12 Best Swimming Goggles to Swim Like a Pro

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NOT TOO long ago, swim goggles weren’t even a thing. When swimmer Mark Spitz won 7 gold medals in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, he did it without any at all. We’re not recommending that.

That's because goggles do more than help you look like a serious competitor. They can keep pool chemicals, salt water, bacteria and everything else out of your eyes, shield your eyes from the sun, and help you see better underwater. And if you need prescription goggles, they can also help you see the posted workout or other end of the pool at swim practice.

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But goggles can be pretty annoying when they slide off your face, fog up, or give you a headache from how tight they are. Which is why sporting one of the best swimming goggles while you get your aqueous cardio in makes everything easier, no matter what body of water you’re swimming in.

We've spent years testing dozens of the best swimming goggles of all shapes and sizes to figure out which ones sink or swim. Men's Health fitness editors, in collaboration with MH Health Director Marty Munson, a US Masters Swimming Level I and II coach and distance open-water swimmer who has swum around islands including Key West and Manhattan, have compared notes to break down what factors set the best apart from the rest. Throughout our meticulous evaluation process, we've carefully considered all the essentials: size, comfort, lens tint, durability, and, of course, price.

Fortunately, there are many different styles to choose from. Some even have built-in tech that tells you how many laps you’ve swum, how fast you’re going, or how many calories you're burning. Others are a lot simpler. Luckily, we've sifted through the masses to find something for everyone. Below, we’ve rounded up 12 of the best swimming goggles on the market right now.

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Vanquisher 2.0

The Speedo Vanquisher 2.0s are classics for a reason. They're low profile and feature an anti-fog coating. The four interchangeable nose pieces allow you to truly find your perfect fit. If you have take your session outside, the lenses will block harmful UVA and UVB rays.

There’s nothing tricky about these, according to Munson. "I love that the shape of the goggle is basic, not curved in any dramatic way, and not too big and not too small, so it fits many different types of faces."

Best of all, it’s available in so many sporting goods stores that it’s readily available and affordable if yours break and you haven’t bought a backup online.

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Finis Smart Goggle

If you get bored counting or lose track, these smart goggles tell you right on the goggle lens exactly how far you've swum. We found the metric readout to be surprisingly not annoying at all when swimming. Plus, the readout is clear, even if you wear corrective lenses on land and not in the water.

We also found the goggles themselves very comfortable. We love the soft gaskets around the eyes and soft, interchangeable nose piece, which is helpful to prevent leaking—a problem that often comes with a narrow face.

They're super easy to set up with the app, which tracks your workouts and your progress. Major bonus with these: The tracker part of these can pop out and you can pop it into a pair of replacement goggles. So if your goggles get scratched or otherwise damaged, you don’t have to buy the technology again. You can just replace the goggle part.

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R1 Anti-Fog Swim Goggles

If you like a goggle that conforms to your face and doesn’t have a lot of hard edges/hard plastic, this is one of them. Available in mirrored and non-mirrored styles; both have anti-fog coating and no latex.

A favorite of triathletes, these goggles' slight wraparound makes for easier sighting (and straighter, faster swimming). Munson loves that these larger lenses really enable effortless peripheral vision in open water. But, for small segment of people with narrow faces, the size makes these a little less great.

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Kaiman Swim Goggle

These goggles with curved, distortion-free lenses are the style ultraswimmer Sarah Thomas used when she became the first person to cross the English Channel four times without stopping in 2019. You get a solid range of vision, anti-fog lenses, and easily adjustable buckles. Who knows what you'll achieve with these?

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Vapor Mirror Performance Goggle

The curved, oversized lenses in these goggles are also ultra-low profile, so you'll not only be able to see the competition, you'll speed past them. We love that the different nose bridge sizes slide in and out effortlessly (but stay put while you're swimming), so you don't have to waste training time trying to get the parts to cooperate as you assemble your perfect fit.

If you have long luscious lashes, they might hit the lenses on these, but they’re otherwise comfortable and make you look like a competitor to contend with.

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Swim Goggles

These ZIONOR swim goggles feature polarized lenses that provide better eye protection against harmful UV rays and lights. They're also made with curved and HD lenses, which provide better light transmission and a super clear view underwater.

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Swimming Goggles

Prescription goggles can be a game changer, and they're not as expensive as people think. These come in prescriptions of -1.5 to -6 to let you see everything from your lanemates to the workout on the board to the pace clock...to the other end of the pool, if you're very nearsighted. The silicone construction provides for a face-conforming fit.

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Swim Goggles

This pair from U-FIT checks all the boxes: anti-fog, no-slip, no-leak and UV-coated. And with a quick-release strap, these goggles are a cinch to get on and off. These goggles come with nose and ear plugs.

Resurge Sports Anti-Fog Racing Goggles

Featuring a minimalist design this pair is ideal for competition. The shatterproof polycarbonate lenses offer anti-fog technology and a wide angle for maximum visibility. Customize your fit with three interchangeable nose pieces and this pair's durable, easy-to-adjust bungee strap.

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Unisex-Adult Tracer X Racing Mirrored

A great all-around basic. Low-profile, silicone gaskets, double strap for an easier fit, and polycarbonate lenses. The low profile of the lenses lets you speed out of turns without feeling like you’re getting a lot of drag. "For me, their proximity to my warm face made them fog a bit in a cold morning open-water swim, but that’s easy to solve with anti-fog goggle prep," explains Munson.

They're available in a number of colorways, including a no-nonsense option with clear lenses and a clear strap.

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Cobra Ultra Mirror Swim Goggles

These goggles are built for speed. The low-profile frame and curved lenses provide an expansive frame of view, while the five adjustable nose bridges ensures that you'll have a perfect fit.

Smart Swim Goggles

These FORM Smart Swim Goggles have a see-through smart display is built right into the goggles lens, delivering metrics without obstructing your vision. It records and displays 12 customizable metrics, including split times, stroke rate/count, pace per 100, distance, calories, heart rate, and more. (See a full review here.) The readout is well done and the app is easy to use and spot on with freestyle workouts. (They're also compatible Garmin smartwatches and Apple Watch, and you can also connect your iPhone or Android via the FORM app.)

We noticed they look a little bulky at first, but don’t feel that way in the water at all. These are among the most comfortable goggles Munson wears, despite the little drag out of turns she feels due to their higher profile lenses.

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Tailor Made Swimming Goggles

Can't find goggles that fit? Go custom. Download an app, scan your face, send it to the company, and you'll have a pair of custom goggles at a reasonable price. Since they're specific to your facial contours, you don't need suction to keep them leak-proof. That means goodbye, goggle marks and hello, comfort.

If you're thinking this might be overkill, know that many people won’t wear anything other than these customs. They're somehow that good. Not foolproof, though: "Mine somehow managed to leak a bit, so I had to cinch them tighter than is recommended and did have goggle face after the swim, but based on other swim buddies who use them, that doesn’t seem to be the norm," says Munson.

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Original Swedish Goggles

Some swimmers swear that no-gasket "Swedes" are the most comfortable goggles they've ever worn. Which is confusing, because they look uncomfortable, but just aren't. Plus, they're so cheap it doesn’t cost much to find out if you like them or not.

These are anti-fog and the set includes one pair of mirrored goggles and another pair with non-mirrored lenses. Not for everyone, but they definitely add a badass edge if they work for you.

"I tend to like something a little more solid and one-piece for ease of putting on, but it’s just a preference thing," Munson explains. "Once you get used to the way Swedes work, they’re easy, too."

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vetoky Swim Goggles

These goggles come in a 2-pack with 3 interchangeable nosepieces for a precision fit to your face. The lenses also have a mirrored coating with UVA/UVB protection.

How to Choose the Best Swimming Goggles (for You)

So, what should you look for to find the best swimming goggles for you? We asked US Masters Swimming Level I and II coach, distance open-water swimmer, and, most importantly, MH Health Director, Marty Munson for her thoughts.

The first thing to know is that “there's no single, foolproof way to choose goggles online that will fit you perfectly, since faces are shaped so differently,” she says. “If you don't already have a brand or style that works for you, start with a pair that comes with different nose bridge sizes so you can customize them a little bit."

Next thing is to think about what lens color and shape you want. "Mirrored goggles tend to make you look like a competitor to really contend with," Munson says. "And they're great for bright conditions outdoors and in open water. Yet they're not so great for seeing the posted workout on the board in dimly lit basement pools, so go with clear or a light tint. Also know that orange-tinted ones tend to heighten contrast, just like orange-tinted sunglasses do."

What size should they be? "In general, larger goggles with more peripheral vision are better for open water and triathlons, where there's a lot more for you to visually process than a black line and the other people in your lane," Munson continues. “Competitive swimmers also prefer lenses that are super low profile to keep everything streamlined so you aren’t losing speed.”

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Our product recommendations are purely editorial, and while we may receive free products to test and review, we only recommend the products we are most impressed by. We never let retailers or public relations contacts dictate our content or product coverage. Which is why you can trust us to provide you with reliable and unbiased product recommendations.

How We Selected the Best Swimming Goggles

Men's Health editors and experts, including MH Health Director, US Masters Swimming Level I and II coach, and distance open-water swimmer Marty Munson, have spent years testing and researching the best swimming goggles money can buy. We paid close attention to evaluate the most important features, such as fit, durability, comfort, lens tint, price and more. The list above represents our carefully curated picks for the best swimming goggles to shop this year.

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