Goggles can make or break your swim. How many times has your swim been ruined by fogged up, leaky or non-polarised goggles? During the swim section of my first Ironman in Klagenfurt, I nearly burned my eyes out of my sockets from trying to sight off the buoys that were directly inline with the rising sun. My goggles were not polarised… rookie mistake!
So I’ve done some research so you don’t have to and comprised a list of some of the most highly rated goggles on the market right now in 2020! The list below isn’t ranked as we found that depending on what you require from your goggles
ROKA R1 Amber Mirror
€40
These goggles are a real pool and open-water hybrid. ROKA put in a great effort in developing the lenses of these goggles and even went as far as to patent their ‘retroscopic’ technology. This technology provides an excellent wide range of vision. The lenses are also made from platinum-grade polycarbonate which provides durability and damage resistance. For additional protection, they have a special coating that prevents pesky scratches.
So while the optics in these goggles are pretty amazing, they do have limited gasket coverage so they sit quite close to the eyes making them probably better suited to those looking for swim speed as opposed to endurance comfort.
Buy from ROKA
The straps are split and sit flat to your head nicely, again enhancing both comfort and fit.
There’s no doubt that these are a great looking pair of goggles. They’re available in a rainbow spectrum of colors.
Buy now from www.roka.com
Aqua Sphere Kayenne
€24
Aqua Sphere have been an open-water swimmers staple over the years. While newer tech and innovations are being found elsewhere, Aqua Sphere really stuck to their guns. With a real ‘if it ain’t broke..’ mentality. And why should they change? The Kayennes are one of the most effective open-water swimming goggles in history.
The lenses are oversized 4-point Plexisol with 180° visibility. Besides being large, they also offer UV protection and have anti-fog coating. You can get them in clear, smoked or polarised. But from my own experiences.. I would recommend the polarised version.
The Kayenne’s stabilizing nose bridge helps them to fit to you perfectly without sacrificing comfort. They also incorporate Quick Fit buckle system which makes tightening and loosening easy, even while wearing them. In our experience they really do provide a leak free, stable fit.
You can be sure that this pair will serve you well for your open water swimming sessions. They’re ultra durable and really can take the rough treatment goggles usually get.
Buy from www.swiminn.com
Arena cobra triathlon mirror
€45
Arena made these goggles especially for outdoor conditions. They’re particularly good for competitions have a soft liquid silicone gasket which sits really well and provides a good comfortable fit.
Their split strap provides a solid, comfortable fit. The lenses are very wide and offer great peripheral vision. Their soft liquid silicone gasket sits really well and provides a good comfortable fit. The lenses are also very sturdy so you can be sure they won’t shatter easily. The polarised lenses are of decent quality. And the mirror coating on the lenses is not only quite sleek but it also offers UV protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays.
Buy from www.swiminn.com
Zone 3 Vapor
€39
These goggles are an instant hit in the looks department. Their photochromatic lenses not only look fantastic but also allow them to adapt to several different lighting conditions. The gaskets in these goggles are quite large, with soft silicone providing a comfortable seal that stays leak-free.
The peripheral vision is in these goggles is also impressive and the button mechanism for tightening the split straps is easy to use. Only downside is that you might want to buy the Zone3’s protective case as the lenses seem to be prone to scratching.
buy from www.evanscycles.com
Zoggs Flex Predators
€32
These goggles are my go-to. Whilst my daughters prefer a smaller fit like the Arena Cobra’s, these goggles have always been a favourite of mine. However I had heard that Zoggs have had several design issues with some of their incarnations of the Predator Flex since their launch in 2011. With several batches having issues with their nose bridge durability and hard gasket design. It seems in sorting those nose bridge issues and returning to the original design, Zoggs have created an open-water classic with the Predator Original Predator Flex seen here.
The gaskets produce a great and secure fit that doesn’t leak at all on long-distance swims, and the wide scope of vision is brillant. The polarised lenses also are perfect in a host of light and weather conditions. I’ve also found during the winter when I’m training in the pool they adapt by taking the glare off the pool lights.
They’re not the most impressive looking goggles on the list but they are a trustworthy pair of goggles that have worked for me.
Buy from www.wiggle.com
Don’t forget to check out our other blogs where we discuss things like ‘Safety Swim Buoys vs. Tekrapod’, ‘Children’s Water Safety Devices’ and ‘Train(ing) the way you intend to race’.
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