The research
- Why you should trust us
- Who this is for
- How we picked and tested
- Top pick: Aquasphere Kayenne and Aquasphere Kayenne Junior
- Best for competitive lap swimming: Speedo Vanquisher 3.0
- Budget pick: Speedo Hydrospex and Speedo Jr. Hydrospex
- More swim goggles for kids worth considering
- The competition
- Sources
Why you should trust us
To find the best swim goggles, we interviewed competitive swim coaches, private swim instructors, and managers of recreational pool facilities to learn what qualities to look for.
Fitness staff writer Seth Berkman has been a recreational swimmer for 15 years and is also the author of Wirecutter’s guides to running shoes and insoles, among other fitness equipment.
Who this is for
Swim goggles provide a layer of air between your eyes and the water to help you focus. If you’re planning on spending any prolonged period of time in the water, whether it be a pool or the ocean, swim goggles are a wise investment for safety purposes, as they can prevent your eyes from stinging and blurred vision.
Goggles can’t replace a mask and snorkel, and few swim goggles are suitable for wearing much deeper than 6 feet; they’re not built to handle the same level of pressure as a snorkel and a scuba mask can. We didn’t test mask-style goggles for kids, because many facilities that offer swim lessons do not allow them.
Caitlin Boker, director of aquatic programming at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, said that masks can often slide off a child’s face. “They’re great with scuba diving or snorkeling, but in a pool are not very functional, don’t promote proper breath control, and are not great to use when swimming laps.”
Goggles are a bit like running shoes, in that they incur a lot of specific wear and have to be replaced regularly. “If you are a regular swimmer, you might need to replace your goggles every four to six months, said Kevin Long, general manager of Physique Swimming in New York City. “Chlorine tends to wear down the soft materials, which can lead to an improper seal.”
How we picked and tested
After consulting online reviews and gathering advice from swimmers and coaches, we tested eight models for adults and eight for kids in our most recent round of testing in 2023 and 2024.
Most of the goggles we tested are engineered for fitness and recreation, tending to feature wider, pressure-dispersing straps, soft silicone eyepieces, and oversize lenses that provide a wider field of vision. We also tested a few pairs of highly rated customizable goggles aimed at competitive swimmers to see if they offered a good fit for recreational use.
Most goggle lenses come in different colors and tints for different swimming setups. For example, clear and light-blue lenses are the best for indoor swimming. Blue lenses allow for better visibility in the open water. Gray-tinted lenses, on the other hand, are best for sunny, outdoor conditions. Yellow, orange, and amber-tinted lenses are good for low-light conditions. Almost every pair we tested had clear, light-blue, or gray-tinted lenses.
We recruited a panel of 11 adult testers and 16 kids from varying backgrounds, including racers with competitive-swimming experience, adults who swim recreationally a few times a week, and kids just learning how to swim. Over three months, our testers swam laps, splashed in pools and against waves, and even wore goggles in the shower. We asked them to look for the following features:
Easy-to-use straps: A good pair of goggles should be easy to put on and have straps that adjust quickly and don’t cause too much pressure on the back of the head, the eyes, or the nose bridge. In the water, they shouldn’t slide much—not at all, preferably—down the back of the head or pull roughly against long hair.
Minimal fogging: Although a good pair should not fog too much, several of our experts said to be cautious of advertising that claims a product can prevent fogging; they also noted that anti-fog coating tends to wear off quickly. “Just take them off between sets and use your thumbs to get rid of the fog,” said New York University swim coach Trevor Miele. Dunking goggles in water can be another short-term solution to ward off fogging.
A secure, comfortable fit: Goggles should cup snugly against your eyes but not cause undue pressure. With a good fit, water should not leak much, if at all, inside the goggles.
Soft, durable materials: Goggles should also be durable, in that they don’t scratch easily or that small scratches don’t affect vision. In addition, they should stand up to waves, sand, sunscreen, and chlorine without incurring damage.
Our testers also appreciated goggles that came with a protective carrying case, though such an accessory was not mandatory.
Top pick: Aquasphere Kayenne and Aquasphere Kayenne Junior
Top pick
The Aquasphere Kayenne and the Aquasphere Kayenne Junior are the long-standing favorite goggles among our adult testers and kid testers, respectively, consistently outperforming all other competitors priced under $50. These goggles comfortably fit a variety of face shapes, are simple to adjust, and have proven to be extremely durable.
They offer a unique, customizable fit. For the adult Kayenne model, you adjust the goggles by pushing a small button and pulling a strap that holds a line of ridges to lock the sizing in place. Adjusting the kids version involves lifting a small lever to accomplish the same goal. None of our testers found either process difficult to understand. One parent appreciated that the goggles didn’t need constant readjustment, as their child had a tendency to fiddle with the straps of other goggles during lessons.
Fogging and leaking are minimal. The Kayenne models have bigger and wider lenses than most other goggles we tested, but they did a good job of keeping water out. A little fog is expected with every pair of goggles, but reports of cloudiness with the Kayenne models were about the same or less frequent in comparison with other models we tested. One tester said that they experienced some leakage when doing flips in the water but not otherwise.
They provide clear and wide vision. Testers lauded the Kayenne models for the clarity of the lenses and the wide view they created. “Wide lenses can increase peripheral vision for better sightlines when open-water swimming,” Brendan O’Melveny, chief operating officer at Imagine Swimming, told us. “There’s great peripheral vision on these goggles,” one tester said, while another remarked that they are ideal for open-water swimming. An adult tester who swims several times a week said, in comparison with his regular goggles, “I liked these even more and have now switched to using these all the time.”
They’re long-lasting. Some of our testers have been using Kayenne goggles for years, and they report no issues with the goggles cracking or the straps tearing quickly. The Kayenne models come with a rigid plastic case that several parents of kid testers emphasized was helpful, especially when they’re hurriedly tossing items in a beach bag to get in the water on time. As one parent said: “It’s as much about finding them in a bag packed with multiple peoples’ stuff as protecting them from scratches.”
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The fit around the nose is not ideal for everyone. The Aquasphere Kayenne does not come with an adjustable nose bridge. One is included in the more-expensive Kayenne Pro version. One kid tester experienced some pain and pressure around the bridge of his nose when wearing the Kayenne Junior pair.
The straps on the junior version can be troublesome with long hair. Two of our kid testers with long hair complained of their hair being pulled by the straps.
Aquasphere’s customer service can be difficult to reach. Aqualung, the parent company of Aquasphere, has experienced several ownership shifts in recent years. One long-term tester of the Aquasphere Kayenne reported leaking in their goggles after a few months of use and tried to get a replacement under the company’s two-year warranty with no response. The company was recently acquired by Head, which plans to provide funding and “build on Aqualung Group’s production capabilities to support the global production and distribution of their products.” In the meantime, it may be difficult to contact customer service if defects occur with these goggles.
Best for competitive lap swimming: Speedo Vanquisher 3.0
Best for…
The Speedo Vanquisher 3.0 is an update of our previous recommendation for a racing-style goggle, now with an easier-fitting nose piece and a more comfortable fit. These minimalist goggles look like the kind of thing you see Olympic swimmers wearing. “The Vanquishers are my overall favorite and are better for lap swimming,” one tester said, adding that the band didn’t slip out of place much and maintained its length over multiple uses. “I find them more comfortable for long periods of wear.”
Easier-to-adjust nose pieces make a noticeable difference. Three of our testers who tried the Vanquisher 2.0, a previous recommendation in this guide, complained about the interchangeable nose pieces, which came in various sizes for you to create a more custom fit. The pieces were difficult to insert, and our testers worried about possibly snapping the pieces due to trying too hard. But our testers universally reported that the nose pieces for the Vanquisher 3.0 goggles are much easier to insert.
You can adjust the straps smoothly even with wet hands. Our testers liked the stretchy feeling of the straps on the Vanquisher 3.0 pair, which also allowed them to get a solid grip when trying to make small adjustments in the water. “It was very easy to adjust by pulling the straps; they never came out,” one lap swimmer said. “Even when my hands were wet, it was easy.”
The goggles have adequate padding. Although the Aquasphere Kayenne goggles are bigger with more padding around the eyes, the Vanquisher 3.0 set has ample padding that is “squishy, and sits in a comfortable place around my eyes, not putting pressure on any spots,” as one tester noted. Compared with other goggles, these didn’t leave huge goggle ring marks after usage.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
They don’t always provide crystal-clear vision. Two of our testers reported fogging of the lenses during lap swimming — not an overly distracting amount but enough to be noticeable. Also, because of the slim design, you get a small field of vision with the Speedo Vanquisher 3.0 compared with the Aquasphere Kayenne.
Budget pick: Speedo Hydrospex and Speedo Jr. Hydrospex
Budget pick
Speedo’s Hydrospex Classic Goggle and Jr. Hydrospex Classic Goggle are good at preventing leakage and fogging, but they lack some of the finer details of our other picks and are probably best only for casual lap swimming.
The straps are basic, but they do their job. You connect the straps through a simple unhook, adjust, and re-hook method (not unlike adjusting a belt), which produces a good fit but can take some time. Some parents said that the straps on the Jr. Hydrospex were more challenging to adjust than those of other kids goggles we tested, though they still weren’t that difficult to work with.
The fit around the nose can be tight. The nose bridge on the Hydrospex models is not adjustable, and that created irritation for some swimmers. One adult tester with a more prominent nose bridge said that the Hydrospex pair caused a red welt on their nose and that the goggles likely “didn’t suction as well as they would have for someone with a flatter bridge.” One kid tester had some red marks around their eyes after using the Jr. Hydrospex during a prolonged swim lesson, but they didn’t complain about the goggles hurting.
They’re an excellent value. Some of the experts we spoke to said that regular swimmers can expect to buy new goggles two or three times a year. If you’re not a competitive swimmer, the Hydrospex goggles should last much longer. And they regularly cost about half the price of our top pick. As one tester said: “They stayed in place and didn’t leak, which is what you need for a good lap-swimming goggle. I wouldn’t recommend anything more intense than casual lap swimming, but they did the job for casual recreation.”
More swim goggles for kids worth considering
If you want kids goggles in a pack of two: The Hurley Kids Swim Goggles offer a good value, as they are sold in a two-pack that costs just a few dollars more than our budget pick. They have a strap system similar to that of the Speedo Hydrospex goggles, but some pairs come with tinted lenses, and you don’t have the ability to mix and match colors. Still, one kid tester said: “They were super easy to adjust, put on, and wear. No leaking, no fogging. Just the way I like them.”
If you want a slimmer pair of kids goggles: The TYR Swimple Kids’ Goggles are a good choice. The lenses are smaller, in a style similar to the Speedo Vanquisher 3.0, but these goggles are intended for children just getting accustomed to the pool. They come with a release button for quick adjustments, and in our tests they did well in keeping out water and preventing fogging. The more pro-style design of this model was definitely a perk for some kids: “Not sure if it’s because these are like the traditional kind of goggles, but they were my son’s favorite,” one parent noted. “They fit him comfortably, so much so that he wore them out of the pool because they became his ‘night-vision goggles.’”
The competition
Swim goggles for adults
In our first round of testing, we found that the Aquasphere Kaiman goggles pressed slightly harder against our eye sockets than the other models we tested. The lenses were more curved than those on our top pick, too; the distortion those curves caused was apparent only in our peripheral vision. For swimmers who spend particularly long stretches in the pool, curved lenses can cause an eventually unacceptable level of eye fatigue.
We previously tested the Aquasphere Seal and the Aquasphere Vista, as well. Aquasphere originally conceived the Seal in 1998 to give triathletes a wider field of vision and to prevent eye injury from fellow flailing swimmers. The Vista, meanwhile, has a notably wide, face-fitting gasket, and it was one of the most comfortable goggles in all of our tests. One caveat: Our Vista pair lost a lens while one tester was swimming in the Dominican Republic. Aquasphere replaced it without issue, but that minor problem knocked it off our list of picks.
The Arena Tracks goggles have interchangeable nose pieces and straps that hold tight in place, but one tester reported that these goggles created “almost a blurry vignette around the edges” of their eyes when they were swimming underwater.
We read several online reviews about TheMagic5’s swim goggles and were curious about their customized, face-scanned design. After you download TheMagic5’s app, it takes two scans. In the first scan, you insert your face in a circle on your phone’s camera and move it around until the circle is filled with dots. Then, you’re instructed to hold a credit card flat against your forehead to take another scan. The process takes about three minutes, and the goggles are shipped quickly. During our tests, they offered good peripheral vision and didn’t fog much in the water, but a few of our testers experienced more water leakage with these goggles than with other pairs. TheMagic5’s goggles come with adjustable nose pieces, but testers found them more difficult to insert in comparison with other goggles offering a similar feature. “I felt like I was going to break it by trying to change it out, so I gave up,” one tester reported. These goggles cost more than double what any of our picks cost.
The Malmsten Original Swedish Goggles are highly recommended among elite competitive swimmers, and we wanted to see how they would fare among recreational swimmers. Some testers liked that they could put the goggles together (the straps, nose pieces, and eyepieces are shipped unconstructed), while others didn’t like the extra step. One tester had particular difficulty tying together the nose piece. Many of our testers experienced slippage and leakage with the fully constructed goggles due to a loose fit around the eyes. “They had a nice wide field of vision, which would have been nice if my eyeballs weren’t blinded from the chlorine water,” one tester said. In the end, these goggles don’t seem to occupy the right lane for non-competitive swimmers. As another tester summed it up: “Definitely for a serious swimmer who wants to tailor their goggle fit to exact specs.”
We previously recommended the Speedo Vanquisher 2.0, but we prefer the better-fitting nose pieces on the updated Vanquisher 3.0 model. The 2.0 set proved adept at preventing leaks and was more comfortable than most of the competitive-racing-style goggles our testers had previously tried. The straps snap in and out of a back buckle for easy adjustments, and most of our testers reported a good amount of eye suction or pressure around the eyelids. But these goggles lack the peripheral vision of our top pick.
The TYR Socket Rockets Goggles had one of the sturdiest-feeling straps we encountered in our tests, as well as an adjustable nose bridge. But a few testers reported regular leaking, and after they tried to adjust the goggles for a tighter fit, the goggles caused facial pain. Other testers said that the field of vision was more narrow with this pair, which could be a dealbreaker for some swimmers. However, the lack of a solid fit around the eyes was the one drawback that we couldn’t overlook. One tester said the goggles needed “more flesh around the eyes to work.”
We liked the wider-fitting lenses on the Xterra Velocity Smoke Swim Goggles, which are designed in a style not unlike that of our top pick, but some testers noticed more redness on their noses after using this pair, as well as more leaking after prolonged use. Like our top pick, this Xterra model also comes with a carrying case and is pretty good at preventing fogging, but one tester pointed out a concerning flaw in that this pair blurred their vision (our tester said that they have 20/20 vision and do not wear glasses). “The lane and wall markings on the pool were fuzzy, and the goggles created a slight double vision of details at the bottom of the pool. Additionally, I could not see the clock at the other end of the lane to read the time without taking them off.”
Several goggles, from Aegend, Aquazone, Cooloo, GDealer, iFlying, iSpeed, Rosa Schleife, and Zoma, showed promise when we unboxed them and strapped them on, but when submerged, every single pair of these goggles produced ripples in our field of vision. Most were blurry when we looked close-up at features such as hands or underwater objects—including the vital standard black-tile cross marker that indicates when a lap swimmer needs to turn. In some cases, the blurriness was bad enough that it induced mild disorientation, which would have likely degenerated into a headache if our testers had kept them on a while longer.
Swim goggles for kids
Our kid testers and their parents had trouble using the interchangeable nose pieces on the Arena Tracks Jr., noting that the goggles didn’t come with instructions. Several testers reported more water intake than usual inside these goggles even though they felt tighter around the eyes than other models. Some testers liked the thin strap, which allowed for quick removal and donning of the goggles.
When it came to novel goggle technology, we couldn’t ignore the Frogglez goggles, which have a neoprene strap. The force-dispersing soft yoke stays put and goes on and off as easily as a trucker’s cap. The strap is well made and can be quite useful for both recreational and competitive swimmers—putting the Frogglez set on and taking it off is a cinch—but our young testers found that the goggles themselves fogged too easily. The company also sells the neoprene strap alone ($18), which you can pair with almost any child-size goggles that allow for strap replacement. (Or you can buy a neoprene strap cover for placement over any goggle strap, such as this $9 cover from Cressi.)
Another pair of kids goggles with an adjustable nose piece, the Speedo Jr. Vanquisher 2.0 Goggle fared well in having minimal fogging and water in the lenses, but this set was not as comfortable as our picks. Even after customizing the nose piece, a few testers reported pinching on their nose. And the slimmer eyepieces created more tightness around the eyes on some testers, in contrast to the wider eye surface of our top pick.
We tested the highly reviewed Speedo Kids Skoogles Goggle. In our tests, kids didn’t find them quite as comfortable or easy to adjust as our top pick.
The Speedo Sunny Goggle is a top-rated choice for toddlers and kids up to around age 8 for whom standard goggle straps are bothersome. The bungee strap is exceptionally easy to adjust and tugs less on hair than most, but in our tests the peripheral visibility was severely limited in comparison with that of our picks for kids. Like all bungee-cord goggle straps, these are more prone to slipping on the head, aquatic-programming director Caitlin Boker told us.
The Splash Place Swim Goggles come with an extra-thick band, which is supposed to prevent hair tangling. Although these goggles proved to be easy to put on, some of our testers had trouble finding a secure fit. “We tightened them several times during the lesson, but water kept seeping in, and my son finally gave up wearing them,” one tester said.
In a previous round of testing, we did try some mask-style goggles. Our young testers were drawn in particular to Cressi’s Baloo kids swim mask. This mask, with its UV protection, excellent anti-fog characteristics, tough crystal-clear lens, soft gasket material, and simple ratchet strap, was a favorite. Our only complaint about the Baloo swim mask is that it isn’t available with a tinted lens. If that’s an important feature for you, try the Aquasphere Seal Kid 2, which fits a wide variety of kids’ faces. We also tested the Babiators Submariners, a mask for little kids. Although these mask-style goggles were neat in concept, featuring wraparound visibility and a wide, comfortable strap, they simply fogged too much.
This article was edited by Tracy Vence and Kalee Thompson.
Sources
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Trevor Miele, head coach, New York University Men’s and Women’s Swimming, email interview, January 18, 2024
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Caitlin Boker, director of aquatic programming, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, phone interview, February 1, 2024
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Kevin Long, general manager, Physique Swimming, email interview, February 12, 2024
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Brendan O’Melveny, chief operating officer, Imagine Swimming, email interview, February 13, 2024
The research
- Why you should trust us
- Who this is for
- How we picked and tested
- Top pick: Aquasphere Kayenne and Aquasphere Kayenne Junior
- Best for competitive lap swimming: Speedo Vanquisher 3.0
- Budget pick: Speedo Hydrospex and Speedo Jr. Hydrospex
- More swim goggles for kids worth considering
- The competition
- Sources
Why you should trust us
To find the best swim goggles, we interviewed competitive swim coaches, private swim instructors, and managers of recreational pool facilities to learn what qualities to look for.
Fitness staff writer Seth Berkman has been a recreational swimmer for 15 years and is also the author of Wirecutter’s guides to running shoes and insoles, among other fitness equipment.
Who this is for
Swim goggles provide a layer of air between your eyes and the water to help you focus. If you’re planning on spending any prolonged period of time in the water, whether it be a pool or the ocean, swim goggles are a wise investment for safety purposes, as they can prevent your eyes from stinging and blurred vision.
Goggles can’t replace a mask and snorkel, and few swim goggles are suitable for wearing much deeper than 6 feet; they’re not built to handle the same level of pressure as a snorkel and a scuba mask can. We didn’t test mask-style goggles for kids, because many facilities that offer swim lessons do not allow them.
Caitlin Boker, director of aquatic programming at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, said that masks can often slide off a child’s face. “They’re great with scuba diving or snorkeling, but in a pool are not very functional, don’t promote proper breath control, and are not great to use when swimming laps.”
Goggles are a bit like running shoes, in that they incur a lot of specific wear and have to be replaced regularly. “If you are a regular swimmer, you might need to replace your goggles every four to six months, said Kevin Long, general manager of Physique Swimming in New York City. “Chlorine tends to wear down the soft materials, which can lead to an improper seal.”
How we picked and tested
After consulting online reviews and gathering advice from swimmers and coaches, we tested eight models for adults and eight for kids in our most recent round of testing in 2023 and 2024.
Most of the goggles we tested are engineered for fitness and recreation, tending to feature wider, pressure-dispersing straps, soft silicone eyepieces, and oversize lenses that provide a wider field of vision. We also tested a few pairs of highly rated customizable goggles aimed at competitive swimmers to see if they offered a good fit for recreational use.
Most goggle lenses come in different colors and tints for different swimming setups. For example, clear and light-blue lenses are the best for indoor swimming. Blue lenses allow for better visibility in the open water. Gray-tinted lenses, on the other hand, are best for sunny, outdoor conditions. Yellow, orange, and amber-tinted lenses are good for low-light conditions. Almost every pair we tested had clear, light-blue, or gray-tinted lenses.
We recruited a panel of 11 adult testers and 16 kids from varying backgrounds, including racers with competitive-swimming experience, adults who swim recreationally a few times a week, and kids just learning how to swim. Over three months, our testers swam laps, splashed in pools and against waves, and even wore goggles in the shower. We asked them to look for the following features:
Easy-to-use straps: A good pair of goggles should be easy to put on and have straps that adjust quickly and don’t cause too much pressure on the back of the head, the eyes, or the nose bridge. In the water, they shouldn’t slide much—not at all, preferably—down the back of the head or pull roughly against long hair.
Minimal fogging: Although a good pair should not fog too much, several of our experts said to be cautious of advertising that claims a product can prevent fogging; they also noted that anti-fog coating tends to wear off quickly. “Just take them off between sets and use your thumbs to get rid of the fog,” said New York University swim coach Trevor Miele. Dunking goggles in water can be another short-term solution to ward off fogging.
A secure, comfortable fit: Goggles should cup snugly against your eyes but not cause undue pressure. With a good fit, water should not leak much, if at all, inside the goggles.
Soft, durable materials: Goggles should also be durable, in that they don’t scratch easily or that small scratches don’t affect vision. In addition, they should stand up to waves, sand, sunscreen, and chlorine without incurring damage.
Our testers also appreciated goggles that came with a protective carrying case, though such an accessory was not mandatory.
Top pick: Aquasphere Kayenne and Aquasphere Kayenne Junior
Top pick
The Aquasphere Kayenne and the Aquasphere Kayenne Junior are the long-standing favorite goggles among our adult testers and kid testers, respectively, consistently outperforming all other competitors priced under $50. These goggles comfortably fit a variety of face shapes, are simple to adjust, and have proven to be extremely durable.
They offer a unique, customizable fit. For the adult Kayenne model, you adjust the goggles by pushing a small button and pulling a strap that holds a line of ridges to lock the sizing in place. Adjusting the kids version involves lifting a small lever to accomplish the same goal. None of our testers found either process difficult to understand. One parent appreciated that the goggles didn’t need constant readjustment, as their child had a tendency to fiddle with the straps of other goggles during lessons.
Fogging and leaking are minimal. The Kayenne models have bigger and wider lenses than most other goggles we tested, but they did a good job of keeping water out. A little fog is expected with every pair of goggles, but reports of cloudiness with the Kayenne models were about the same or less frequent in comparison with other models we tested. One tester said that they experienced some leakage when doing flips in the water but not otherwise.
They provide clear and wide vision. Testers lauded the Kayenne models for the clarity of the lenses and the wide view they created. “Wide lenses can increase peripheral vision for better sightlines when open-water swimming,” Brendan O’Melveny, chief operating officer at Imagine Swimming, told us. “There’s great peripheral vision on these goggles,” one tester said, while another remarked that they are ideal for open-water swimming. An adult tester who swims several times a week said, in comparison with his regular goggles, “I liked these even more and have now switched to using these all the time.”
They’re long-lasting. Some of our testers have been using Kayenne goggles for years, and they report no issues with the goggles cracking or the straps tearing quickly. The Kayenne models come with a rigid plastic case that several parents of kid testers emphasized was helpful, especially when they’re hurriedly tossing items in a beach bag to get in the water on time. As one parent said: “It’s as much about finding them in a bag packed with multiple peoples’ stuff as protecting them from scratches.”
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The fit around the nose is not ideal for everyone. The Aquasphere Kayenne does not come with an adjustable nose bridge. One is included in the more-expensive Kayenne Pro version. One kid tester experienced some pain and pressure around the bridge of his nose when wearing the Kayenne Junior pair.
The straps on the junior version can be troublesome with long hair. Two of our kid testers with long hair complained of their hair being pulled by the straps.
Aquasphere’s customer service can be difficult to reach. Aqualung, the parent company of Aquasphere, has experienced several ownership shifts in recent years. One long-term tester of the Aquasphere Kayenne reported leaking in their goggles after a few months of use and tried to get a replacement under the company’s two-year warranty with no response. The company was recently acquired by Head, which plans to provide funding and “build on Aqualung Group’s production capabilities to support the global production and distribution of their products.” In the meantime, it may be difficult to contact customer service if defects occur with these goggles.
Best for competitive lap swimming: Speedo Vanquisher 3.0
Best for…
The Speedo Vanquisher 3.0 is an update of our previous recommendation for a racing-style goggle, now with an easier-fitting nose piece and a more comfortable fit. These minimalist goggles look like the kind of thing you see Olympic swimmers wearing. “The Vanquishers are my overall favorite and are better for lap swimming,” one tester said, adding that the band didn’t slip out of place much and maintained its length over multiple uses. “I find them more comfortable for long periods of wear.”
Easier-to-adjust nose pieces make a noticeable difference. Three of our testers who tried the Vanquisher 2.0, a previous recommendation in this guide, complained about the interchangeable nose pieces, which came in various sizes for you to create a more custom fit. The pieces were difficult to insert, and our testers worried about possibly snapping the pieces due to trying too hard. But our testers universally reported that the nose pieces for the Vanquisher 3.0 goggles are much easier to insert.
You can adjust the straps smoothly even with wet hands. Our testers liked the stretchy feeling of the straps on the Vanquisher 3.0 pair, which also allowed them to get a solid grip when trying to make small adjustments in the water. “It was very easy to adjust by pulling the straps; they never came out,” one lap swimmer said. “Even when my hands were wet, it was easy.”
The goggles have adequate padding. Although the Aquasphere Kayenne goggles are bigger with more padding around the eyes, the Vanquisher 3.0 set has ample padding that is “squishy, and sits in a comfortable place around my eyes, not putting pressure on any spots,” as one tester noted. Compared with other goggles, these didn’t leave huge goggle ring marks after usage.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
They don’t always provide crystal-clear vision. Two of our testers reported fogging of the lenses during lap swimming — not an overly distracting amount but enough to be noticeable. Also, because of the slim design, you get a small field of vision with the Speedo Vanquisher 3.0 compared with the Aquasphere Kayenne.
Budget pick: Speedo Hydrospex and Speedo Jr. Hydrospex
Budget pick
Speedo’s Hydrospex Classic Goggle and Jr. Hydrospex Classic Goggle are good at preventing leakage and fogging, but they lack some of the finer details of our other picks and are probably best only for casual lap swimming.
The straps are basic, but they do their job. You connect the straps through a simple unhook, adjust, and re-hook method (not unlike adjusting a belt), which produces a good fit but can take some time. Some parents said that the straps on the Jr. Hydrospex were more challenging to adjust than those of other kids goggles we tested, though they still weren’t that difficult to work with.
The fit around the nose can be tight. The nose bridge on the Hydrospex models is not adjustable, and that created irritation for some swimmers. One adult tester with a more prominent nose bridge said that the Hydrospex pair caused a red welt on their nose and that the goggles likely “didn’t suction as well as they would have for someone with a flatter bridge.” One kid tester had some red marks around their eyes after using the Jr. Hydrospex during a prolonged swim lesson, but they didn’t complain about the goggles hurting.
They’re an excellent value. Some of the experts we spoke to said that regular swimmers can expect to buy new goggles two or three times a year. If you’re not a competitive swimmer, the Hydrospex goggles should last much longer. And they regularly cost about half the price of our top pick. As one tester said: “They stayed in place and didn’t leak, which is what you need for a good lap-swimming goggle. I wouldn’t recommend anything more intense than casual lap swimming, but they did the job for casual recreation.”
More swim goggles for kids worth considering
If you want kids goggles in a pack of two: The Hurley Kids Swim Goggles offer a good value, as they are sold in a two-pack that costs just a few dollars more than our budget pick. They have a strap system similar to that of the Speedo Hydrospex goggles, but some pairs come with tinted lenses, and you don’t have the ability to mix and match colors. Still, one kid tester said: “They were super easy to adjust, put on, and wear. No leaking, no fogging. Just the way I like them.”
If you want a slimmer pair of kids goggles: The TYR Swimple Kids’ Goggles are a good choice. The lenses are smaller, in a style similar to the Speedo Vanquisher 3.0, but these goggles are intended for children just getting accustomed to the pool. They come with a release button for quick adjustments, and in our tests they did well in keeping out water and preventing fogging. The more pro-style design of this model was definitely a perk for some kids: “Not sure if it’s because these are like the traditional kind of goggles, but they were my son’s favorite,” one parent noted. “They fit him comfortably, so much so that he wore them out of the pool because they became his ‘night-vision goggles.’”
The competition
Swim goggles for adults
In our first round of testing, we found that the Aquasphere Kaiman goggles pressed slightly harder against our eye sockets than the other models we tested. The lenses were more curved than those on our top pick, too; the distortion those curves caused was apparent only in our peripheral vision. For swimmers who spend particularly long stretches in the pool, curved lenses can cause an eventually unacceptable level of eye fatigue.
We previously tested the Aquasphere Seal and the Aquasphere Vista, as well. Aquasphere originally conceived the Seal in 1998 to give triathletes a wider field of vision and to prevent eye injury from fellow flailing swimmers. The Vista, meanwhile, has a notably wide, face-fitting gasket, and it was one of the most comfortable goggles in all of our tests. One caveat: Our Vista pair lost a lens while one tester was swimming in the Dominican Republic. Aquasphere replaced it without issue, but that minor problem knocked it off our list of picks.
The Arena Tracks goggles have interchangeable nose pieces and straps that hold tight in place, but one tester reported that these goggles created “almost a blurry vignette around the edges” of their eyes when they were swimming underwater.
We read several online reviews about TheMagic5’s swim goggles and were curious about their customized, face-scanned design. After you download TheMagic5’s app, it takes two scans. In the first scan, you insert your face in a circle on your phone’s camera and move it around until the circle is filled with dots. Then, you’re instructed to hold a credit card flat against your forehead to take another scan. The process takes about three minutes, and the goggles are shipped quickly. During our tests, they offered good peripheral vision and didn’t fog much in the water, but a few of our testers experienced more water leakage with these goggles than with other pairs. TheMagic5’s goggles come with adjustable nose pieces, but testers found them more difficult to insert in comparison with other goggles offering a similar feature. “I felt like I was going to break it by trying to change it out, so I gave up,” one tester reported. These goggles cost more than double what any of our picks cost.
The Malmsten Original Swedish Goggles are highly recommended among elite competitive swimmers, and we wanted to see how they would fare among recreational swimmers. Some testers liked that they could put the goggles together (the straps, nose pieces, and eyepieces are shipped unconstructed), while others didn’t like the extra step. One tester had particular difficulty tying together the nose piece. Many of our testers experienced slippage and leakage with the fully constructed goggles due to a loose fit around the eyes. “They had a nice wide field of vision, which would have been nice if my eyeballs weren’t blinded from the chlorine water,” one tester said. In the end, these goggles don’t seem to occupy the right lane for non-competitive swimmers. As another tester summed it up: “Definitely for a serious swimmer who wants to tailor their goggle fit to exact specs.”
We previously recommended the Speedo Vanquisher 2.0, but we prefer the better-fitting nose pieces on the updated Vanquisher 3.0 model. The 2.0 set proved adept at preventing leaks and was more comfortable than most of the competitive-racing-style goggles our testers had previously tried. The straps snap in and out of a back buckle for easy adjustments, and most of our testers reported a good amount of eye suction or pressure around the eyelids. But these goggles lack the peripheral vision of our top pick.
The TYR Socket Rockets Goggles had one of the sturdiest-feeling straps we encountered in our tests, as well as an adjustable nose bridge. But a few testers reported regular leaking, and after they tried to adjust the goggles for a tighter fit, the goggles caused facial pain. Other testers said that the field of vision was more narrow with this pair, which could be a dealbreaker for some swimmers. However, the lack of a solid fit around the eyes was the one drawback that we couldn’t overlook. One tester said the goggles needed “more flesh around the eyes to work.”
We liked the wider-fitting lenses on the Xterra Velocity Smoke Swim Goggles, which are designed in a style not unlike that of our top pick, but some testers noticed more redness on their noses after using this pair, as well as more leaking after prolonged use. Like our top pick, this Xterra model also comes with a carrying case and is pretty good at preventing fogging, but one tester pointed out a concerning flaw in that this pair blurred their vision (our tester said that they have 20/20 vision and do not wear glasses). “The lane and wall markings on the pool were fuzzy, and the goggles created a slight double vision of details at the bottom of the pool. Additionally, I could not see the clock at the other end of the lane to read the time without taking them off.”
Several goggles, from Aegend, Aquazone, Cooloo, GDealer, iFlying, iSpeed, Rosa Schleife, and Zoma, showed promise when we unboxed them and strapped them on, but when submerged, every single pair of these goggles produced ripples in our field of vision. Most were blurry when we looked close-up at features such as hands or underwater objects—including the vital standard black-tile cross marker that indicates when a lap swimmer needs to turn. In some cases, the blurriness was bad enough that it induced mild disorientation, which would have likely degenerated into a headache if our testers had kept them on a while longer.
Swim goggles for kids
Our kid testers and their parents had trouble using the interchangeable nose pieces on the Arena Tracks Jr., noting that the goggles didn’t come with instructions. Several testers reported more water intake than usual inside these goggles even though they felt tighter around the eyes than other models. Some testers liked the thin strap, which allowed for quick removal and donning of the goggles.
When it came to novel goggle technology, we couldn’t ignore the Frogglez goggles, which have a neoprene strap. The force-dispersing soft yoke stays put and goes on and off as easily as a trucker’s cap. The strap is well made and can be quite useful for both recreational and competitive swimmers—putting the Frogglez set on and taking it off is a cinch—but our young testers found that the goggles themselves fogged too easily. The company also sells the neoprene strap alone ($18), which you can pair with almost any child-size goggles that allow for strap replacement. (Or you can buy a neoprene strap cover for placement over any goggle strap, such as this $9 cover from Cressi.)
Another pair of kids goggles with an adjustable nose piece, the Speedo Jr. Vanquisher 2.0 Goggle fared well in having minimal fogging and water in the lenses, but this set was not as comfortable as our picks. Even after customizing the nose piece, a few testers reported pinching on their nose. And the slimmer eyepieces created more tightness around the eyes on some testers, in contrast to the wider eye surface of our top pick.
We tested the highly reviewed Speedo Kids Skoogles Goggle. In our tests, kids didn’t find them quite as comfortable or easy to adjust as our top pick.
The Speedo Sunny Goggle is a top-rated choice for toddlers and kids up to around age 8 for whom standard goggle straps are bothersome. The bungee strap is exceptionally easy to adjust and tugs less on hair than most, but in our tests the peripheral visibility was severely limited in comparison with that of our picks for kids. Like all bungee-cord goggle straps, these are more prone to slipping on the head, aquatic-programming director Caitlin Boker told us.
The Splash Place Swim Goggles come with an extra-thick band, which is supposed to prevent hair tangling. Although these goggles proved to be easy to put on, some of our testers had trouble finding a secure fit. “We tightened them several times during the lesson, but water kept seeping in, and my son finally gave up wearing them,” one tester said.
In a previous round of testing, we did try some mask-style goggles. Our young testers were drawn in particular to Cressi’s Baloo kids swim mask. This mask, with its UV protection, excellent anti-fog characteristics, tough crystal-clear lens, soft gasket material, and simple ratchet strap, was a favorite. Our only complaint about the Baloo swim mask is that it isn’t available with a tinted lens. If that’s an important feature for you, try the Aquasphere Seal Kid 2, which fits a wide variety of kids’ faces. We also tested the Babiators Submariners, a mask for little kids. Although these mask-style goggles were neat in concept, featuring wraparound visibility and a wide, comfortable strap, they simply fogged too much.
This article was edited by Tracy Vence and Kalee Thompson.
Sources
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Trevor Miele, head coach, New York University Men’s and Women’s Swimming, email interview, January 18, 2024
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Caitlin Boker, director of aquatic programming, Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, phone interview, February 1, 2024
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Kevin Long, general manager, Physique Swimming, email interview, February 12, 2024
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Brendan O’Melveny, chief operating officer, Imagine Swimming, email interview, February 13, 2024
