How to Choose the Best Silicone Swim Goggles
Whether you’re an avid swimmer or just starting out, a good pair of goggles can make all the difference. Ensure you choose a pair with soft silicone gaskets that can mold to your face and keep a seal.
The first step in designing customized swim goggles is scanning the wearer’s face using a 3D scanner. This process yields a 3D facial image that can be used to design the goggle frame and lens.
Comfort
Goggles are meant to protect swimmers’ eyes from chlorine and glare, but it’s also important that they fit comfortably. The best silicone swim goggles feature soft, flexible head straps that fit snugly over the ears without pulling or pinching the skin. Silicone is also softer than latex, making it less likely to cause discomfort or irritation.
The Speedo FastSkin Hyper Elite goggles are an example of a comfortable silicone pair. They sit snugly against the face and are leak-free. They also offer UV protection and anti-fog lenses. They are designed for competitive swimmers ages 6-14 and have a mask-style design that delivers a wide view of the underwater landscape. They are lightweight, durable, and feature easy-to-use double head straps to prevent them from slipping off a young swimmer’s head.
Another option is the FORM Smart Swim Goggles. These goggles are ideal for swimmers who love data and want to maximize their workout results. The digital heads-up display shows your training stats in real time, including your splits, distance, stroke count, and heart rate (when paired with a separate sensor). Although the FORM smart swim goggles are a great choice for many swimmers, they do have two drawbacks: First, the heads-up display takes away some of your peripheral vision, which can be annoying at times. Second, it’s not possible to edit completed workouts in the app after the swim.
Durability
The silicone straps on these goggles are made from a high-quality material that lasts a long time. They are also hypoallergenic and comfortable on the skin. Unlike traditional rubber Silicone Swim Goggles straps, which degrade over time due to the chlorine in pools and sun exposure in open water swimming, silicone remains durable and pliable even after many swims. These goggles are also easy to adjust with a wide, adjustable split strap that fits a variety of face shapes. They feature anti-fog coatings, and the lenses are polarized to reduce glare from sunlight. The lenses are also photochromatic, meaning they change color depending on light conditions.
These goggles offer a very clear field of vision, making them perfect for open water and triathlon swims. The curved lenses provide an excellent wide-angle view that allows swimmers to see buoys, other swimmers, and the terrain around them. Additionally, these goggles are highly breathable and have UV protection to protect the eyes from harmful rays.
These goggles are one of the most affordable options on this list. They are lightweight and feature anti-fog, polarized, and UV protection. The frame is also very flexible, and the lens is large enough to comfortably fit most faces. They are also available in multiple colors and come with a simple cloth bag for storage.
Style
When you’re shopping for a pair of swim goggles, make sure they fit snugly around your eyes and comfortably on your head. Look for a model with silicone straps that are soft and secure. Also, consider getting a model with tinted lenses to protect your eyes from harsh sunlight. Some models have a special anti-fog coating that keeps your vision clear.
One of the biggest fears competitive swimmers have is that their goggles will spring a massive leak on the dive of an important race. This is what happened to Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly at the 2008 Olympics, and it left him blind for the last 150m of the race. This fear is why many top swimmers choose to invest in a pair of race-ready Speedo FastSkin Hyper Elite goggles, which come with a hard polycarbonate lens, are mega low-profile for a hydrodynamic advantage in the water, and have silicone gaskets that suction to your face for a comfortable, leak-free fit.
These goggles are also super durable, making them ideal for long races and workouts. They’re available in a variety of color/tint options and have adult, junior, and women’s versions as well as prescription options. If you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, TYR Black Hawk mirroring goggles are another good option, with a custom gasket and fit that is great for “hard to fit” faces. And if you’re the type of swimmer who loves swimming in data and metrics, you’ll love the intuitive and highly accurate FORM smart swim goggles, which display your training stats on a digital heads-up display.
Price
One of the most basic functions of swim goggles is to help swimmers see better in the water. Whether you’re an early morning lapper or a competitive racer, your Silicone Swim Goggles swimming goggles can make the difference between seeing clearly and squinting like crazy. Choosing the right pair depends on your needs, style and budget.
A good place to start is with a pair of silicone goggles that are lightweight and comfortable. Silicone is a synthetic polymer that’s hypoallergenic, soft and flexible. It also provides a secure, leak-proof seal around your eyes. Its durability makes it an ideal material for swim goggles, especially those that are worn often. Compared to latex, silicone straps don’t degrade as quickly and are less likely to cause irritation or chafing.
You can find a variety of silicone straps and frames to suit your preference, including curved and non-curved options. There are even options for different nose bridge sizes, so you can get the perfect fit. You can also find a variety of tinted and mirrored lenses to suit your swim workout and pool environment.
For the competitive swimmer who wants a set of goggles that are built to last and that can be used for competition, Speedo’s FastSkin Elite goggles are an excellent choice. These high-performance swim goggles feature a super low-profile to reduce drag and are built with hard polycarbonate lenses for durability. They also feature a dual silicone head strap to ensure a comfortable and leak-free fit. They come with shatter-resistant prescription lenses in a tinted blue that’s ideal for reducing glare.