Bolle Emperor Goggle Review

With the ski and snowboard season getting into full swing, heading out with a dependable pair of goggles is crucial for most of us, including myself.  New this season, the Bolle Emperor Goggle is one of the hot snow goggles in stores and online, and there’s a reason for that.

Bolle Emperor Goggle Performance

While the Bolle Emperor Goggle might look nice in online pictures and on the shelves at your local ski shop, none of that matters unless they actually perform well.  I’ve been able to test these goggles out in a number of winter conditions including nuking snow storms to bluebird 40 degree days in Colorado.  When I look for a set of goggles, I prefer goggles that can work in multiple settings, so I don’t have to worry about switching out goggles for every situation.  One of the biggest pluses in my book about the Bolle Emperor Goggle is that it can comfortably be used in any situation that you can through at it.  From low light to bluebird days and light snow to completely dumping snow, these goggles help to provide you a clear vision. The actual lens color is Rose and it provides 22% light transmission.

As mentioned above, the Emperor Goggle has a large over-sized lens, so this means it provides great coverage while allowing for maximum visibility.  One of the benefits to more coverage is that on cold days, you end up having less skin exposed which is great on those days when temperatures dip below 0 F.

Ventilation

As with most higher end goggles on the market, the Bolle Emperor Goggle have an effective ventilation layout to prevent the lens from fogging up.  There are multiple points where air can move through the duel layer lens including the lower and upper front edges, on top of the goggle between the lens and your forehead, and on the inside of the goggles.  With a double layer thermal lens with a ventilation port, it’s just icing on the cake.  After testing these goggles out in a number different winter conditions, they have never fogged up which is a big plus in my book.

Helmet Compatibility

As most of us use a helmet while skiing and snowboarding, having a goggle that works well with your helmet is super important. I’ve tested the Bolle Emperor Goggle with both the Smith Varient and the Giro Edit.  On both helmets, I found there to be a small gap in between the helmet brim and the top of the goggle.  As you might imagine, I was a little worried about this, but the good news is the gap ended up getting covered by the goggles foam and I didn’t notice any cold air hitting my forehead.  When the gap between the helmet and goggles, also known as a “gaper gap”, is too big, you often get a freezing forehead which can give you a headache or just plain discomfort.

The Bolle Emperor Goggle has a silicone layer on the inside of the strap that allows you to place it on your helmet without worry about it sliding around.  This strip of silicone is really sticky, so I never had to worry about it sliding around.

Other Features

There is a 3 layer foam that is used in the Bolle Emperor Goggle for both comfort and to provide a conforming fit to your face.  The lens on this goggle is scratch resistant, but if you find yourself doing a lot of tree skiing or snowboarding, scratched lenses become a way of life.  I typically spend 50% of my days in the trees and I found there to be a tiny scratch on the Bolle Emperor Goggle lens after a half dozen days out, so it’s not invincible to getting scratched from branches.

Final Thoughts

The Bolle Emperor Goggle is a great all around snow goggle that performs really well in a number of different environmental conditions.  The rose lens makes life a little more rosy and pink and which I am a fan of.  At a price ranging between $80-$100 for these goggles, I find them you’re able to get bang for your buck.

For more information, please visit Bolle.com