and the Julbo Lightyear fits perfectly with both my freeride and race helmets, sealing well with no gaps. The face foam is soft, well-contoured, and comfortable for long days on the snow. The Lightyear has a sleek, modern look with an XL REACTIV photochromic lens that adapts seamlessly to changing light conditions. As I move from racing to guiding, having one lens that does it all instead of carrying around 8 different ones is amazing. Additionally, the SuperFlow Pro magnetic ventilation system allows you to vent the lens without even removing your goggles.
What sets the product apart
The Julbo Lightyear is pretty lightweight for a goggle and so far has proven to be very durable. The lens has been impressively scratch-resistant. What truly sets the Julbo Lightyear apart is the combination of over-the-glasses comfort, photochromic performance, and active ventilation. Many goggles struggle to do even one of these well, and Julbo has hit the mark on all three.
Friendliness to earth
While sustainability details vary by model, Julbo’s focus on high-quality construction and long product lifespan inherently reduces replacement frequency and environmental impact.
The final word
Overall I would absolutely recommend the Julbo Lightyear goggles for anyone who wheres glasses and hates contacts. THese have been absolutely gamechanging for me as a coach, being able to see my athletes far away with glasses on AND having my goggles down. I would also recommend these goggles to non glasses wearers as the photochromic lens adapts really well to changing light conditions.
Pro bio
Danielle Taylor (DT) is a professional skier who raced on the FIS alpine circuit for about a decade for Team Summit Colorado and Colby College. During her undergraduate she began her guiding journey while also climbing on the USAC and NorAm circuits for Colby College. Currently, she competes on the IFSA circuit and on the University of Wyoming Nordic Team. DT is a neurobiology PhD candidate at the University of Wyoming, where she also serves as the Director and Head Alpine Coach of Team Snowy, a local youth ski club. Additionally, DT is an AIARE instructor for Apex Mountaineering and an AIARE PGN mentor. This summer, she will be working on her PhD and guiding hiking, climbing, and maybe some water sports and biking!