When you’re gearing up for a swim, whether it’s in open water or during your next indoor pool workout, there’s one must-have accessory you can’t overlook: a reliable pair of swim goggles. Beyond your favorite swimsuit and sunscreen, the right goggles are essential for a successful swim. They should provide a snug, comfortable fit without digging into your skin or allowing any water to seep in, ensuring clear vision and an enjoyable swim every time.
Best swimming goggles
1. Best Overall : Speedo Optical Vanquisher
2. Best Bargain Buy : Malmsten AB AB Original Swedish Goggles
3. Best For Outdoor Swimming : Aqua Sphere Kayenne Swim Goggles
4. Best For Indoor Swimming: Zionor G1 SE Swim Goggles
5. Best For Professionals :Speedo Speed Socket Swim Goggles 2.0
What to Consider When Choosing Swim Goggles
Comfort
Before diving into the technical details, comfort should be your top priority when selecting swim goggles. As swimming coach Brethauer points out, if your goggles aren’t comfortable, you’re less likely to wear them consistently. Properly fitting goggles should create a secure seal around your eyes, preventing water from leaking in and reducing the risk of irritation, according to expert Mescolote.
One way to enhance comfort is by choosing goggles with soft silicone gaskets—the part that suctions around your eyes. These gaskets provide a gentle, snug fit that minimizes pressure, allowing you to focus on your performance without discomfort or distraction.
Lens Type
The type of lens you choose plays a significant role in your swimming experience, especially depending on where you swim. The most common lens options include mirrored, polarized, tinted, UV-protected, and clear lenses. Mescolote recommends UV-protected lenses for outdoor swimming to shield your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays and reduce glare.
For bright, sunny conditions, mirrored and polarized lenses are excellent choices as they significantly reduce brightness and eye strain. If you’re swimming indoors, opt for clear lenses that offer excellent visibility or lighter tinted lenses that reduce glare from pool lights. Additionally, look for goggles with anti-fog coatings and scratch-resistant lenses to ensure clear vision throughout your swim, even during extended training sessions or competitions.
Material
Durability is key when it comes to swim goggles, as frequent replacements can be both costly and inconvenient. Mescolote advises prioritizing goggles made from high-quality materials like polycarbonate lenses and silicone straps. These materials are designed to withstand the rigors of frequent use and exposure to harsh pool chemicals, ensuring long-lasting performance and reliability.
Adjustability
Adjustability features can make a big difference in how well your goggles stay in place during your swim. Mescolote suggests looking for goggles with adjustable straps and nose bridges. These features allow you to customize the fit according to your unique facial structure, ensuring a secure and comfortable fit. A proper fit not only enhances comfort but also improves your overall swimming experience by keeping your goggles securely in place throughout your swim.
Best Overall
Speedo Optical Vanquisher
Now 23% Off
After researching and testing numerous different goggles, multiple experts say that Speedo’s Optical Vanquisher 2.0 is the best swimming goggle overall for swimmers of all levels. This goggle sports multiple adjustable facets, like four different nose-piece options and an adjustable double head strap, which fits most faces. It features anti-fog and UV protection panoramic lenses that increase peripheral vision. Plus, Speedo offers an optical lens to aid near-sighted swimmers.
Highly recommended by Brethaeur as a favorite among her swimmers, “the vanquishers tend to be more comfortable [than other goggle options] and something I recommend for entry level swimmers.” The cushioned silicone seal rests firmly around the eyes without causing too much pressure or allowing any water seepage. Brethaeur also notes that despite all its great attributes, the Vanquisher swimming goggle is available at a better price point than many others on the market.
Material | Silicone, polycarbonate, and polyurethane |
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Lens Type | Clear, corrective, UV protection |
Adjustability | Headstrap, 4 nose-piece options |
Best Bargain Buy
Malmsten AB AB Original Swedish Goggles
For their afforable price point and durability, the Swedish Malmsten goggle is an excellent choice for those seeking a budget-friendly option. Known for its simple and straightforward design, this goggle is designed with an adjustable strap that you can knot for your perfect fit and a singular, standard nose-piece.
One standout feature is its effective blue tint. Blue-tinted lenses can improve contrast and depth perception in low-light or indoor settings. The Swedish goggle offers great comfort with the perfect angle of lenses so you don’t have to move your head to see forward.
This effective goggles is also a great bargain, and you won’t have to spend much to replace it if it gets lost or damaged.
Lens Type | Tinted, UV protection |
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Material | Polycarbonate, silicone |
Adjustability | Head strap |
Best For Outdoor Swimming
Aqua Sphere Kayenne Swim Goggles
Wider and oversized lens designs are perfect for open water and outdoor swimming, and the Aqua Sphere Kayenne goggle is an excellent choice for these environments. Available in three lens options—mirrored, polarized, and tinted—this goggle is designed specifically for outdoor use. Its 180-degree wide field of vision ensures clear, undistorted underwater visibility.
The Aqua Sphere Kayenne also features a leak-free eye skirt that provides a secure, comfortable seal without irritating the eye area. The one-touch quick-fit buckle makes it easy to adjust the fit on the go, ensuring the goggles stay in place during your swim. Plus, with a variety of color pairings to choose from, you can find the perfect look to match your style.
Lens Type | Mirrored, tinted, polarized |
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Material | Not available |
Adjustability | Head strap |
Best For Outdoor Swimming
Aqua Sphere Kayenne Swim Goggles
The Kayenne, Aqua Sphere’s best selling swim goggles, opens up the playing field, quite literally. Oversized lenses with patented curved lens technology gives you style and ultimate comfort while providing an undistorted, expanded, 180-degree field of vision. The super slim microframe keeps the goggles close to the face for superior, low-drag hydrodynamic performance. And the one-touch buckle makes fitting easier than ever. Pair these technologies with Aqua Sphere’s standard UV protection, leak resistance, anti-fog and scratch resistant lenses, and the Kayenne is easily the most superior performance swim goggle available and the perfect choice for a competition, whether in a pool or open water.
When it comes to open water and outdoor swimming, wider and oversized lens designs are essential for clear vision and comfort. The Aqua Sphere Kayenne goggle is a top choice, offering three versatile lens options: mirrored, polarized, and tinted—all expertly designed for outdoor conditions. With its 180-degree wide field of vision, these lenses provide crystal-clear underwater visibility without any distortion.
The Aqua Sphere Kayenne stands out with its leak-proof eye skirt, which guarantees a secure fit while ensuring comfort around the eyes. The goggle also features a user-friendly, one-touch quick-fit buckle, making adjustments fast and effortless. Plus, with a variety of color combinations available, you can choose the perfect style to match your gear.
Lens Type | Mirrored, tinted, polarized |
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Material | Not available |
Adjustability | Head strap |
Best For Indoor Swimming
Zionor G1 SE Swim Goggles
Now 50% Off
The Zionor G1 SE is the ideal choice for indoor swimming, offering everything you need in a goggle. It’s secure, durable, and designed for excellent light transmission, with a wide range of colors to choose from. A key feature of any goggle is its leak-proof design, and the Zionor G1 SE excels with its 3D double-seal frame, ensuring a snug, water-resistant fit.
The clear lenses provide swimmers with outstanding visibility, reducing glare from pool lights, and are equipped with UV400 protection for eye safety. Additionally, the anti-fog coating and high-quality craftsmanship make this goggle a true standout in its class.
However, it’s important to note that the anti-fog coating may wear off over time. To prolong its effectiveness, avoid wiping the inside of the lenses too often or too roughly.
Lens Type | Clear |
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Material | Silicone, polycarbonate |
Adjustability | Head strap |
Best For Professionals
Speedo Speed Socket Swim Goggles 2.0
Now 31% Off
Speedo goggles live up to their name by delivering speed and performance, making them a favorite among professional swimmers and competitors. Designed to reduce drag and enhance panoramic viewing, these goggles are highly recommended by experts like Brethaeur for their low-profile design, which minimizes how far they protrude from the face—a crucial feature for competitive swimming.
The mirrored lenses are perfect for bright outdoor and open water conditions, effectively reducing glare and fog while offering protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. With an adjustable double head strap and three nose-piece options, Speedo goggles ensure a custom fit for every swimmer. And with 21 different color options, you can achieve both style and performance without compromise.
Lens Type | Mirrored |
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Material | Nylon, plastic, silicone, rubber |
Adjustability | 3 nose-piece options |