Sand & Style: How to Choose Burning Man Goggles

Whether it’s your first year on the playa or you’re a seasoned veteran, you’ll quickly realize that goggles are a must. There’s a LOT to see in the desert at burning man, between the art, the people, and… everything else. So especially if you wear glasses or contact lenses, choosing a good (and stylish) pair of goggles is a big identity choice for the week!

You can trade (or give) every bit of your clothing away, but your goggles are your life blood– the only thing between you and a face full of sand and misery. Here, we break down the different “looks” of goggles you can choose from, and which ones provide the best coverage and fit– especially for those who wear eyeglasses.

Standard Ski goggles

Ski goggles offer the most coverage, and are ubiquitous. You can scrounge up an old pair from your winter clothes, or you can pick up a new, colorful pair to break in on the desert floor. The OutdoorMaster OTG (over-the-glasses) are big enough for eyeglasses to fit underneath comfortably– perfect for those who don’t want to mess around with contact lenses.

Slim Goggles

If you have a smaller head, have some awesome face paint you’re going to want to show off, or want to leave room for a mask that covers your mouth (handy for windy days), you might look into some slimmer goggles like these. DIY decorations are encouraged on all your goggles (see left), however these are a little too small to fit over eyeglasses, FYI. They’re cheap enough to pick up a couple, be it for friends or as backups.

Vintage Aviator Goggles

The vintage look is always popular and leaves a lot of flat surface on the lens to glue/attach other great decoration like jewels or spikes. They give a steam-punk feel without going too far, and have a super comfy face pad. What we like about these is the wide field of view you have, and when you’re not wearing them, they sit pretty flat on top of your head.

Welding/steampunk goggles

The individual lenses are an awesome look, and can also fit within a steampunk vibe. If you’re looking for this style and don’t like the two models below, try googling “welding goggles”, but beware– real welding goggles have extremely dark tinted lenses that are difficult to see through on a normal sunny day. For an added effect, you can cover the actual lenses with painters tape, and spray paint the outer rims to give a more aged or weathered look.

Big/Bugeyed Goggles

The desert is a wild and weird place, man, and we’re all just bugs on this big floating rock, right? If you want to go big and bold, check out the bug-eyed goggles. As far as burning man goggles go, these are fairly common and provide a good amount of coverage, so if you have a small face, prepare to be enveloped. It goes without saying, but any goggle with two separate eye sockets won’t be able to fit comfortably over prescription glasses.

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