There I was on my dream ski trip to Kitzbuhel, Austria, and it was raining. I hunkered under the hood of my ski jacket and giggled at the irony of taking a trip from Colorado’s epic winter of 2023 to visit Europe for some of the worst snow conditions in years. My wife and I reached the end of the chairlift and turned downhill, onto a narrow white strip of death as rain pelted down.
But there on the horizon, below us, was a rainbow, its vivid colors popping brightly through my Bollé TORUS NEO goggles. We yelled to each other and started to laugh as we ripped turns down into the valley, a rainbow bright overhead, the snow suddenly firm corn saturated by the spring rain.
Three laps later, I was grinning ear to ear. Sure, the ski conditions generally sucked. But it really didn’t matter. I was having the time of my life.
And I’d argue that excellent goggles played a part, allowing me clear vision even though they were saturated with water. But that was just one day of testing. I skied in the Bollé TORUS NEO for about a week in spring 2023, and these goggles quickly rose among the ranks of my test pairs to be one of my favorite goggles of 2023. See how they compare to other top models in our Best Ski Goggles Buyer’s Guide.
In short: The Bollé TORUS NEO is a premium ski goggle with performance and price to match. It has top-shelf lenses that provide outstanding visual clarity and color rendering in variable conditions. The lens change system is easy and secure. And they fit comfortably on average to large faces.
- Best for: Premier all-around goggles for any conditions
- Lenses: 2
- Frame size: Large
- Lens shape: Spherical
Pros
- Highly effective anti-fog
- Extra-wide field of view
- Easy, secure lens interchange
- Comfortable
Cons
- Expensive
- Too large for smaller faces
Bollé TORUS NEO Review
Let’s get this out of the way early — the Bollé TORUS NEO is a pricey pair of goggles. They retail for $300 a pair for the Carmine Red Matte model I tested, which includes the Volt Ice Blue Cat 3 and Light Vermillon Blue Cat 1 lenses.
And I would argue they are worth every penny, so long as they fit your face and helmet well. Here are the measurements for the NEO:
- Lens width: 173 mm
- Lens height: 97 mm
- Frame width: 182 mm
- Frame height: 101 mm
First, I think ski goggles are a splurge-worthy product if you can afford them. A pair of good ski goggles will last you for years if you care for them and keep them in a soft storage case. And ultimately, that means you will either have a pair of goggles you love — or don’t love — for years.
The Bollé TORUS NEO falls into the “love” category for me. I skied in them in conditions ranging from cloudy with flat light and cold, through light snow, and into balmy spring rains. They never fogged up. In cold conditions, they kept my face and eyes warm. But in warmer conditions, and even in pretty heavy rain, they didn’t fog and allowed enough ventilation to quickly dry.
While it’s hard to judge durability over the course of just a few months of use, the Bollé TORUS NEO looked close to new after about 6 days of skiing, plus a trip to Europe in a backpack. I have had excellent luck with higher-end Bollé goggles over the year and would expect these to hold up well for at least a couple of seasons with proper care.
2 Lenses Are Included
As I mentioned, the package includes the Volt Ice Blue Cat 3 and Light Vermillon Blue Cat 1 lenses. Both are protected with an anti-fog and anti-scratch coating.
The Volt collection offers increased contrast and color enhancement by 30%. I used the Volt Ice Blue Cat 3 lens almost exclusively, other than checking out the Light Vermillon Blue Cat 1 lens when trying on the lenses. I have no idea why it’s called “Ice Blue,” as the lens is definitely more pink to the eye.
This Cat 3 lens allows visible light transmission (VLT) of 16%. That makes this a good all-around lens for most skiing conditions outside of storms. I used it from bright sunny days through the aforementioned rain storm with great success.
The Light Vermillon Blue is a Cat 1 lens, which is really just for very cloudy or storm days. I didn’t have a good case for testing this lens during my trial period, but it looks good and bright and should work in low-light conditions well.
Bollé TORUS NEO: Lens Interchange System
The TORUS NEO uses Bollé’s magnetic EyeLatch system coupled with its premium frame and toric lens for an extra-wide field of view. The combination is a winner in my book. But that’s not to say that I used it a lot.
While I understand the desire for many people to have interchangeable lenses, they’re not a must-have in my book. But if you do want the ability to switch lenses, or maybe more importantly, replace lenses in the event of wear or scratching, this system is rock solid.
To use it, you just flip up a little tab on the front, in the center of the lens near the top. Once flipped up, you can easily remove the lens without touching the clear surface. It’s easy and intuitive, yet very secure. For example, there is no way the lens will fly off in a crash. The tab holds it very firmly and requires quite a bit of force to flip open.
Bollé TORUS NEO: Excellent High-End Snow Goggles
So, should you buy the TORUS NEO for yourself? To me, it comes down to a matter of fit. Bollé calls these a large fit, and with 173mm width, I agree that they are rather big. However, they are definitely not the most oversized goggles I tested, and I expect those with average to large faces will wear them well.
Just be sure to check the fit with your helmet before finalizing your purchase. I tested these with a Sweet Protection Grimner 2Vi and found the fit very good, but not quite perfect. It indeed performed very well and left very little gap.
Beyond that, if you’re looking for a versatile snow goggle that provides excellent color enhancement and depth perception in all kinds of snow conditions, the Bollé TORUS NEO is a great choice. And no, they don’t have windshield wipers for rain storms, but from what I could tell, they didn’t even need them.
