Review: The 4 Best Basketball Goggles for Safety and Training

stoudemire — New York Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire

Basketball isn’t a harmless sport– when the stakes are high and elbows are flying, it can get a little rough, especially if you have prior injuries. Protective basketball glasses are used by many recreational and professional players (most notably Amar’e Stoudemire, who suffered a detached retina early in his career).

What to look for in Basketball Goggles

Above all else, your goggles should be impact-proof, comfortable, and secure. Beyond that, players will want a pair that fights fog effectively (has adequate air flow), and provides the widest field of view.

The following protective goggles offer the best balance of protection and comfort for basketball players of all ages.

1. Pyramex I-Force

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While these Pyramex glasses are not specifically designed to be basketball glasses, they are at the top of our list because they are well-built, comfortable safety glasses that fogged up the least of all the models we tried on the court. The strap connections are secure, yet easily removable for cleaning, and it’s the only goggle on the list that features a dual pane with a foam lining, which is highly effective at preventing condensation.

If you’re using glasses to protect your eyes from basketball, chances are you may need protection during other activities as well. The Pyramex I-force are great for sports, but also useful for construction and other outdoor activities.

2. HEAD Impulse

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What you’re getting with these protective eyewear is maximum peripheral vision and clarity at a low price at around $8. These are used mainly as racquetball glasses, but they function well for basketball too. We’d recommend these if you’re a casual weekend player or trying to temporarily protect a recent injury or eye surgery. Because these are more like glasses rather than goggles, they may not be as sturdy and face-fitting as others on the list. But again, they provide the widest field of view. If these polycarbonate lenses are what you’re leaning towards, consider picking up an anti-fog solution for a couple bucks.

3. Mincl Basketball Sports Glasses

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These Mincl sports glasses are designed for sports like basketball, volleyball, and soccer – really any sport that you might be tagged in the face by a ball. What makes them suited for that is the durable rubber padding on the interior of the frame and nose bridge, effectively absorbing high impacts.

Some players will enjoy the fact that you can put prescription lenses in these frames, although you’ll probably need to take it to an optometrist to get fitted. The design of the pads on the inside keeps a permanent spacing between your face and the lenses, which helps to fight fog. Be warned that your peripheral vision will not be as open as clear as the HEAD Impulse sports glasses above.

4: Dribbling Goggles (Training Aid)

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While they may look like the other basketball goggles on the list, these serve a completely different purpose. For a mere $4, you can pick up one of the most effective dribbling training tools. When a player wears these, the bottom third of their vision field is blocked by the plastic, meaning you can only dribble the ball by instinct and feel– not by sight. This allows growing players to focus on looking up at their teammates, opponents, and potential routes, rather than down at the ball.

Dribbling goggles are one of the most effective training tools to have in your possession, and can be used completely alone or as a team running drills.