Hollow glass microspheres (HGMs) are promising materials for arctic ice restoration. When spread in a thin layer on top of ice, these materials can increase the albedo of arctic ice, potentially slowing the rate of ice melt and enhancing the formation of multiyear ice in the polar region.[1] The effect of particle diameter and wall thickness of glass for backscatter efficiency in the visible and IR regions is evaluated by Mie scattering calculations and UV-Vis spectrophotometry of several candidate materials. The design of HGMs for highest backscatter efficiency and albedo enhancement is discussed. For use in arctic environments, both the fate of HGMs and their ecotoxicological impact must also be considered. HGMs with density <1 g/cc are preferred as they will float on the surface of melted ice pools. However, HGMs with very low density and thin walls may not be sufficiently robust to withstand significant weathering in the environment. Design considerations of tradeoff for density, reflectivity, and crush strength will be discussed. [1] Field, L., Ivanova, D., Bhattacharyya, S., Mlaker, V., Sholtz, A., Decca, R., et al. (2018). Increasing Arctic sea ice albedo using localized reversible geoengineering. Earth’s Future, 6, 882–901. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018EF000820