Smith Snow Goggle Lens Guide: Color Choices Explained

Smith have a range of ChromaPop lenses for you to choose from when you buy their snow goggles, but which colors do you need?

They all vary in terms of their light transmission, making them suitable for different lighting and weather conditions, so in this article I’ll explain the differences between them and which are the best to choose.

There are 16 lenses in the range. Here is a table comparing the visible light transmission (VLT) and ideal lighting/ weather conditions for each lens.

Smith ChromaPop Lens	VLT	Ideal Conditions
Sun Green Mirror	9%	Very bright sun
Sun Black	12%	Bright sun
Sun Platinum Mirror	13%	Bright sun
Sun Mirror Red	13%	Bright sun
Sun Black Gold Mirror	13%	Bright sun
Everyday Rose Gold Mirror	22%	Sun & clouds
Everyday Green Mirror	23%	Sun & clouds
Everyday Violet Mirror	23%	Sun & clouds
Everyday Red Mirror	23%	Sun & clouds
Everyday Photochromic Rose Flash	30%	Overcast
Everyday Rose	36%	Overcast
Storm Rose Flash	50%	Heavy snow
Storm Blue Sensor Mirror	55%	Heavy snow
Storm Yellow Flash	65%	Heavy snow/ night
Storm Amber	67%	Heavy snow/ night
Clear	89%	Night

Images below link to Amazon

Smith Lens System Explained

There are four types of lenses in the Smith line-up:

• Sun
• Everyday
• Storm
• Clear

These lenses are categorised according to their visible light transmission, more commonly known as VLT.

VLT refers to the amount of light that a lens allows to pass through it as a percentage. The rating can be between 1% and 100%. The higher the percentage, the more light is allowed to pass through the lens.

• For bright and sunny conditions, a lower VLT percentage is best
• For cloudy and dark conditions, a higher VLT percentage is best

You will also notice that some Smith lenses have “mirror” in the name. This has nothing to do with the VLT, but just how the lens looks to other people. Mirror lenses of course do not show your eyes as much compared to standard lenses which are a bit more transparent to other people.

There are also two photochromic lenses in the range:

• Everyday Photochromic Rose Flash
• Everyday Photochromic Red Mirror (note: there is also a non-photochromic version of this lens)

Photochromic lenses are able to adapt to the lighting conditions, so are ideal when transitioning from light to dark.

Smith ChromaPop Lenses

In this section I’ll take you through the different groups of Smith ChromaPop snow goggle lenses:

• Sun
• Everyday
• Storm
• Clear

Sun Lenses

There are five “sun” lenses, which have a VLT of 9%-13% which is ideal for bright conditions:

• Sun Green Mirror (9% VLT)
• Sun Black (12% VLT)
• Sun Platinum Mirror (13% VLT)
• Sun Mirror Red (13% VLT)
• Sun Black Gold Mirror (13% VLT)

The VLT on all these lenses is very similar, however Sun Green Mirror is the most extreme with a VLT of just 9% so is only really designed for very bright days. The other lenses are again best for sunny days, but will still be okay if you get the occasional cloud.

Images below link to Amazon.

Everyday Lenses

These lenses are ideal for mixed conditions, where there will be some sun and clouds. They’re the most versatile lens. There are five “everyday” lenses which have a VLT of 22%-36%:

• Everyday Rose Gold Mirror (22% VLT)
• Everyday Green Mirror (23% VLT)
• Everyday Violet Mirror (23% VLT)
• Everyday Red Mirror (23% VLT)
• Everyday Photochromic Rose Flash (30%)
• Everyday Rose (36% VLT)

The lenses with a 22%-23% VLT range are best for relatively light days where there is still some sun breaking through the clouds. For more cloudy conditions, the Photochromatic Rose Flash and Everyday Rose lenses are a better choice.

Images below link to Amazon.

Storm Lenses

There are four “storm” lenses which have a VLT of 50%-67%, making them ideal for lower visibility conditions such as overcast weather, whiteouts and night-time:

• Storm Rose Flash (50% VLT)
• Storm Blue Sensor Mirror (55% VLT)
• Storm Yellow Flash (65% VLT)
• Storm Amber (67% VLT)

The Storm Rose Flash and Storm Blue Sensor Mirror lenses let in slightly less light, so are better for overcast weather and early mornings/ late evenings where the light is pretty low. The Storm Yellow Flash and Storm Amber lenses are ideal if there is very heavy snow, or can be used at night-time.

Images below link to Amazon.

Clear Lenses

Smith also have a clear lens which has a VLT of 89% and is designed for night-skiing. This lens lets the most light through so should only be used when visibility is very poor.

Which Smith ChromaPop Lens Should I Use?

Most Smith snow goggles come with two lenses, allowing you to adapt to different lighting conditions. There are three combos you can choose from:

• Sun + Everyday
• Storm + Everyday
• Sun + Storm

Sun + Everyday

This is a good combo which allows you to ski in most conditions. I’d suggest going with either the Everyday Photochromic Rose Flash (30%) or Everyday Rose (36% VLT) if you pair it with a sun lens, as these “Everyday” lenses have the highest VLT in this category so give you a bit more versatility. The “Sun” lenses all have a similar VLT so it doesn’t really matter which you pick.

Storm + Everyday

Again, this is a versatile combo. I’d suggest going with an “Everyday” lens with a lower VLT such as the Rose Gold, Green, Violet and Red which have a VLT of 22%-23%, as opposed to “Everyday” lenses with a VLT of over 30% as these will not give you as much versatility when paired with a “Storm” lens.

Sun + Storm

I personally wouldn’t recommend this pairing as much as I think it’s a good idea to have an “Everyday” lens for more versatility. If you go for this combo, choose the less extreme Sun and Storm lens options, otherwise you’ll struggle more in partially cloudy conditions. Try going for a Storm Rose Flash (50%) with one of the “Sun” lenses with a 13% VLT if you choose this combo.

Are Smith ChromaPop lenses polarized?

Standard Smith ChromaPop lenses are not polarized, however you can get “ChromaPop Polarized” lenses. If you are looking for polarized lenses, make sure it says it in the lens name otherwise it will not be polarized.