

At least for me - I’m an intermediate/advanced skier who recognizes there are many levels of advanced still well beyond my personal skill level and tolerance for risk. While skiing, I can see my skis more easily, but frankly, I tend to look ahead to where I want to go - usually searching for the best snow - so I can’t technically connect the vertical FOV to better skiing performance. It’s just a bit easier to get into and out of pockets. In particular, I appreciate the extra vertical field of view the most when I’m on the chairlift. The extra field of view helps.Įven parents of older kids with phones will spend a lot of time retrieving and stowing their phones to answer questions and keep track of everyone. Why? Because you’re constantly getting into pockets and adjusting things on the lift. The Smith 4D MAG Goggles should be considered must-have gear for all parents skiing with small children. as well as deal with anything and everything that might break, open or just feel annoying to a kid. If a parent’s hands get cold, it’s a lot harder to help kids get their mittens back on and adjust their helmets, adjust their skis, adjust their boots, adjust their socks.

Why? You’re going to have to take your gloves off a lot if you have kids. When it comes to parents, ski gear performance is critical because it lets you more easily manage tired, frustrated, and distracted kids on the hill.įor example, parents need great ski gloves or ski mittens. Meanwhile, I think the Smith 4D MAG is potentially most important for parents of young skiers. The Must-Have Goggle for Parents? The Smith 4D MAG goggles fit the profile of Smith helmets and work with Smith’s ventilation system perfectly - including the entry-level Smith Mission in the photo above. The Smith 4D MAG goggles definitely reduce my irritation at finding zippers and zipper pulls on unfamiliar new ski jackets. For me, it makes it a bit easier to buckle and unbuckle my boots, as well as get into and out of pockets in my ski jacket shells and layers.Īdmittedly, because I’m often testing and reviewing new gear, I likely access and mess with pockets a bit more frequently than the average guy. The lens is curved inward, and it lets you more easily see down without needing to bend your neck as much as you do with other goggles. What sets the 4D MAG apart from the goggle competition, however, is the shape of lens at the bottom. The horizontal field of view is also very wide - and it’s particularly good for a goggle that’s not overly bulky in size.


The most important design element of the 4D MAG goggle is Smith’s ‘BirdsEye Vision’ design that increases the vertical field of view. After skiing with the 4D MAG through various on-the-mountain conditions during the testing process, this is what we learned: Increased Vertical Field of View The curve at the lower edge of the Smith 4D MAG delivers increased field of view when glancing down. To get us a closer look, Smith sent Man Makes Fire a 4D MAG review unit with ChromaPop Sun Red Mirror and ChromaPop Storm Yellow Flash lenses. Essentially, the 4D MAG Goggles are designed to make buckling boots and finding zippers easy - but they come at a premium price point, which begs the question: Are the 4D MAG goggles worth it? I really like Smith goggles because of the rear strap clip which makes them really easy to put on and remove no matter whether you’re wearing a helmet or a beanie.The Smith 4D MAG Googles are a high-quality snow goggle that delivers a massive field of view - especially when looking down. I tested the 4D Mag goggles at the Ski Test and found they fitted my small-to-medium sized face perfectly. For some this will translate to better landing sighting when hucking cliffs whilst for others it will enable slightly more low key but equally as important routines such as faff-free hood cinching, ruffled neck gaiter sorting and rapid cleaning of goulash dollops that have unwittingly deposited themselves on your jacket over lunch. Smith claim it expands the overall field of view by up to 25% over their I/O Mag goggles, and whilst we can’t verify those figures exactly, we can confirm you definitely get a bigger and better picture of what’s going on out on the hill. Smith’s brand spankingly new 4D Mag goggles with Chromapop interchangeable lens technology come with BirdsEye vision which not only sounds cool as all hell, it actually works! This snazzy sounding tech basically amounts to a new lens shape that curves all the way below the regular line of sight, creating a whopping and supremely welcome increase in overall field of vision.
