Magnetic Ski Goggles
Every Corlin goggle takes Italian magnetic lenses that lift off and drop back in seconds — no tools, no bending the frame, gloves on. Two frames, nineteen lenses, and a Category 3 lens already fitted in the box. Change the lens when the light changes, instead of owning a second pair of goggles.
What are magnetic ski goggles?
Magnetic ski goggles hold the lens with magnets set into the frame instead of clips or notches. The lens pulls straight off and seats itself back in a few seconds, with gloves on, so a single pair of goggles covers bright sun, flat light and night skiing. Corlin's Claude and Reuben frames both use this system — nine lenses fit Claude, ten fit Reuben.
Which lenses fit Claude, and which fit Reuben
This is the one thing to get right before ordering. The two frames take different lens shapes, so each is a closed system: Claude lenses fit Claude frames, Reuben lenses fit Reuben frames. There is no cross-compatibility, and no adapter.
Both frames are priced the same and both ship with a Category 3 lens fitted. The choice between them is shape, finish and how many spare lenses you want to pick from — Reuben has ten, Claude has nine.
The two frames
Claude and Reuben. Same price, same Category 3 lens in the box, different shape and finish.
The Claude lens range
Nine magnetic lenses, Category 1 to 3 plus a clear. All fit every Claude frame.
| Category | Lenses | Light |
|---|---|---|
| Cat 1 | Orange, Pink, Green | Cloud, snowfall and dusk |
| Cat 2 | Blue, Silver Pink | Mixed and changing light |
| Cat 3 | Black, Silver, Copper Grey | Sun, glare and altitude |
| Clear | Clear | Overcast days and night skiing |
The Reuben lens range
Ten magnetic lenses, Category 1 to 3 plus a clear. All fit every Reuben frame.
| Category | Lenses | Light |
|---|---|---|
| Cat 1 | Orange, Pink | Cloud, snowfall and dusk |
| Cat 2 | Forest Green, Pink Yellow | Mixed and changing light |
| Cat 3 | Black, Brown, Light Blue, Silver ● mirrored, Revo Orange ● mirrored | Sun, glare and altitude |
| Clear | Clear | Overcast days and night skiing |
Every lens carries UV400 and an anti-fog layer, including the clear one. The category tells you how much light the lens cuts — not how much protection it gives.
How the magnetic lens system works
Magnets are set into the frame around the lens seat. The lens carries the matching points, so it only sits one way round — you do not have to line up a clip or find a notch.
Lift
Hold the frame at the edges and pull the lens away from the centre. It releases from the magnets without flexing the frame.
Align
Hold the new lens with the curve matching the frame. The magnets do the aiming — bring it close and it pulls itself into place.
Set
Press lightly around the edge until the lens sits flush against the frame the whole way round. That is the swap done.
Swapping a lens on the chairlift
The reason a magnetic system matters is that light on a mountain does not wait for you to get back to the car. Cloud rolls in over one run; the sun comes out over the next.
The swap is designed to work with gloves on and without laying anything down. Keep the spare lens in the faux-leather case in a jacket pocket, take the goggles off at the lift, swap, and put the lens you took off back in the case before you get to the top.
Two habits worth keeping
Hold the lens by the edges, not the face — the anti-fog layer sits on the inside and does not like fingers. And never wipe the inside of a lens while it is wet; let it dry first, or you will drag the coating.
Magnetic versus clip-in lens systems
Most interchangeable goggles use one of three mechanisms. They differ mainly in how much you have to handle the lens to change it, and how cold hands cope.
| System | Changing a lens | With gloves on | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetic | Lift off, hold the new lens close, let it seat | Yes | Relies on the magnets staying clean and free of packed snow |
| Clip-in | Release two or more clips, then locate the lens in the channel | Usually not | Positive lock, but fiddly in cold hands and easy to drop |
| Frame-flex | Bend the frame outwards and pull the lens free | No | Cheapest to make; flexing a cold frame is where lenses get scratched |
Do magnetic lenses fall out?
Two things hold the lens. The magnets pull it flat against the frame, and the frame's channel holds it laterally, so the force needed to lift it is applied outwards from the centre — not a direction skiing tends to produce.
We do not publish a retention figure, and we would be sceptical of any brand that treats one as a guarantee: no goggle, magnetic or clipped, is proof against a hard face-first crash. What the system does reliably is remove the moment where you stand at the top of a run with cold hands, trying to prise a lens out of a plastic frame.
Keep the seat clean. Packed snow between lens and frame is the one thing that stops a magnetic lens sitting flush, and it is also what makes a goggle fog.
Building your lens set
Your goggles arrive with a Category 3 lens fitted, which covers bright days. What you add depends on the light you actually ski in, not on owning the full set.
Add one Category 1
A bright lens for sun and a Category 1 for cloud and snowfall covers the large majority of days on a European mountain.
- Claude: Lens Orange or Lens Pink
- Reuben: Lens Orange or Lens Pink
Add the clear lens
Floodlit pistes need no tint at all. The clear lens still carries UV400 and the anti-fog layer, so it is a real lens rather than a plain window.
- Claude: Lens Clear
- Reuben: Lens Clear
Add a Category 2
If your days tend to be neither bright nor flat but somewhere in between, a Category 2 lens saves you swapping twice in an afternoon.
- Claude: Lens Blue
- Reuben: Lens Forest Green
Buying a frame and a lens together
The ski bundles pair a Reuben frame with a second lens at a set price, which is the cheaper route if you already know you want two. See the bundles
Questions about magnetic goggles
Can I use Claude lenses on Reuben goggles?
No. The two frames use different lens shapes, so each family is a closed system: Claude lenses fit Claude frames, Reuben lenses fit Reuben frames. Check the frame name on your goggle before ordering a spare lens.
How long does it take to change a lens?
A few seconds, with gloves on. There is nothing to unscrew, unclip or bend — the lens lifts away from the magnets and the replacement pulls itself into position.
Which lens comes with the goggles?
Every Claude and Reuben frame ships with a Category 3 lens fitted, which suits bright and sunny conditions. Additional lenses are sold separately.
Do all the lenses have UV protection?
Yes. Every lens in both families carries full UV400 protection, blocking 100% of UVA and UVB — including the clear lens, which people often assume offers none.
Do the lenses have anti-fog?
Yes. All lenses carry an anti-fog layer and a scratch-resistant coating. The frames add a ventilation system that moves air behind the lens while you ride.
What is in the box?
The goggle with a Category 3 lens fitted, a protective faux-leather case and a carton box. Shipping is free worldwide, returns are open for 30 days, and there is a one-year warranty.
Where to go next
Designed in Stockholm. Every Corlin goggle ships with a protective faux-leather case and a carton box.