How to Choose Swimming Goggles for Your Style of Swimming

If a swimsuit is like a second skin for swimmers, goggles are like a second pair of eyes. The best swimming goggles will fit perfectly and provide lasting comfort and a watertight seal. They should also provide excellent vision in and out of the water. Learning how to choose swimming goggles that work the best for you is essential so you can focus on swimming without worrying about your field of vision.

Today, we’ll highlight what to look for in a pair of goggles. Then, we’ve created a short quiz that will help you figure out how to choose swimming goggles that are best for you. After that, we’ll go over your quiz results to see whether you should wear goggles for racing, training, or recreational swimming.

What to Look for in Swimming Goggles

The most important thing to look for in swim goggles is a proper fit. After that, you should consider what type of lens you want. You may also want to look for goggles with an anti-fog coating, so you don’t have to worry about them fogging up during your race or swim workout. Let’s cover each of these attributes so you can understand how to choose swimming goggles.

A Proper Fit

When thinking about how to choose swim goggles, a perfect fit is essential. While swimming, the last thing you want to worry about is water leaking into your goggles. The best way to avoid needing to stop and drain your goggles in the middle of a swim set is to try on goggles to check if they fit your face well.

You’ll want to find goggles that seal around your eye socket completely. Most goggles have silicone gaskets that create a comfortable seal and keep water from leaking in. You’ll also want to make sure the nose piece on the goggles fits your face well and that it is neither too large nor too small. It should span the bridge of your nose so that each lens of the goggles fits comfortably over your eye sockets.

Type of Lens

Next, you’ll want to consider what type of lens is best for the environment you swim in. You can choose between clear lenses or lenses with a tint. You can also opt for mirrored lenses for added style and sun protection.

If you spend most of your time outdoor swimming during the day, look for goggles with a darker tint to block out the bright light. The sun’s UV rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., so if you swim outside during these hours, it’s good to look for goggles with UV protection.

A clear lens could be your best bet for increased visibility if you swim at an indoor pool, under the lights at night, or in other low-light settings. However, mirrored goggles with a lens color tint will work fine for indoor swimming, and the choice comes down to what you like the best.

Anti-Fog Coating

Finally, you might benefit from goggles with an anti-fog coating. Nothing is more frustrating during a training session than trying to see the interval clock through fogged-up goggles. To avoid this inconvenience, look for goggles that come with an anti-fog coating inside of the lenses.

arena’s Cobra Swipe Goggles come with the most advanced anti-fog protection. The anti-fog coating can be reactivated with just the swipe of a finger, meaning your lenses can stay free of fog for up to 10 times longer.

Another option for fog-proofing your swim goggles is to use anti-fog spray that you apply to the inside of your lenses.

A Quiz for How to Choose Swimming Goggles

So, how about taking a quick quiz? Let’s try and find the ideal arena goggles for your specific needs.

Get a piece of paper and a pen, and write down the number correlated with your answers. At the end of this short quiz, you’ll find out how to choose swimming goggles that are best for you.

Are you ready?

Question 1: How Do You React to Not Having Been Able to Train Today?

1. “Double training session tomorrow!”
2. “Perhaps I’ll do a bit of core stability work a bit later at home.”
3. “The wise man says, ‘An extra day’s rest is better than a bad training session.’”

Question 2: What’s Your Reaction if Today’s Training Session Seemed Easy?

1. “How boring! I really want to push harder and harder and harder!”
2. “Lucky for me! Today I felt really tired.”
3. “Easy?! But I am shattered!”

Question 3: What’s Your Reaction When a Friend Challenges You to a 50-Metre Freestyle Race?

1. “You are so going to lose!”
2. “Great, let’s see who wins!”
3. “No chance! I just want to relax!”

Question 4: What’s Your Response to Whether You Prefer a Swimming Pool or the Open Sea?

1. “The sea?! You have got to be kidding! I can do without anything except for that blue line along the bottom of the pool.”
2. “The freedom you feel when swimming in the sea is quite unique, but I prefer to train in the pool.”
3. “I am not bothered whether it is the pool or sea because I basically swim for fun.”

Question 5: You’ve Been Offered the Chance to Invite a Famous Swimmer to Dinner. How Do You Respond?

1. “Definitely Sarah Sjöström. I want to find out how she can swim that fast.”
2. “Bruno Fratus. He seems like a really nice guy!”
3. “Invite a swimmer to dinner?! How boring! They are too worried about what they eat!”

Now, Let’s Take a Look at Your Quiz Results

Let’s go over your answers so you can find out how to choose swimming goggles based on your results. Take a look at the answers you’ve written down, and count how many “1,” “2,” or “3” answers you have selected. Based on what you selected the most, you’ll be a match for race, training, or recreational swim goggles. We’ll cover each of these goggle types, so you know why they’re the best fit for you.

If You Mostly Answered “1,” Get Ready to Race

If most of your answers were “1,” then the ideal goggles for you are a racing model.

These low-profile goggles are designed for competitive swimmers who prize races as their favorite part of swimming. Not only are they the best choice for racing, but these goggles also make a great option for training. Compared to other models, racing goggles have hard lenses to provide better, clearer vision and small seals to fit better around the eyes while providing excellent hydrodynamics.

Racing goggles have a dual strap, so the goggles fit around your head properly and are attached in two places so they won’t move around during a race. The interchangeable nose bridge and “fixed” clip mean they can be customized to fit your face perfectly.

You can choose the goggles that work best for you based on the type of lens you require: clear lenses that are ideal for indoor or duller days, or dark tint lenses if you train in well-lit pools or outdoors.

arena’s Cobra Ultra Swipe Mirror is an ideal choice for a pair of racing goggles.

If You Mostly Answered “2,” It’s Time to Train

If most of your answers were “2,” then you are the kind of swimmer who needs fitness goggles.

Swimmers who use fitness goggles love to train in the pool but also swim in open water. Triathletes and open-water swimmers will benefit from these types of goggles.

Most arena fitness goggles have a special strap adjustment system that allows you to alter its length without having to remove your goggles, so you do not need to interrupt your training. They usually have a split strap that makes them more comfortable and perfectly watertight.

If you have a small face, you can opt for a model with smaller eye gaskets, which will guarantee a perfect watertight fit. If you prefer having a wider field of view while swimming, choose a model with large lenses or a swim mask.

arena’s Cobra Tri Mirror Triathlon Swipe Goggles make for a perfect open-water swimming goggle.

Or, if you want an expansive field of view, The One Mask provides an ample amount of lens so you can see all of your surroundings. Don’t be fooled by its design though; this isn’t any old scuba diving mask that will slow you down. It’s ready for your hardest training sessions and open-water events. It’s also designed to be used for pool training.

If You Mostly Answered “3,” Go Enjoy Your Recreational Swims

If most of your answers were “3,” then recreational training goggles are the right choice for you.

These goggles are an excellent choice for people who do not follow an intensive training plan in the pool but are nevertheless looking for tough, comfortable, and above all, easy-to-wear goggles.

Perfect water-tightness is guaranteed by the flexible nose bridges and easy-to-adjust straps. The comfortable silicone gaskets will keep water out for your whole swim.

These really are the perfect goggles for people who swim for the sheer pleasure and fun of it, and who are looking to stay in shape while having a great time in the water.

arena’s 365 Swim Goggles will be your go-to goggles all year long for any training you throw at them.

See Clearly Through Your New Pair of Goggles

There’s no doubt that swim goggles are an essential piece of swim gear. Now that you know how to choose swimming goggles for the type of swimmer you are, they’ll be with you through your toughest training sessions and provide lasting comfort, leak-proof performance, and protection from the sun.

View the complete line of arena swim goggles today and get the pair that’s right for you.