Best Swim Goggles for Triathlons in 2022

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How to Find the Best Goggles

Every triathlete needs swim goggles, and choosing the right one can make all the difference with your comfort in the water and performance in the race. Although choosing the right goggles is highly personal based on your preferences, the decision can be made.

At the end of the day, the simpler the better. The basic function of goggles are to keep water out of your eyes… it’s as simple as that. The more complicated the goggles the more room there is for issues such as leakage and strap fails. So your best bet is a basic pair of goggles that work. Here are our best options!

Best Triathlon Goggles – Speedo Vanquisher 2.0

Overall these goggle win for the best overall triathlon swimming goggles. These Speedo goggles are the best mirrored and clear goggles on the market today. The goggles themselves are simple in their design yet are durable and can hold up to many miles in the pool or open water. The mirroring is prefect for outdoor swimming and does a good job of blocking any sun with the glare.

I would highly recommend getting a pair of the clear goggles and a pair of the mirriored goggles. The clear goggles are great for pool indoor swimming and the mirrored goggles are best for outside. You’ll need both for training and on race day.

Another great feature of these goggles is the padding. Its a very soft and comfortable padding that helps seal the goggles and prevent leaks. The photo below shows the padding around the lens (sorry about the sand, I was using them at the beach).

What makes the Speedo Mirrored Vanquisher 2.0 the best triathlon swim goggles?

• Excellent anti-fog protection that lasts longer than most goggles
• Strong UV protection and anti-glare to help shield your eyes from the sun on the most sunny days
• Wide view lens to allow you to see more around you during open water swimming
• Silicon seal cousins around the eyes which are great at sealing and preventing leaks
• Multiple interchangeable nose piece options to fit most noses and faces

Also Buy from:
From $21.99 at Speedo.com
From $21.99 at DicksSportingGoods.com

Best Open Water Swimming Goggles – Roka R1

Although a bit more expensive that most other swim goggles, the Roka R1 are the best premium triathlon swim goggles. The Roka R1’s were literally create specifically for open water swimming and have all the important features needed. The most important feature is the tilted lends, which gives you about an 11% increase in your upper sight line. This helps when you’re looking ahead at where you’re going. They also have the basic open water features including anti-fog, mirror UV protected lens, and a durable frame.

Also Buy From:
$40.00 at Roka.com

Most Comfortable Goggles – TYR SPORT Special OPS 2.0 Polarized Goggles

The TYR Sport Special Ops goggles are the most comfortable on our list. Due too the soft frames and efficient suction these goggles are not only comfortable but also form an excellent water tight barrier that holds for long periods of time. This is critical especially for swimmers going for longer distances of more than a mile. These goggles are also polarized and have an anti fog coating which makes them perfect for open water swimming.

Also Buy From:
$34.99 at Tyr.com
$35.00 at REI.com

Best Value Triathlon Goggles – EverSport Swim Goggles

The Eversport Swim Goggles are the best value since these come in a two pack, one is polarized for outdoor swimming and the other pair is clear for indoor swimming or cloudy days. These goggles also feature a unique strap snap in the back, making they easier to put on and take off if you have longer hair. In addition to the straps, these goggles also feature UV protection, anti-fog, double silicon frames for comfort, and a wide 180 field of vision.

Speedo Hydrospex Classic

The Speedo Hydrospex is your basic swim goggle. They don’t have many of the more advanced features of many triathlon or open water specific goggles, they they are a good simple pair of goggles that could be used for training. At this price point you can buy a couple pairs to use as backups too. As with all goggles on this list, they do feature anti-fog, UV protection, and a leak proof design. Additionally, the tint on the goggles is a little lighter, so there may be some issues in direct sunlight.

Also Buy From:
$15.99 at Speedo.com
$15.99 at SwimOutlet.com

Aqua Sphere Kayenne

The Aqua Sphere Kayenne are larger swim goggles that can be tricky to use. Some users have reported issues with underwater clarity, fog, and leaking. These issues can be remedied by adjusting the goggles, but given their larger size they are more prone to these issues. Although they do feature a nice adjustable and comfortable strap. The main feature is the large lens, which allows for a larger range of view than the more narrow counterparts.

Also Buy From:
$30.99 at AquaSphere.com
$29.99 at DicksSportingGoods.com

Indoor vs Outdoor Swimming

Obviously most triathlons are outdoors and the swim portion is in a lake, so tinted or mirrored goggles are the best bet. For indoor triathlons or pool training tinted goggles are usually too dark. For this type of training clear goggles are going to be important. In addition to sunlight and tint, the range of view from goggles is also important. Indoor pool swimmers only need a limited range of vision, so more narrow goggles are fine. Outdoor swimmers need a wider view in order to swim in the correct direction.

So in summary, clear limited range goggles are best for swimming indoors and tinted or mirrors goggles with a wider view range are best for outdoor swimming.

Goggle Fit and Size

Fit and size for swim goggles are really more personal preference. Everyone has a different face and it may take a few goggles to find the perfect fit. Some goggles comes with interchangeable pieces that will help fit different faces so I would encourage you to find a pair that is able to be adjusted. Having a proper fit will not only help the goggles be more comfortable, but will also prevent leaks.

Fog Protection

Fog can be a big problem for swimmers. Having your goggles fog can obstruct your vision and cause eye discomfort. This usually leads to the swimmer having to stop and clear out their goggles which impacts swim time.

Most goggles come with some form of fog protection. The fog protection is a thin layer that helps prevent condensation on the inside lens. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is rubbing the inside of the lens before or after they swim – don’t do this! You are basically wiping off the anti-fog layer which means your goggles will start fogging.

Inevitably, most goggles’ fog protection wears off. There are some natural and other methods of retaining the anti fog protection. The natural method is saliva. Your own spit anti-fog properties and can be used in a bind. Another way is using an anti-fog solution, such as the aptly names Quick Spit.