How to Choose the Perfect Swimming Goggles For Triathlon
For swimmers, a swimsuit is like a second skin and goggles are like the second pair of eyes. To find the best swimming goggles, look for a pair that fits well and provides comfort and a watertight seal. They should also give you great visibility in and out of the water. Choosing the right swimming goggles is key to being able to focus on your swimming and not worry about your field of vision.
We’ll go over what to keep an eye out for when choosing a pair of goggles, please excuse the pun !!
Why Are Goggles Important?
If you’re new to swimming, you might be wondering if you need to wear goggles. The answer is yes. If you plan on swimming regularly, you’re going to need to get some swimming goggles. Swimming goggles not only make it easier to swim, but they also provide protection from the water.
Check out these main reasons to wear swimming goggles when you hit the pool:
- Eye protection: Your eyes aren’t designed for underwater use. A pair of swimming goggles that fit properly keep the water away from your eyes, reducing irritation, especially in a chemical-filled pool. The pool water can have other contaminants including cosmetics, urine, sweat and mucus. Wearing goggles can reduce eye discomfort and eliminate red, bloodshot eyes that can occur when swimming without protection.
- Better focus: Since your eyes aren’t accustomed to functioning in water, you won’t get a clear view when swimming without goggles. Everything appears blurry. Goggles provide a barrier between your eyes and the water. This allows you to focus easily so you are better able to see your target and swim more efficiently. Seeing clearly is particularly helpful when going from under the water to above the water during a stroke. The goggles give you consistent protection and instant focus so you can always see where you are going.
- Specialized purpose: Goggles are available for a variety of eye protection purposes, such as working in areas with lots of dust or flying pieces. Swimming goggles are designed specifically for pool use. This means the designs focus on sealing out water and keeping your eyes dry. Choosing swim goggles specifically ensures you get the best protection in the pool with the needs of a swimmer taken into consideration.
What to Look for in Swimming Goggles
When looking for swim goggles, it is most important to find a pair that fit well. If you don’t want to worry about your goggles fogging up during your race or swim workout, you may want to look for goggles with an anti-fog coating. We’ll go over each characteristic so you can pick the right swimming goggles for you.
A Proper Fit
A perfect fit is essential when choosing swim goggles. The last thing you want to worry about while swimming is water leaking into your goggles. One way to ensure that you won’t have to stop and empty your goggles during a swim set is to make sure they fit your face properly before you start.
Make sure to find goggles that fit snugly around your eyes. Most goggles have silicone gaskets that help create a comfortable seal and prevent water from leaking. To get the best fit, make sure the nose piece on the goggles is the right size for your face. It shouldn’t be too big or too small. The goggles should fit snugly over your nose so that each lens is positioned over your eye sockets.
Type of Lens
There are two types of goggles you can choose from based on the type of lens you require: clear lenses that are ideal for indoor or duller days, or dark tint lenses if you train in well-lit pools or outdoors.
When choosing a swim lens, you should take into account the environment you’ll be swimming in. You can choose between lenses that are clear or lenses that have a tint. In addition to regular lenses, you can also choose mirror lenses for a more stylish look and better sun protection.
If you are spending time outdoors swimming during the day, you should look for goggles with a darker tint to block out the bright light. If you want to swim outside during the hours when the sun’s UV rays are the strongest, you should look for goggles with UV protection.
A lens that is not tinted could help you see better if you swim indoors in a pool that has lights at night or in other settings where there is not a lot of light. However, you can use mirrored goggles with a lens colour tint for indoor swimming, and the choice comes down to what you like the best.
Anti-fog Coating
Goggles with an anti-fog coating would be beneficial. During a training session, it can be very frustrating when you can’t see the interval clock because your goggles are fogged up. One way to avoid having your goggles fog up while wearing them is to look for a pair that has an anti-fog coating on the lenses.
Just wipe your lenses with your finger to keep them from fogging up for up to 10 times longer.
There is also an anti-fog spray on the market to prevent your swim goggles from fogging up.
Types of Goggles
Racing Goggles
Low-profile goggles are designed for competitive swimmers for whom races are their favourite part of swimming. Specialist racing goggles are not only the best choice for racing, but they are also a great option for training. Racing goggles have hard lenses compared to other models to provide better, clearer vision. They have small seals to fit better around the eyes while providing excellent hydrodynamics.
Racing goggles feature a dual strap design to ensure a snug, secure fit that stays in place during vigorous activity. The ability to interchange the nose bridge and clip allows for a perfect fit no matter the size or shape of your face.
Fitness Goggles
Fitness goggles are a popular choice among swimmers who train in pools but also like to swim in open water. Goggles that cover a larger surface area of the eye will be beneficial for both triathletes and open-water swimmers.
Most arena fitness goggles have a special strap that can be adjusted without taking the goggles off, so you can keep wearing them during your training. The majority of these goggles have a split strap which provides more comfort and ensures they are completely waterproof.
If you have a small face, you should choose a model with smaller eye gaskets for a perfect watertight fit. A swim mask with large lenses will give you a wider field of view while swimming.
Recreational Training Goggles
If you don’t have an intensive training plan but are looking for tough and comfortable goggles that are easy to wear, these goggles are an excellent choice.
This product is guaranteed to be water-tight due to its flexible nose bridges and easy-to-adjust straps. The gaskets will keep the water out so you can swim comfortably.
The goggles are perfect for people who swim for fun and to stay in shape.
Goggle Size and Fit
Two major factors to consider when purchasing swim goggles are size and fit. If the goggles don’t fit snugly, they won’t be effective at keeping water out of your eyes. If they don’t fit well, you won’t want to wear them.
How should goggles fit? They should feel snug yet comfortable. Put the goggles on your eyes so that they fit snugly around your eye sockets. Make sure that the straps are tightened enough so that the goggles will stay in place, but not so tight that they are uncomfortable.
The sizing of the goggles will help you to choose the right pair of goggles. Companies design goggles specifically for kids, women and men. You should try on different goggles to see which size is best for you but don’t feel like you have to pick one of those sizes.
If you have a small face, you may find that a pair of kid’s goggles are a better fit than an adult pair. Some men may feel more comfortable in women’s goggles due to the fit and size.
The important thing to remember when looking for a watertight fit is to get lenses and a frame that is the right size. To see if a pair of goggles will fit without trying them on, press the goggles firmly to your face and see if they stay in place, use this as a starting point, if they don’t stick, they’re probably the wrong size. The goggles should attach snugly to your eyes and remain in place for a second or two.
You cannot test Swedish-style goggles for leaks by suctioning them to your face, as they do not have gaskets.
Once you find goggles options that are the correct size, you should focus on finding comfortable ones. Notice how the nosepiece feels on your face. These pieces are sometimes adjustable for greater comfort.
Check your peripheral vision while wearing the goggles. If you swim in open water, it is particularly important to be aware of your surroundings using your peripheral vision. A wide view of your surroundings while swimming can help you avoid collisions and swim in a straight line.
Move your head around while wearing the goggles. Move your head side to side as if you were in the water as you stroke to ensure you are getting a full range of motion. This allows you to see how the goggles might feel when you are using them. If the goggles you are wearing are not comfortable, try a different pair.
Adjustment System
Your goggles should fit snugly around your eyes to keep the water away and allow for a better seal. The adjustment system helps you get the perfect fit.
There are two ways to adjust goggles: the straps that go behind the head and the nosepiece or bridge that connects the lenses. Not all goggles allow for adjustments at the nose.
Choose an adjustment system for the goggles that work well for you. Adjust the goggles before you buy them to see how easy the system is to use.
A strap can be tightened or loosened with a buckle system, which is a common way to adjust the length of the strap. Some styles use a push-button method for quick adjustments.
The split-strap style of the goggles provides a more secure fit at the back of the head. This option allows you to wear the straps higher on one shoulder and lower on the other to prevent slipping. This type of strap is especially good for quickly turning and fast laps because you don’t have to worry about the goggles moving.
Choose a bridge width that allows the strap to comfortably fit over the bridge. If the glasses strap is not wide enough, the lenses will not fit properly on the eyes and there will be a gap between the lens and the eye. A bridge that is too wide affects the seal of the glasses, as the lenses sit out too far on the face.
Try adjusting both points on the goggles to see if they fit you well. Try a different pair if the two adjustment points on your goggles aren’t working to give you a good seal and a comfortable fit.
Swimming Goggle Tips
Consider these additional tips when buying swimming goggles:
- Test with your cap: If you plan to swim with a cap, try on the goggles with the cap in place. This helps you test whether or not the two pieces work well together and feel comfortable. The cap can also affect the fit of the goggles.
- Consider the look: Function is by far the most important aspect of selecting your swimming goggles. It doesn’t matter how great you look in the goggles or how fun they look if they don’t provide the protection you need.
- Understand men’s versus women’s goggles: The goggles typically come with the same features. The primary difference is the size of the frames and lenses. Women’s goggles may also come in more feminine colours, which may sway your decision.
- Replace as needed: If you swim regularly, you can typically get about four to six months out of a pair of goggles before replacing them. After so long in the pool, the chemicals begin to break down the goggles and affect the seal, making them ineffective in keeping your eyes dry.
- Perform proper care: Extend the life of your goggles by properly caring for them. Rinse goggles with fresh water after use to remove chemicals, dirt and other debris that can damage the materials. Let them dry completely, but keep the goggles out of the sunlight, as the UV rays are damaging. Never wipe the inside of the lenses on goggles with an anti-fog coating. This can scratch or remove the coating, making it ineffective.