Which goggles for open water swimming

Looking for the ultimate pair of goggles to dominate the pool? Our comprehensive guide of training and competition goggles has got you covered. The 5 Best Prescription Goggles for Swimmers. Ready to take on the pool, but want to be able to take your prescription with you?

Here are the best prescription goggles for swimming. Extend the life of your tri and open water swim goggles with an anti-fog spray to help you keep your vision crystal-clear and fog-free in the water. Want to give the gift of a faster swim leg for the triathlete in your life?

Here are 5 gifts for triathletes that will help them dominate the swim part of the race. Best Watches for Triathletes and Multi-sport Athletes.

Simple in function and powerful in use, these watches for triathletes and multi-sport athletes will take your training and competition to the next level. He writes all things high-performance swimming, and his articles were read over 3 million times last year. He's also kinda tall and can be found on Twitter. You can expect them to fit great and to improve your performance. Not to mention you will look very cool wearing them.

We really like these goggles because they have amazing optics. R1 put in great effort in developing lenses that have the best possible quality. They are made from platinum-grade polycarbonate which guarantees amazing durability and damage resistance.

For additional protection, they have a special coating that prevents annoying scratches and is hydrophobic, which reduces surface tension while swimming. In addition to this, the lenses are curved and designed in such a way that they can adapt to every condition you find yourself in bright sun, glare, darkness.

Silicone gaskets fit intimately and are hypoallergenic. The interior has anti-fog coating. Straps are flat and sit on your head nicely. This pair can be a good reliable partner for your everyday training, and is one of the best triathlon swimming goggles.

The lens curvature allows great vision not just to the sides but upward also, which is particularly useful. These are available in a rainbow spectrum of colors, so you get many to choose from. And you get a nice little microfiber bag to store and protect them. A premium product by Speedo, these open water goggles are specially designed to reduce pressure on your face. The goggles fit outside your socket with Elastomeric seal following the natural grooves of your face.

It is universally made so it will fit almost everyone. They feature simple clips on each side which you push to adjust the straps. The frame is made from dual-density TPR thermoplastic rubber which ensures resilience and great durability to your triathlon swimming goggles.

The lens is polycarbonate with anti-fog coating, UV protection and and polarization. This feels really good on your eyes, even better than some mirrored type alternatives.

Your eyes are relieved of fatigue and you get superb peripheral vision because the lenses have no distortion. These goggles are great for both recreational and professional purpose. Arena made these goggles especially for outside conditions. Triathletes really benefit from the features incorporated in this pair. They have a liquid silicone body which sits really well and provides a good fit. They have a split strap which secures the goggles into place improves the fit. The lenses are very wide so they offer great peripheral vision.

Your eyes get treated with polarized lenses which are amazingly comfortable to wear on a sunny day. The Viper tri goggles are very popular competition goggles and many people use them. This depends on what you as a triathlete prefer.

Most triathlon swimmers prefer gasket goggles since they are softer on your eyes and offer a wider field of view.

However, some pros like small tough goggles like the Swedish type, since they can swim freely with no drag. Your goggles need to be durable and sit in their place when people are slapping you with their hands at the beginning of the race, or when you are making turns.

Also, it is not a bad idea to own two pairs of the best triathlon goggles, since some that are best for use in a pool might not work that well in open water conditions. Most triathlon swimmers like wide lenses. The lenses should also be curved, to allow you to see everything around you. However, some swimmers like lenses that offer only a narrow line of sight, so the can focus on their own performance.

When it comes to material, the lenses of your swim goggles can be made from high-quality plastic or polycarbonate. The plastic lenses are light and very scratch resistant. They also offer high optical clarity. On the other hand, they offer no UV protection, so you may need to invest in an anti-glare material.

Polycarbonates are probably a better choice. They are lighter and more durable. They are also thinner. They come in a large array of choices. They can be mirrored or not, and come in many different shades that make looking through them more pleasant.

Lens color can greatly influence the comfort you feel wearing your goggles. They can be clear, mirrored, tinted, polarized or even prescription. You should really put your mind into this when selecting your pair.

Clear lenses are the basic type. Without color, they allow the most light to come to your eye. They are good for swimming pools where there is not much light, but perhaps they are not best triathlon goggles. Some lenses can be mirrored on their outside.

Besides obviously looking cool, the mirror has another purpose. Visibility is great with the curved lenses allowing for a wide field of vision, and while the mirrored smoke lenses did a good job in bright conditions, they were also forgiving on murkier days. One thing to note is that the 2. First up, yes, that price point puts them into serious pay-day treat territory. That said, these goggles and are the only ones on test to be both photochromatic so change depending on light conditions and polarised.

One of our testers reported it tricky to find a good seal, the other had no such issues. Once on and properly adjusted, though, both testers were impressed by the superb clarity of vision offered, especially on changeable weather days in the lake where the sun kept briefly appearing. They are very comfortable — even on longer swims — and feel appreciatively light on the face.

Side clips makes adjusting them extremely easy. In that review we struggled with fit but this year we have the standard unisex size, which is a lot better, creating a strong seal with little water ingress. The Futuras were comfortable thanks to the very soft gaskets and a flexible bridge, while the double strap was secure. We did find the covered side buttons a little fiddly, though. Winner of our grouptest, the R1s are back, this time in a vermilion mirror tint designed for direct sun.

Personally, we prefer smaller goggles for racing and these sat comfortably in our eye socket without leaving marks — so much so that we also found ourselves reaching for them for pool sessions where they worked equally well in the brightly-lit conditions. We would like a hard case included, though, if anyone from Roka is listening! If you like a bigger goggle without going full mask, then these larger Kayennes smaller design also available could be just the job.

They initially felt quite large on the face, but once swimming they were comfy and gave a wide range of unobstructed vision like nothing else in this test. The polarised lenses coped well with a day of sunshine and showers although lacking the underwater clarity of the Rokas plus they stayed free of fogging on longer swims and left no goggle marks, while the double strap felt secure and was a cinch to adjust with the two side buttons. Our only caveat with big goggles is that they lend themselves to being knocked in the race-day swim, but these are just about low enough that they should be fine.

They were a little darker in tint than some of the others here, though, so may not be our first choice for a murkier British race day. The lens size is a good compromise between the larger Aqua Sphere and smaller Roka goggles on test, and the gaskets gave a good, comfortable seal.

The small adjuster buttons reminded us of Vorgee goggles tested previously and were easy to adjust, even with cold, wet hands. You get a hard clamshell case, and the overall feel of these chunky goggles is solid and good quality. In the water they gave excellent clarity of vision, and the photochromatic lenses adapted quickly to changes in light from almost clear on a dull day to fully smoked when the sun came out — ideal if you only want to buy one pair for racing.

The adjuster buttons are easy to operate with cold, numb hands and the wide strap is comfortable — plus you get a spare one in the box, which is a neat touch. Our female tester found these a little heavy on the face in longer swims, but the gaskets are soft and comfortable.

Frame size, shape and gasket feel is the same, meaning you enjoy the same great peripheral vision and comfortable feel though again, these are bulky and can feel a little heavy on the face. We arguably prefer the finish of the Huub goggles with that silver edging, too. Like others on test these come from an established tri brand. Yet, to be honest, for a specialist open-water goggle we found ourselves a bit underwhelmed.

We also had some problems with fogging, although the tint on the lenses was nice and a mirrored finish is always welcome on race day for psyching out your rivals. A flexible and low-profile goggle with easy-to-adjust straps via a button mechanism. With the same ultra-soft silicon seals as the Zone3 Vapours, these are a comfortable all-rounder. Another long-term test, these have served well in both open water and pool training swims.

Smaller than the Vapours, curved lenses give a wide range of vision. A good value open water goggle. Smaller lenses make these quality goggles feel as though they are made for racing. Flexible and face hugging, the mirrored lenses performed well in bright sunshine. A comfortable fit, but be aware that these are a smaller goggle than many on test on these pages.

That said, they fitted well with no water ingress and were still comfortable after a long swim. We liked the four nose bridges which meant you could attain a snug fit. For those who like a more minimal goggle. A flexible and comfortable goggle similar in size to the Zoggs Predator Flex. Light and low-profile, we liked the soft silicone seals and the overall quality feel of these goggles. Tinted curved lenses reduce glare and give good range of vision. We tested the tinted lenses although clear lenses are also available.

Engineered to minimise drag and maximise field of view, for optimal performance. We are not sure we swim fast enough to benefit from low drag, but we certainly like the enhanced view of this goggle. They are comfortable and have become a kit-bag staple.

Available in both mirrored and non-mirrored designs in a range of colours and tints for pool and open water swimming. With eye catching zebra print straps and titanium mirrored lenses, these goggles make a statement as well as reducing glare for maximum visibility when swimming outdoors. Also available with iridescent, mirrored, smoke and tinted lenses. Come with four nose bridges for a personal fit. A low profile goggle designed for speed.

The cheapest goggles on test, these goggles certainly live up to their name. Soft silicone seals and a wide strap that adjust with a buckle at the back make for a comfortable swimming experience.

The curved lenses gave a decent range of vision and the silicone seals were soft and comfortable. With a flexible nose bridge and easily adjustable straps, they performed as well as more expensive brands on test.

The styling may look slightly 80s but a great budget choice. Another goggle with a racing profile, these training goggles come in a range of funky colours with tinted and mirrored lens options —perfect for open water if you prefer a minimal goggle. The soft silicone seals and strap are very comfortable and three nose bridges mean you can fit them snugly to your face. No water ingress. An eye-catching choice. Three nose bridges allow for adjustment to your face while mirrored lenses reduce glare.