Buyer’s Guide 2010: Goggles

Finding just the right swim goggle can be a huge challenge, which is why you’re best to try a few pairs on in the store. While it’s hard to go wrong with many of the styles designed specifically for triathletes, the most important factor is fit – make sure that the goggles form a tight seal on your face to be sure that they won’t leak.

We reviewed a few different styles of goggles for this year’s buyer’s guide – everything from a mask that provides lots of lots of visibility to a competitive-swim ready model from Tyr that’ll work in a competitive swim meet or a triathlon with ease.

::GEARBOX
Vista Swim Mask – $50
Aqua Sphere
52045

Offering lots of visibility, the Vista Swim Mask is especially fun to use in open water swims where there’s lots of underwater action to check out. We found that the Vista created a tight seal on faces of all sizes. Once you’ve created that seal, we found it best to just leave the goggles on for the  duration of the swim. That’s not a problem thanks to the comfortable, leak-free silicone skirt. Available in three different lens tints – clear, smoke and blue – the Vista provides 100 per cent UVA and UVB protection.

::GEARBOX
Kayenne Swim Goggles – $35
Aqua Sphere
52046

The Kayenne provides a happy medium between  the 180 degree visibility of the Vista Mask and a smaller goggle that’s more appropriate for the pool. Sharing the same comfortable silicone skirt and lens options, the Kayenne was one of the most popular models tested by our wetsuit reviewers this year.

::GEARBOX
RS-101 – $45
Sable
52114

Sable has managed to find a way to make some small improvements to its goggle line for 2010, no easy feat considering the Sable goggles are comfortable, adjustable and perform extremely well for just about every athlete who has tried them. New for 2010 is a gold version of the RS-101, which still features all the things we love about the Sable products: the optical precision lenses (that are even available in prescription) with super anti-fog hydrophilic action, the easily adjustable, non-slip strap and the extremely comfortable water-tight silicone seals. Sable is also offering even more adjustability and customization by offering a new extra-large nose bridge.

::GEARBOX
Tracer Ti – $20
Tyr
52047

With a sleek low profile, the Tracer Ti will be a popular model for triathletes who are used to a minimalist swim goggle. Using a dual-construction process, Tyr has managed to ensure that the gasket is very comfortable, but remains a bit more rigid. Tyr’s Pro-file system ensures a snug, wrap-around fit. The 3d pivot nose bridge allows the lenses to move independently in all directions. Our testing crew all managed to adjust these goggles for a comfortable and leak-free fit – making the Tyr Tracer Ti a hit with our reviewers.