Oakley Prizm lens technology changed eyewear with its contrast-enhancing features. And now Oakley Prizm Snow Black Iridium takes that technology to the next level, specifically tuning your lenses to ski and snow conditions.
Keep reading for our complete Oakley Prizm Snow Black Lens review, and everything to know about this lens before you buy!
Table of Contents
What is Oakley Prizm Snow Black Lens?
Oakley Prizm Snow Black is a part of Oakley’s Prizm Snow lenses, specifically designed to provide contrast-enhancing on the mountain. These lenses use the same great Oakley Prizm lens technology found in Oakley sunglasses but are specifically tuned for snow conditions.
And, Prizm Snow Black provides a 5.5% Visual Light Transmission, the darkest of any Prizm Snow lens, and is perfect for sunny days and bright light conditions.
Prizm Snow Black Features
- Snow-specific contrast-enhancing technology backed by decades of color science research
- Optimized visibility to help you easily spot snow contours and hazards in the terrain while skiing or snowboarding
- Rose base tint that helps provide a warm appearance to your environment
- 5.5% VLT designed for sunny or bright overcast days
- Features an Iridium coating that provides a mirrored effect, shielding your eyes from other riders
- Made of impact-resistant Plutonite lens material that blocks 100% UVA, UVB, and UVC rays
What color is Prizm Snow Black?
Oakley Prizm Snow Black has a gray/black appearance when looking at the outside of the lens.
But this lens has a pink-ish red tint when looking through the lens (e.g wearing the lens). This is thanks to Prizm Snow Black’s rose lens base that’s designed to provide an optimized experience.
Prizm Black Iridium vs. Prizm Snow Black
You may already be familiar with Prizm Black lenses in Oakley sunglasses, and while there are similarities between the sunglasses version and Prizm Snow Black found in goggles, there are also some key differences.
To start, both lenses offer a similar black/grey appearance from the outside, although Prizm Snow Black’s iridium coating appears a bit more mirrored than its sunglasses brother.
But that’s about where the similarities end.
First, Prizm Snow Black’s 5.5% VLT is darker than Prizm Black’s 11% light transmission. While the difference isn’t very noticeable, Snow Black’s dark tint is definitely welcomed on sunny bluebird days. And this makes sense since black is one of the best lens colors for skiing in bright conditions.
The other noteworthy difference between these lenses is the rose base tint in Prizm Snow Black providing a warm look to your snowy environment. Compare this to Prizm Black’s grey base color as a part of the Everyday lens collection.
Prizm Snow Black Lens Review
Our Review Gear
For our review, we tried out a pair of Oakley Flight Tracker goggles with Prizm Snow Black lenses on a bright sunny day and overall loved this lens.
Keep reading for our full review, including what we wish Oakley would change about this lens.
Initial Impressions and Review
As we mentioned, when we took our Prizm Snow Black lens out for the day, it was pretty bright and sunny. These were perfect conditions for this lens considering this is Oakley’s darkest Prizm Snow lens.
And it definitely showed.
While we’ve been very happy with other Oakley lenses like Prizm Snow Sapphire and Jade for everyday conditions, putting on Snow Black definitely reminded us of the need for dark tints.
Especially on our sunny day, the impact of this lens was obvious. From the minute we put this lens on we could clearly see even with a lot of glare reflecting from the snow.
And while we loved this lens, we almost wish Oakley would offer it without the rose base tint. Now, don’t get us wrong, the rose base tint is great at brightening your environment with a red-ish hue. But for a lens designed for bright sunny conditions and a high VLT, the warmth of the base tint kind of goes against that idea.
We’d love to see a Prizm Snow Black variance with a grey base lens color, similar to the sunglasses version, to provide maximum tint.
Are They Worth It – Our Recommendation?
Overall, we loved this lens and would recommend it for any skiers/snowboarders who prefer dark tints or often find themselves in bright sunny conditions.
The 5.5% VLT combined with Prizm snow technology really helped this lens perform on the mountain. And despite the dark tint, we had no issues spotting shadows, sticks, and pine needles on our runs.
But, if you’re looking for one lens to use in a variety of conditions (think sunny, overcast, or snow), we’d recommend Prizm Snow Sapphire, Jade, or Torch Iridium. These lenses will perform better in a variety of conditions like overcast and snow compared to the dark tint of Snow Black.
Top Oakley Prizm Snow Black Goggles
Flight Tracker
Our review pair for this lens, the Oakley Flight Tracker (Product Link) has an oversized full-rim toric design providing a large field of view. And these are one of our favorite Oakley snowboarding goggles thanks to a wide variety of size options for the perfect fit.
Flight Tracker Features
- Oversized full-rim lens design provides maximum vision coverage
- Designed to integrate seamlessly with most ski/snow helmets on the market
- Available in Small, Medium and Large sizes for every face shape (See more in our Oakley Goggles Size guide)
Flight Deck
Oakley Flight Deck (Product Link) goggles feature a modern rimless frame design with a wide silicone-lined strap for a secure fit. And this frame features Oakley’s Ridgelock lens change technology allowing you to easily swap between lenses on the mountain.
Read more in our complete Oakley Flight Deck review.
Flight Deck Highlights
- Rimless design provides a wide field of view so you can see in every direction
- Oakley Ridgelock technology for fast and easy Prizm lens changes while providing a complete lens seal
- Discreet frame notches provide comfortable compatibility with prescription eyewear
Line Miner
The Line Miner (Product Link) is one of the most comfortable Oakley goggles thanks to its triple-layer face foam and snug fit. Plus these goggles are available in 3 sizes; small, medium, and large, meaning you can find the perfect fit for any head size.
Read more in our complete Oakley Line Miner review.
Line Miner Highlights
- Classic cylindrical style design that provides maximum peripheral vision
- Made of lightweight O Matter material that molds to your face even in very cold and harsh conditions
- Meets impact requirements based on ANSI Z87.1 compliance and EN 166 standards
Fall Line
The Oakley Fall Line (Product Link) goggle combines a rimless and cylindrical design for a tight fit that provides wide peripheral vision. Plus these goggles have the added benefit of being compatible with most helmets and prescription eyewear. And with a variety of sizes available, the Oakley Fall line works well for just about any skiers or snowboarders.
Read more in our complete Oakley Fall Line ski review.
Fall Line Highlights
- Triple-layer face foam with a moisture-wicking polar fleece liner for all day comfort
- F3 Anti-fog coating so you can see clearly on the mountain
- Oakley Ridgelock technology so you can change lenses for a variety of light conditions
Where to Buy Oakley Prizm Snow Black Iridium Goggles?
Your first stop when buying Oakley Prizm goggles is likely your local ski or snow store. And this is often your best bet to try on your goggles and lenses before buying.
But if you’re looking to save on your purchase you may want to shop around.
That’s because you can often save 20-30% off new Oakley goggles online with only a few seconds of work.
Oakley will typically offer up to 30% off goggles during their seasonal sales, although certain colors and styles may be excluded. Check out our full Oakley sales guide for more information including when the next sale is.
And if you don’t want to wait for a sale, you’re still in luck. You can often buy Oakley Prizm lenses and goggles online for 20-30% off through aftermarket sites like our Oakley Forum Exchange and eBay. For more information, check out our guide to never paying retail again for Oakleys.
Have a Question?
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