There are 13 main Oakley snow goggle lenses which all vary in terms of their color and light transmission, making them suitable for different lighting and weather conditions.
| Lens | Light Transmission | Ideal Conditions | Contrast | Base Color |
| Prizm Snow Black Iridium | 5.5% | Bright Sun | Increased | Rose |
| Prizm Snow Dark Grey | 11% | Bright Sun | Increased | Rose |
| Prizm Snow Jade Iridium | 13% | Sun & Clouds | Increased | Rose |
| Prizm Snow Sapphire Iridium | 13% | Sun & Clouds | Increased | Rose |
| Prizm Rose Gold Iridium | 13% | Sun & Clouds | Increased | Bronze |
| Prizm Sage Gold Iridium | 14% | Sun & Clouds | Neutral | Bronze |
| Prizm Snow Torch Iridium | 17% | Sun & Clouds | Increased | Rose |
| Prizm Snow Garnet | 19% | Sun & Clouds | Increased | Rose |
| Prizm Snow Rose | 26% | Snow/ Overcast | Increased | Rose |
| Prizm Snow Persimmon | 39% | Snow/ Overcast | Increased | Orange |
| Prizm Snow Hi Pink | 46% | Snow/ Overcast | Increased | Rose |
| Prizm Snow Clear | 64% | Night | Neutral | Pink |
| Snow Clear | 90% | Night | Neutral | Clear |
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Prizm Snow Black Iridium
Prizm Snow
Dark Grey
Prizm Snow Jade Iridium
Prizm Snow Sapphire Iridium
Prizm Rose Gold Iridium
Prizm Sage Gold Iridium
Prizm Snow Torch Iridium
Prizm Snow
Garnet
Prizm Snow
Rose
Prizm Snow Persimmon
Prizm Snow
Hi Pink
Prizm Snow
Clear
The Basics
Before we take a look at each lens individually, let’s be clear on what these four variables mean:
- Light transmission
- Contast
- Base color
- Iridium vs non-iridium
Light Transmission
All the different Prizm lenses let through a different amount of light, and this is stated as a percentage.
The more light that is allowed to pass through, the better the goggles are for cloudier and darker conditions. For sunnier conditions, goggle lenses which let through less light are best.
The Prizm range can be grouped into four main categories according to the weather and lighting conditions they are more suitable, which is dictated by that light transmission percentage.
- Bright and Sunny: 5.5% to 11% light transmission
- Sun and Clouds (variable): 13% to 19% light transmission
- Overcast/ Snowing: 26% to 46% light transmission
- Night: 64%-90% light transmission
Contrast
All Prizm goggles have “increased” contrast except for the Sage Gold Iridium and Clear lenses which have “neutral” contrast”. As the name suggests, the increased contrast lenses help to provide more definition and have a more dramatic effect compared to the neutral contrast lenses.
Base Color
Most Prizm goggles have a “rose” base color, but there are some exceptions such as the Rose Gold Iridium and Sage Gold Iridium lenses which have a “bronze” base color. This affects how the environment is tinted through the goggles and what kind of hue it’ll have.
Iridium vs Non-Iridium
Most of the Prizm lenses are “iridium” which means they have a mirror-like appearance so you can’t see through the lens from the outside-in, especially when outdoors. Non-iridium lenses are more translucent meaning the eyes will be visible through the lenses.
Bright Sun Lenses
There are two lenses in this category:
- Prizm Snow Black Iridium
- Prizm Snow Dark Grey
These lenses block the most light which makes them perfect for clear skies, but too dark for cloudier conditions. Although they’ll still be okay in partially cloudy weather, they’re not suitable for overcast or snowy days.
Prizm Snow Black Iridium
The Prizm Snow Black Iridium lens is the darkest in the range and only lets through 5.5% of the light. This makes it excellent for those very bright and sunny days. Although it’s still functional when the odd cloud rolls over, it’s not recommended for partially cloudy conditions as it blocks out too much light.
- Base Color: Rose
- Light Transmission: 5.5%
- Contrast: Increased
Image links to Amazon
Prizm Snow Dark Grey
This lens is the second darkest in the range and lets through 11% of the light. This means it’s still great for bright, sunny conditions, but copes better with clouds compared to the Snow Black Iridium lens, making it a bit more versatile.
- Base Color: Rose
- Light Transmission: 11%
- Contrast: Increased
Image links to Amazon
Variable (Sun & Clouds) Lenses
There are 6 lenses in this group:
- Prizm Snow Jade Iridium
- Prizm Snow Sapphire Iridium
- Prizm Rose Gold Iridium
- Prizm Sage Gold Iridium
- Prizm Snow Torch Iridium
- Prizm Snow Garnet
If you only pick one Prizm lens, it should ideally be from this category. These lenses are great in most conditions except for night. They aren’t as good as the bright sun lenses when the sky is clear, but they will still be fine to use. Equally, they’re not really great for whiteout conditions.
However, they’re the most middle-of-the-road category so still the best choice if you only want to ski with a single lens.
Prizm Snow Jade/ Snow Sapphire Iridium
The Prizm Snow Jade Iridium lens and Snow Sapphire Iridium lenses are the joint darkest in this variable category. They work well in sunny and cloudy conditions, but are a bit better in the sun as they only let through 13% of the light. They both have a rose base color, it’s just the finish color which differs between these two lenses.
- Base Color: Rose
- Light Transmission: 13%
- Contrast: Increased
Images link to Amazon
Prizm Rose Gold Iridium
The Prizm Rose Gold Iridium lens lets through 13% of the light (the same as the Jade Iridium and Sapphire Iridium lenses). However, unlike the previous two lenses, this one has a bronze base color instead of a rose base color.
- Base Color: Bronze
- Light Transmission: 13%
- Contrast: Increased
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Prizm Sage Gold Iridium
The Prizm Sage Gold Iridium lens lets through 14% of the light (so just a touch more compared to the previous three lenses). It has a bronze base color and neutral contrast.
- Base Color: Bronze
- Light Transmission: 14%
- Contrast: Neutral
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Prizm Snow Torch Iridium
The Snow Torch Iridium lens is a bit lighter and lets thorough 17% of the light, making it a bit better when the conditions become more overcast. It’s a very versatile lens and a great one to go for if you are likely to be skiing in very variable conditions.
- Base Color: Rose
- Light Transmission: 17%
- Contrast: Increased
Images link to Amazon
Prizm Snow Garnet
In the variable category, the Prizm Snow Garnet lens is the lightest and lets through 19% of the light. Again, this makes it a very versatile option and a good one to choose if you’re just carrying one lens with you.
- Base Color: Rose
- Light Transmission: 19%
- Contrast: Increased
Images link to Amazon
Overcast Lenses
There are three lenses in this group:
- Prizm Snow Rose
- Prizm Snow Persimmon
- Prizm Snow Hi Pink
These lenses let through a decent amount of light making them much better for overcast and snowy days. The higher the light transmission percentage, the better the lenses are for whiteout and dark days. They’re not as versatile as the variable range though, as they are too bright when the sky is clear.
Prizm Snow Rose
The Prizm Snow Rose lens lets through 26% of the light, so it’s on the dark side in this overcast category. It’s pretty versatile and although it mainly suits overcast conditions, it’s still a good lens when it gets a bit sunnier compared to the other two options in this group.
- Base Color: Rose
- Light Transmission: 26%
- Contrast: Increased
Images link to Amazon
Prizm Snow Persimmon
The Prizm Snow Persimmon lens is a true overcast lens which works excellently on very cloudy days and when the snow is falling fairly heavily. It’s not that great for sunny conditions though as it lets through 39% of the light, so it’s not as versatile as the Snow Rose lens. It also has an orange base color.
- Base Color: Orange
- Light Transmission: 39%
- Contrast: Increased
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Prizm Snow Hi Pink
The Prizm Snow Hi Pink lens is the lightest in the overcast category and lets through 46% of the light. This makes it perfect for cloudy and snowy conditions but poor when the sun comes out.
- Base Color: Rose
- Light Transmission: 46%
- Contrast: Increased
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Night Lenses
There are two lenses in this category:
- Prizm Snow Clear
- Snow Clear
Clear lenses work the best at night because they let the most amount of light through. They also can be used on whiteout days when the snow is incredibly heavy.
Prizm Snow Clear
The Prizm Snow Clear lens is designed for use in low light and white out conditions. It can be used for night skiing/ snowboarding and still benefits for Prizm technology. It can also be used in overcast conditions but is unsuitable for partially cloudy conditions as it lets too much light through.
- Base Color: Pink
- Light Transmission: 64%
- Contrast: Clear
Images link to Amazon
Snow Clear
The standard Snow Clear lens is the brightest lens in the range and is only suitable for very low lighting. It’s an ideal choice for night skiing/ snowboarding.
- Base Color: Clear
- Light Transmission: 46%
- Contrast: Neutral
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