Which Swimming Goggles Are the Best?

All – welcome back to Part II of our series on swimming goggles. In today’s post, we get to discuss the different kinds of goggles out there, and make some recommendations on what the best goggle(s) are for YOU!

If you missed Part I of this series, click here to catch up on the history of swimming goggles and why your swimmers SHOULD TRAIN without goggles from time to time!

Let’s Get Started with Swimming Goggles!

Goggles are a great tool. They’ve allowed swimmers to hone in on their technique without worrying so much about their vision. But at the same time, swimming goggles have become a crutch for many swimmers. When I dove in this morning to swim, I didn’t think twice about my goggles. I put them on and into the pool I went. This is key for a lot of reasons which we’ll discuss today!

You want a goggle you can trust and something that you don’t think twice about using before you enter into the pool. Here’s some key criteria to think about when picking out which swim goggle is the best for you:

1. Swimming Goggles Should Be COMFORTABLE!

If you put a pair of goggles on your face and they just don’t feel right – that means they aren’t for you. It really is that plain and simple. Everybody has different facial features, and some swimmers may even need prescription lenses, so just like if you were going to pick out a pair of sunglasses, find ones that FIT WELL rather than going for the ones that look cool!

Also, different from in the past, most goggles now come with different nose pieces. Make sure you take the time to try out the goggle socket itself with the different nose pieces in order to get a true indication of the goggle fit!

2. They Should Be SNUG!

Every swimmer would like their goggles to be water tight! But in order to do that, they must fit very snug on the face. This shouldn’t translate into being uncomfortable. Instead, it should mean that they seal around the edges of the sockets to your face to keep WATER OUT!

3. They should allow you GREAT VISION!

Goggles nowadays allow swimmers to see not only forward, but also some to the sides. Make sure whatever style you pick out allows you to see like a fish in a fishbowl (with lots of angles and different sides with crystal clear lenses).

4. They should block SUN (if you want it!)

Depending on if you swim indoors or outdoors, you may want to grab some goggles that accommodate the sun. I always swim inside with mirrored goggles. I’ve found it helpful with underwater lights that can be blinding, but that’s really just my personal preference. A lot of companies refer to goggles that block the sun as “mirrored” goggles.

5. They should feel STURDY!

You don’t want to pick up some goggles and feel like the plastic isn’t strong. If you’re like me, you plan on using those goggles a lot! Make sure they feel like their going to last a while and are durable when you pick them out. The pricing for goggles has gone up substantially since I stopped swimming competitively and it boggles my mind that you can spend upwards of $75 on a single pair. So in general, make sure you’re making smart choices when choosing your goggles and trying them on for the first time!

Which Brand of Swimming Goggles Should You Choose?

While I have one trusted brand of goggles I’ve used my entire swimming career, your fit for goggles (as described above) may be very different than mine. I do know there are a lot of companies out there willing to sell you solid quality goggles like SpeedoUSA, A3 Performance, FINIS, and Arena. You can even get some incredible custom goggles made from a scan of your face from THEMAGIC5. Personally, I’m a Speedo Fan all the way. I grew up using some TYR Race Techs. Then I switched over to Speedo Speed Sockets, and have never looked back. You’ll see me wearing Speedo Speed Socket 2.0’s in most of my Instagram videos. They’re my personal favorites and ones I trust/use regularly. Like this one:

Until Next Time,

Abbie Fish