How to choose swim goggles is mostly one test: press them onto your eye sockets without the strap and see if they hold for a few seconds. If they do, the seal fits your face. The strap only stops them coming off; it is not what keeps water out.
How do I do the suction test on swim goggles?
Take the goggles, leave the strap hanging, and press the eyecups gently onto your eye sockets.
Let go. If they stay put for a few seconds by suction alone, the gasket shape matches your face. If
they fall off immediately or air hisses out at one point, they will leak in the water and no amount of
strap tension will fix it.
This is the entire test, and it takes five seconds. It works because a goggle seals against the
bone around the eye socket, and faces differ enormously in that geometry. The strap exists to stop
them being knocked off on a turn or a dive; people who tighten a strap to stop leaking are treating
the symptom and giving themselves a headache in exchange.
If they leak despite passing the test, the usual cause is the strap sitting too high or too low on
the back of the head. It should sit around the widest part, roughly level with the eyes, not up near
the crown.
How do I match goggles to the kind of swimming I do?
Different swimming asks for different shapes, and the differences are real rather than
marketing. Small profile racing goggles that sit inside the eye socket have minimal drag and a small
field of view, which suits sprinting and suits almost nobody for an hour of steady training.
Standard training goggles with a larger gasket are more comfortable over distance and seal more
forgivingly on a wider range of faces. This is what most people should own, and what most people
should own two pairs of.
Open water goggles or small masks trade drag for field of view, which matters when you are sighting
a buoy rather than following a black line. Swedish goggles, which arrive as unassembled parts you
string yourself, seal extremely well once tuned and are unforgiving until then.
Which lens tint should I choose for swim goggles?
Clear lenses are correct for indoor pools and for anything low light. Smoke or gray tints reduce
overall brightness for bright outdoor conditions. Mirrored lenses cut glare hardest and are for
outdoor sun, and they are noticeably too dark indoors. Blue and amber tints sit in between and are
largely preference.
Every goggle has an anti fog coating and every coating wears out. It lasts longer if you never
touch the inside of the lens, rinse in cool fresh water after swimming and let them air dry out of
direct sun. Wiping the inside with a finger removes the coating in one motion, which is the single
most common way people ruin a functioning pair.
Prescription goggles exist in fixed dioptre steps and are inexpensive. They are worth it for anyone
who cannot read the pace clock, and considerably safer for anyone swimming outdoors who needs to see
a boat or a buoy.
Making a pair last, and when to replace
Rinse in cool fresh water after every swim, never hot. Let them dry in shade rather than in a
bag, and store them in a case so the lenses do not get scratched by keys and pool passes. Do not leave
them on a car dashboard, where heat deforms the gasket permanently.
Replace when the gasket loses its softness and stops passing the suction test, or when the strap
perishes. Silicone gaskets harden over time from chlorine and sunlight, and a pair that used to seal
and no longer does is usually telling you it is done rather than that your face has changed.
Owning two pairs is genuinely sensible: one clear for indoors, one tinted for outdoors, and each
serves as the other's spare when a strap snaps at the start of a session.
Key takeaways
- Press the eyecups on without the strap; if they hold by suction, the seal fits your face.
- The strap stops goggles being knocked off; it is not what keeps water out.
- Tightening the strap to stop a leak treats the symptom and buys you a headache.
- The strap should sit around the widest part of the head, roughly level with the eyes.
- Low profile racing goggles are fastest and least comfortable; standard gaskets suit most training.
- Open water goggles trade drag for the field of view you need to sight a buoy.
- Clear lenses indoors, smoke or mirrored outdoors; mirrored indoors is too dark to read a pace clock.
- Never touch the inside of the lens, because one wipe removes the anti fog coating permanently.
- Prescription goggles are inexpensive and are a safety item for anyone swimming outdoors.
- Owning two pairs means one is always the other's spare when a strap snaps mid session.
Which goggle for which swimming
| Use case | Style | Trade off |
|---|---|---|
| Racing or sprinting | Low profile, sits inside the socket | Least drag, smallest field of view, least comfortable over distance |
| Regular training | Standard gasket | The default for most swimmers; comfortable over an hour |
| Open water | Larger lens or small mask | Field of view for sighting, more drag, usually tinted |
| Fitting difficulty | Swedish goggles | Superb seal once tuned, no gasket, unforgiving to set up |
| Poor eyesight | Prescription training goggle | Fixed dioptre steps, inexpensive, essential for outdoor safety |
Want to book a class?
Call (516) 872-4571. We teach at 490 Sunrise Highway, Rockville Centre, NY 11570.
Frequently asked questions
How tight should the strap be?
Just tight enough to stop them shifting. In how to choose swim goggles the strap is not the seal, and tightening it to stop a leak produces headaches and marks without fixing the underlying fit.
Why do my goggles leak on one side only?
Usually the gasket does not match your face on that side, or the strap sits crooked. Try the suction test one eye at a time; if one cup holds and the other does not, the shape is the problem.
How do I stop goggles fogging?
Never touch the inside of the lens, rinse in cool fresh water and air dry in shade. Once the factory coating is gone, an anti fog drop or a very small amount of baby shampoo rinsed out works reasonably.
Can I wear contact lenses under goggles?
Many swimmers do, though there is an infection risk if water gets in and a real chance of losing a lens. Prescription goggles avoid both problems and cost little more than a good standard pair.
Where should the strap sit on my head?
Around the widest part of the skull, roughly level with the eyes. A strap riding up toward the crown pulls the goggles at the wrong angle and is a very common cause of leaking.
Do children need different goggles?
Yes, junior sizes have smaller gaskets that actually seal on a smaller face. Adult goggles on a child leak constantly, and constant leaking is a reliable way to make a child dislike swimming.
What tint should I buy for an indoor pool?
Clear. Mirrored and heavily smoked lenses are for bright outdoor conditions and are noticeably too dark indoors, which matters if you are trying to read a pace clock across the pool.
How often should I replace them?
When the gasket hardens and no longer passes the suction test, or when the strap perishes. Chlorine and sunlight stiffen silicone over time, so a pair that used to seal and now does not is simply finished.
