The Best Swim Goggles: Gear Up for Swim Season
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Loading... - Amina Bakar
- 15 Jun 2022
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If you have access to a pool, swimming is one of the best ways to elevate your heart rate and engage in low-impact cardio. One thing that can make your aquatic workout more comfortable is the best swim goggles, protecting your eyes from the sting of chlorine and helping you see more clearly. For any swimmer, goggles belong on the list of must-own personal fitness equipment. While buying a pair of goggles might seem straightforward, there are a few key factors you need to consider like shading, overall fit, and the adjustability of the straps. These can help your goggles feel more comfortable and function better for your personal workout needs.
The question is, though, what exactly are the best swim goggles to include in your workout bag? The ACTIVE Reviews Team has tested some of the top goggles on the market today, and we're happy to recommend a few of our favorite options.
What to Look for When Shopping for Swim Goggles
- Shading: If you're swimming outside (like in an outdoor pool, lake, or ocean), you may want your goggles to be a little more tinted, shielding your field of vision from the sun. For indoor use, tinting may actually be a hindrance, unless you're swimming in an indoor pool with some really excellent lighting.
- Seal: Swim goggles may have rubber, silicone, foam, or plastic seals. Generally, rubber or silicone are the best options for creating suction and keeping water out of your eyes.
- Fit: How do the goggles fit over your eyes? If your eyelashes hit the inside of the goggle when you blink, that's a good sign that your goggles are a little too small. The way the goggles fit on your nose matters, too. Ideally, your goggles should be snug but not actually cause any pain.
- Strap: Make sure your goggles have a strap that makes adjustments easy and intuitive. For most adult goggles, you can anticipate a double strap.
Featured Pick - FORM Smart Swim Goggles
For the swimmer serious about improving in the water, who want goggles that can double as a fitness tracker, we recommend the FORM Smart Swim Goggles. Not only are they built for an excellent swim—adjustable fit (choose from seven different nose bridges), anti-fog features, and FDA-certified silicone for a more comfortable seal—this pair of goggles uses cutting edge smart technology to deliver coach designed workouts and real time metrics right in the goggles. Customize the metrics you want to see while you swim, such as time, distance, pace, and more. Choose from either the left or right goggle depending on where you want your metrics to be displayed while you swim. And for swimmers who compete outdoors, use the open water mode by connecting your goggles to your Garmin or Apple watch for more accurate distance and pace metrics.
Other features we love about these goggles? They show you what effort level to swim at depending on your goals, so you're better equipped to match the speed to your set. "Go!" and "Rest" commands make it easy to know when to start and when to take a break, and progress updates help you track your laps and distance left. Plus, if you connect to the FORM app you're able to get weekly workouts synced to your goggles, led by workout instructions who guide you through every lap. This underwater coaching is truly one-of-a-kind when it comes to goggles, and helps eliminate the guesswork when it comes to training.
The FORM Smart Swim Goggles come packaged with a FORM membership, which gives you guided workouts and training plans in the form of a customizable app. Sans the FORM membership, the goggles are incredibly durable with water resistance up to 32 feet, and packaged in a sleek, ventilated case.
PROS
- High-quality materials
- 16-hour battery life
- Snug, secure fit
- Easily adjustable strap
- 7 interchangeable nose pieces
- Great option for committed swimmers and triathletes
- Smart capabilities display metrics on your goggles while you swim
- FORM app gives you access to over 1,000 workouts and 20+ full training plans (starts at $24/month for 6-month commitment or $19/month for 1-year)
CONS
- Pricey if you are looking for traditional swim goggles
Best Budget Swim Goggles - Phantom 2.0 Goggles
Most swimmers and triathletes need to replace their goggles every six months, if not more often, so finding a value-priced option can be essential. The Phantom 2.0 Goggles more than fit the bill, offering a high-quality product for an affordable price point. Quick-adjust straps make it easy to tweak your fit on the fly, while the level of tinting is appropriate for indoor and outdoor swimmers alike. Curved lenses contour to the shape of your face while also maintaining 180 degrees of peripheral vision.
We also like the anti-fog lenses which help maintain your clarity in the water. Plus, they come built with maximum UV protection, blocking out 99-percent of the sun's harmful rays. Read More...
