The Scott Ambit Goggles delivered comfort and style, an ideal companion for the full gamut of conditions skiing in the Northeast this winter.
A pair of goggles can make or break your ski day. Vision is everything on the hill, and there’s nothing more frustrating than fogged up goggles on a powder day or getting knocked off your feet in changing light.
Being based in the Northeast, I’m always on the lookout for my nemesis: ice. I despise the feeling of unknowingly hitting a patch and having my feet taken out from underneath me. Thankfully, with the Scott Ambit Goggles, I felt equipped with clarity for whatever the mountain hit me with. I put the Ambit goggles to the test across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New York, in everything from bright bluebird sun to flat-light storm days.
The shape of the Scott Ambit Goggles optimizes field of view while sitting comfortably along my face.
First off, the Ambit’s field of view is top notch. My peripheral vision felt uninhibited, and even though the frame sat closer to my face, it was still comfortable. The frame is paired with Scott’s freeform lens, which is very wide horizontally and has a subtle curve towards the bottom. It’s a clever design because the lens visually reads like a flatter cylindrical lens, but has the optical aspects of a spherical lens. Personally, I don’t like the look of overly bulbous and curved lenses that you see a ton of right now—it’s hard not to feel like a bug wearing those kinds of goggles, which is why I’ve leaned towards more streamlined goggles. With the Ambit, you get both: the style of a flatter lens, but an increased field of view. I tested both the standard and compact goggle sizes. My size preference leaned towards the standard, and the compact is designed as an option for smaller faces.
Another standout quality of the Ambit is its Amplifier Lens Technology, designed to enhance the the contrast and clarity of the lens. I noticed this feature later in the day at Berkshire East, MA, as the day went on and the snow surface got chopped up, revealing my icy foe lurking underneath the packed powder. The amplifier helped me spot subtle variations in the snow, especially effective when skiing in the shadows. I tested both the Aurora Green Chrome S1 lens and the Lavender Chrome S3, and often found myself using the S1 lens the most, since many of my favorite runs are in the shadows.
The Ambit's Aurora Green Chrome S1 lens proved to be the perfect companion for graybird days at Berkshire East, MA.
One of my favorite aspects of the Ambit is its 3-layer molded face foam. It’s very comfortable and does an excellent job at mitigating moisture thanks to a special microfiber layer. I especially noticed this on a wetter powder day where the snow soaked us from head to toe. The Ambit, however, stayed dry, which also kept the goggles from fogging.
Lastly, the Ambit comes at a reasonable price point of $150, but its optical clarity, shape, and design make it a worthy competitor to higher-end goggles. The one trade-off for the price is the lack of magnets for quickly swapping lenses. Instead, the Ambit uses a snapping system where you pull the top and bottom of the frame to unclick the lens, and it’s a straightforward process to switch the lenses out.
For those looking for a high-quality goggle without breaking the bank, the Scott Ambit Goggle is ideal. The Ambit’s tech and style make it a cherished addition to my ski kit, ensuring I can navigate the most unpredictable East Coast surfaces.
The Scott Ambit Goggle is available in seven different colorways and retails for $150.
A high-quality goggle at a reasonable price point, the Scott Ambit is a solid addition to any ski kit. Photo: Katie Lozancich