How to choose lenses for arena goggles

The lenses for arena goggles are not all the same. Choose the ideal style and colour for your specific needs!

When choosing swimming goggles, remember that lenses are extremely important for maximum visibility in the water. The choice of lenses for your goggles is initially a question of personal preference, but here are some useful tips if you do not know which to choose.

Which goggles should I choose for outdoor swimming?

If you swim outdoors, particularly in open water, you should choose goggles with mirror lenses that reflect light and minimise the amount of light getting in your eyes.

Mirror lenses for arena goggles come in various colours.

• DARK LENSES: if the sun is extremely strong or bright, our advice is to choose dark-coloured mirror lenses, for example “blue” or “silver”, which will prevent any reverberation effect and keep the sun out of your eyes.
• CLEAR LENSES: choose clear-coloured mirror lenses, for example a “copper” colour, for cloudy days when the sun is not so bright or when swimming early in the morning or late in the afternoon. The mirror effect is the same as with dark lenses, but the clear colour provides increased visibility in dim light.

ARENA TIPS

How can you tell whether your lenses are dark or clear? If your goggles have dark lenses, anybody looking at you while you are wearing them will not be able to see your eyes behind the lenses. On the contrary, your eyes will be partly visible through goggles if you are wearing clear mirror lenses!

If you swim outdoors but prefer to use non-reflective lenses, we suggest opting for dark-coloured lenses, such as “smoke” or “dark smoke”, perfect for optimum visibility even when the light is bright.

Which goggles should I choose for swimming indoors?

If you swim in an indoor pool, non-reflective lenses are usually the most popular choice. Once again, colour makes the difference.

• CLEAR LENSES: if the pool is not very well lit and light is dim, opt for clear lenses, such as transparent, pink or blue lenses. They will provide excellent visibility in your swim lane or underwater, even when there is no sunlight or the lighting is not very strong.

• DARK LENSES: if you swim in a brightly-lit pool or there is plenty of sunlight (possibly at the warmest time of day), you could choose dark-coloured lenses. They will provide optimum visibility and, at the same time, shelter your eyes from the light. arena’s “smoke” and “dark smoke” coloured goggles are perfect in these conditions!

If the pool is well-lit, such as during competitions, you might even opt for mirror lenses:

• in bright artificial light in enclosed places, clear mirror lenses, such as a “copper” colour, guarantee perfect visibility and excellent shielding against the light;
• some professional athletes opt for dark mirror lenses for important races so they can perform at their best even when the light in the pool or in the stands is particularly bright, or when there are TV lights or flash photography.

ARENA TIPS

Remember that your goggles will last longer if you look after them properly.