We’ve all had that moment on the ski slopes at least once: it’s a once in a lifetime storm day, and you’re measuring powder tracks in feet instead of inches. Then, your goggles decide to fog over and visibility goes to zero. Good bye first tracks; it’s time to hit the lodge and dry out a little bit. Fortunately for you, our friends in Tigard, Oregon, Abominable Labs, have finally solved the biggest buzz killer on the mountain (no, we’re not talking about a new way to sneak your hipster microbrew on the lifts). Meet the F-BOM ski goggle.
Born in late 2014 from a small group of dedicated skiers, inventors, and design engineers, the Abominable Labs team has once and for all answered the problem every skier has with their goggles at least a few times a season. Rather than approaching the problem with the tired out industry standards – anti fog treatments and coatings that wear out – the all new F-BOM’s heated lenses provide crystal clear vision.
Using Abominable’s patented KLAIR™ technology, every pair of F-BOMs utilizes a thin, electricity conducting film sandwiched between an inner and outer lens. When hit with a small electric current from batteries mounted in the goggle’s frame, this film heats up just enough to keep you fog free whether you’re spinning hot laps in the massive terrain parks at Mammoth Mountain or heading out into the Cody Peak backcountry of Jackson Hole. On a high setting, the F-BOM provides continuous heat for up to seven hours; the burst setting turns on the warmth for a quick ten minute blast and saves battery life for a week.
Worried that this is all just a gimmick? Abominable Labs partnered with noted optics powerhouse Carl Zeiss to build a laser cut, scratach proof polycarbonate lens. Their batteries and microcontrollers are housed in a weather proof compartment built into the goggle frame that ensures it stays well balanced weight-wise and will fit your face perfectly. Finally, swapping out the outer lenses can be done on the fly with a couple of quick snaps, making you ready for any light conditions. The future of skiing is looking pretty clear to us. The only downside? They’re not hitting retailers until later this year.
