Tips for doing mountain sports if you wear glasses

Mountain sports with goggles / photo: Ben Kitching (unsplash)
Mountain sports with goggles / photo: Ben Kitching (unsplash)

Wearing glasses is something that our body gets used to, but it is also true that there are times, such as when practising sport, when things get complicated. In that case, our favourite glasses can become a real ordeal. What tips can we put into practice to make it more bearable? Thanks to many professionals, such as, for example, the Vision Direct shop suitable products are available such as contact lenses at a good priceand, of course, other products to take care of your eye health. But there's so much more we can do - take note!

What to choose?

This is one of the first questions you may ask yourself if you need glasses and you like to practice mountain sports: whether to choose contact lenses or glasses. A lot will depend on the sport you do, because if you go climbing, you may need to wear contact lenses so that you can put on glasses to protect your eyesight. 

If you choose to wear glasses, you should take into account the type of sport and the material they are made of: they should be light and resistant and able to protect your eyes from impacts, polycarbonate would be a suitable choice for sports glasses.

Lenses with UV protection 

Both our skin and eyes need protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays. When doing mountain sports, your eyes are exposed to the outdoors and the sun. Sunlight has varying degrees of intensity, so you should be aware that the hours with the highest intensity are the most damaging to your eye health. 

Wearing contact lenses with UV protection protects your eyes by preventing UV rays from penetrating your vision, protecting your eyes from adverse effects while giving you clearer vision. 

Soft contact lenses 

Soft contact lenses are made of a very flexible material, which makes them more comfortable and better adapted to the cornea. 

Today's contact lenses, especially silicone hydrogel lenses, allow more oxygen to reach the eye and are more breathable than hard contact lenses. This is why they have become so popular with sportsmen and women.

It is quite easy to find the right soft contact lenses, as they can be found as daily, weekly or monthly contact lenses. It all depends on your needs and the sport you do. 

How to make the right choice? 

If, due to the type of sport you practice, you have decided to wear contact lenses but you are still hesitating, here are some tips to choose the most convenient option for you.

–    Contact lenses offer the advantages of freedom of movement and cover more field of vision than glasses, which improves our sporting performance.

–    Contact lenses are safer for mountain sports, as you don't run the risk of constantly falling or slipping, and if you have to wear a helmet or other equipment, they make it easier to be comfortable. 

- If you opt for wearing glassesOne of the advantages is that there are shock-resistant, water-repellent and UV-filtered lenses (remember that UV rays don't only affect you in summer). Polarised and photochromic lenses will help you to have good vision regardless of the weather or the sun, as they adapt to it. 

- Goggles are a good option if you want to practice sports such as mountain biking, as they will protect your eyes from any external elements (insects, stones, branches, etc.). 

The best thing to do is to analyse your situation, what your vision is like, the type of mountain sport you do and what makes you feel most comfortable. Then you can make the right choice.