Sungod Vanguards goggles review: pick’n’mix from a kaleidoscope of frames, straps and lenses

Get creative customizing your Sungod Vanguards – they offer a great field of vision and should last ages thanks to a lifetime guarantee

Sungod Vanguards
(Image: © Sungod)

Advnture Verdict

Have fun customizing the Vanguards to get your perfect lens hue, then use your goggles again and again – they’re designed to last.

Pros

  • +

    Customize to suit your needs

  • +

    Good field of vision

  • +

    Can be repaired and there’s a lifetime guarantee

  • +

    Comfy stay-put strap

Cons

  • -

    Spare lens not included

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Sungod Vanguards: first impressions

Sungod Vanguards are fully customizable when you order them online, allowing you to pick a lens tint from eight options ranging from 9%-38% VLT, then play around to find your favorite frame and strap colors.

The customization process is easy and good fun, and Sungod have a handy online guide to different lens hues in case you aren’t sure what you need (for more tips see: How to choose ski goggles for optimal visibility and protection). 

But how did they far under test conditions for our Best Ski Goggles buying guide? Read on…

Specifications

RRP: $149 (US) / £110 (UK)
• Frame colors: Five frame colors and 25 strap designs available
• Lens: Eight lenses available: VLT 9% / 11% / 17% / 21% / 23% / 38%
• Lens colors: Multiple
• Sizes: Medium
• Compatibility: A great all-rounder for all levels, designed to last

Sungod Vanguards: on the slopes

Sungod Vanguards

Your life should be fog-up free with the Sungod Vanguards (Image credit: Sungod)

Once they arrive, the custom Vanguards are comfy to wear, and changing lenses is also pleasingly easy – lenses clip in and out of the frame quickly (although a spare lens isn’t included, they’re available for £55). 

The lens of the Vanguards is on the large side, and offers a great, unimpeded field of vision. Wide vents avoid any fog buildup (but feel free to check out How to stop ski goggles from fogging if your current pair aren’t as effective in this area) and the curved top of the lens fits nicely under a helmet – no goggle gap here. The strap is comfortable and stays put over both a helmet and a bobble hat. 

The Vanguards are here for a long time, too – they’re covered by a lifetime guarantee against breakage, and can be returned for repair from anywhere in the world. You can also buy spare straps and frames as well as lenses, so you can easily keep them good as new for decades of ski trips. 

We’ve been able to give the Vanguards a longer-term test than most models, and they’ve been sturdy and reliable on multiple mountain adventures – they’re tough enough to stash in a pocket and have stayed scratch and fog-free. 

Sian Lewis

An award-winning travel and outdoors journalist, presenter and blogger, Sian regularly writes for The Independent, Evening Standard, BBC Countryfile, Coast, Outdoor Enthusiast and Sunday Times Travel. Life as a hiking, camping, wild-swimming adventure-writer has taken her around the world, exploring Bolivian jungles, kayaking in Greenland, diving with turtles in Australia, climbing mountains in Africa and, in Thailand, learning the hard way that peeing on a jellyfish sting doesn’t help. Her blog, thegirloutdoors.co.uk, champions accessible adventures.