How to Choose Swimming Goggles

Swimming goggles can not only help you see clearly underwater, but also protect your eyes from the chlorine and other chemicals found in swimming pools as well as dirt, debris and bacteria. When you find yourself wondering how to choose the best swimming goggles for yourself, there are some things you'll need to keep in mind before running out and purchasing a pair.

1.Visibility

Most goggles have a sort of oval window that you look through. That’s fine if you only need to look straight ahead, but if you swim in open water you probably want something that doesn’t block your peripheral vision.

2.Color

Tinted and mirrored goggles both help to shade your eyes if you swim in bright sunlight. If you stick to indoor pools, though, color doesn’t matter.

3.Adjustability

Some goggles have interchangeable nose pieces, allowing you to change the distance between the eye cups to tweak the fit. Minimalist Swedish style goggles come as a kit, so you can create your own nose piece from string or the material of your choice.

4.Straps

Goggles with a single strap can end up sliding down toward your neck. Double straps fix this problem: you wear the bottom strap in the usual place and the top strap as high as possible, to prevent the goggles from sliding down.

5.Size

Some goggles have tiny eye cups that are meant to fit inside your eye socket, right around your eyeball. At the other extreme are goggles that fit like a mask, making their seal along your forehead and cheekbones. The left-most goggles in the photo above are a mask style. The smaller types are more likely to stay in place, but bigger ones are usually more comfortable.