The 9 Best Swim Goggles, According to Swimmers

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Swim goggles can often be the key between a great swim and a frustrating one. When goggles are clear and comfortable, you’ll hardly notice they’re there. But when they leak and fog, you might be reaching for your towel earlier than planned. Here’s what to look for when choosing your next pair.

Best Swim Goggles

What to Consider

Finding a coveted pair of swim goggles can feel like trying on Cinderella’s slipper. A pair that fits one swimmer perfectly might cause pain for another. If you’re buying goggles for the first time, swim coach Kinver Nicholls has a few suggestions.

“Look for goggles that have a reasonably soft seal around the eye socket area,” Nicholls says. This will help minimize eye irritation and prevent leaks. Consider the nosepiece of the goggles, too; some are adjustable, allowing you to tailor the distance between lenses to ensure a comfortably snug fit.

Nicholls also recommends choosing a lens that suits the setting you’ll be swimming in most often. Clear and lightly tinted lenses work well in low-light situations, like a dimly lit pool or outdoor swim at dawn or dusk. For daytime swimming under bright sunlight, opt for lenses with a dark tint or reflective properties. UV protective coating on the lens is also essential to prevent sun damage. Polarized lenses will help cut down glare, easing tension on the eyes. Swim goggles are safe to wear with contact lenses. But for swimmers who prefer to wear glasses, many major swim goggle manufacturers sell models with prescription lenses.

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Competitive swimmers will likely want a low-profile pair of swim goggles that stay taut and won’t create excess drag in the water. Recreational swimmers can afford to opt for comfort as their highest priority—if that sounds like you, look for wider lenses that offer better peripheral vision.

Once you have a pair of swim goggles in hand, check for an initial fit by placing the lens sockets over your eyes, pressing lightly, and then pulling the strap over the back of your head. Pulling the strap too tight or having it too loose might cause the goggles to leak. A good pair of swim goggles should stay clear, leak-free, and comfortable even as you turn or dive into the water from the starting block.

How We Evaluated

To compile this list of the best swim goggles, I factored in anti-fog properties, leak-proof construction, durability, value for money, and comfort. I asked recreational and elite swimmers for their top picks and researched the best-selling models from trusted brands. I also consulted popular swimming magazines, websites, and forums to see which pairs of swim goggles consistently rank above the rest.

Speedo Speed Socket 2.0

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Clear, mirrored, or polarized

• Strap Adjustment Points: One

The Speedo Speed Socket 2.0 focuses on the essentials with its UV-protected lenses, soft inner eye seals, and easily adjustable strap. An upgrade from the original Speed Socket, the 2.0’s curved lenses offer more peripheral vision than its predecessor. There is a range of color options, and lenses come in clear, mirrored, and polarized variations.

Snake & Pig The Basilisk

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Tinted or clear

• Strap Adjustment Points: Two

A smaller swim brand—based in Austin, Texas—that’s quickly appearing in local swim clubs is Snake & Pig, and its Basilisk goggles are earning a reputation as one of the most comfortable pairs available. An air cushion around the lens socket provides more padding than your typical swim goggles, and each set comes with three adjustable nosepieces for a personalized fit. There’s also a junior version made for kids.

Aqua Sphere Vista

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Tinted, clear, or mirrored

• Strap Adjustment Points: Two

The Aqua Sphere Vista uses a wide silicone skirt that lies across your face to hold the lenses in place, so you can avoid the signature racoon eye look many swim goggles with separated lenses create. The thick silicone strap is sturdy, easy to adjust, and comfortable to wear. The UV-blocking lenses offer plenty of peripheral vision and come in tinted, mirrored, and clear options. This is a great choice for swimmers who’ve tried the traditional two-socket swim goggles and have yet to find one that fits.

Aqua Sphere Kayenne

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Clear

• Strap Adjustment Points: Two

The Kayenne has wide lens sockets made to disperse pressure over the outer edge of your eye socket, on the brow and cheek bone, rather than the interior eye socket. This makes for a more comfortable fit and helps keep post-swim dark eye circles at bay. Because of its large profile, it might cause a bit too much drag for sprint races, but it’s a great pick for long training sessions in the water.

Speedo Mirrored Vanquisher 2.0

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Mirrored

• Strap Adjustment Points: One

The Mirrored Vanquisher 2.0 is a low-profile pair of swim goggles popular among competitive swimmers. Its wide UV-protective lenses improve peripheral vision, and the silicone eye seals make it comfortable to wear for longer trainings. The silicone adjustable head strap stays flush against a swim cap. Swimmers can choose between multiple color variations, including black and rainbow.

Form Smart Swim Goggles

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Clear

• Strap Adjustment Points: One

Take tech into the water with Form’s Smart Swim Goggles that display metrics—including your speed, pace, distance, heart rate, stroke rate, and time—as you swim in the pool or open water. Data junkies will love the ability to adapt their strokes instantly while training and then peruse the data through the Form Swim App once their sessions are over. A pair of goggles is included with the Form subscription, $24 per month or $228 for the year.

Roka R1

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Clear or mirrored

• Strap Adjustment Points: One

Frequently seen pulled over the swim caps of Iron-distance triathletes, the R1 excels in open-water swimming. Retroscopic UV-protected lenses, where the bottom of the lenses rotate away from the face, offer a wide field of forward vision without creating extra drag. Recreational swimmers might want more peripheral vision, but if your focus is swimming forward, the Roka R1 is certainly worth a gander.

TYR Swim Shades Mirrored Goggles

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Mirrored

• Strap Adjustment Points: Two

The TYR Swim Shades seems to have found the fine balance between function and fashion with a single lens across the front of the goggles, mimicking sunglasses. Although the large frame can create drag, this pair is great for slower swimmers, aqua aerobics, and long backstroke sessions. The mirrored lens cuts down glare and makes the Swim Shades ideal for swimming on sunny days at the pool.

Malmsten AB Original Swedish Goggles

Key Specs

• Lens Type: Tinted or clear

• Strap Adjustment Points: Two

Swedish goggles, often called swedes, have lens sockets that rests directly on your face without a silicone gasket as padding. Like most swedes, this pair comes unassembled, so you can adjust the nosepiece to create a custom fit. With their lack of bells and whistles, swedes are on the more affordable end of the market.

How to Find Leak-Free Goggles and Who Can Benefit From Smart Swim Goggles, According to Expert Chantae Reden

PM: Any tips for readers who have struggled to find a comfortable, leak-free pair of swim goggles?
C.R.: Leaking goggles can break a swim session. If you can, try to borrow as many swim goggles as possible and test them in the water before purchasing your own. When you’re shopping, start by moving any hair out of your face–just a few strands between the lens socket and your skin can cause the goggles to leak. Place the goggles against your face and press lightly, creating suction. If the goggles are able to stay suctioned to your face, that’s a sign they’re fitting properly. Adjust the goggle strap to be flush with the back of your head. Some beginners pull the strap too tight, which might cause the lenses to warp and leak. But make sure it’s tight enough to stay on during a flip turn or push off from the wall.

PM: What’s your preferred lens type and why?
C.R.: If I’m swimming outdoors on a sunny day, I prefer polarized lenses with a brown or gray tint. This keeps me from squinting when I come up from the water, helping the goggle stay sealed around my eye socket. The polarization helps cut down on glare, especially in open ocean swimming. If I’ll be doing laps indoors, or if it’s overcast outside, I reach for goggles with a clear lens. Having visual clarity in low-light situations helps me feel alert and energized for my workout.

PM: What’s your take on smart swim goggles that display data in real time?
C.R.: True swim progress comes from improving form and maintaining consistency in your workouts. Smart swim goggles are a great tool for data junkies and elite swimmers, but they’ve yet to replace swim coaches in human form. A great swim coach will be able to pick out where you can fine-tune your form and technique and offer customized workouts based on your current ability.

That being said, data-driven swimmers might find extra motivation in seeing time, pace, and distance goals, making smart swim goggles worth the investment. They’re a great way to track progress over time and an ideal option if you’re working toward an upcoming race or challenge.

Smart swim goggles aren’t necessary to become a great swimmer, but they’re a practical tool to have for swimmers who prefer instant feedback and love having their training plan laid out in front of them as they swim.

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