GOGGLES GUIDE
We delve into the world of tri goggles before testing six of 2019’s finest open-water pairs
Ask any triathlete what the least inexpensive piece of their race day kit is and chances are (elastic laces aside!) they’ll point at their goggles. Although they may not be a major investment, goggle technology for open-water swimming has moved on quickly in recent years and picking the right pair can make your triathlon swim more comfortable and lead to marginal gains, too.
Open-water goggles differ from pool goggles in two key ways. They are usually bigger to allow for a wider range of visibility and whereas pool goggles only need to reduce the harsh glare of fluorescent pool lights, open-water goggles need to come in a wide range of tints to allow for different weather and
water conditions. For example, you wouldn’t choose the same goggles for a murky lake on a grey day in Britain as you would for the dazzling low light of a sunrise swim in the blue waters of Kona.
FIT IS KING
As with any other piece of triathlon kit, though, the first thing to consider is fit. After all, get this wrong and your goggles will leak and impede visibility – costing you time as well as being an annoyance you don’t need on race day. Many triathletes favour a larger, mask-style goggle for racing as it feels more protective. However, there’s a downside too – the bigger your goggles, the more vulnerable they are to being knocked in the melée of
an open-water swim. Choose something smaller and closer to the face and they will be less likely to get knocked out of place (and on this – always put your goggle strap under your swim hat to keep it safe!).
What is important though, is the visibility offered. However big or small, look for goggles with a curved lens and good peripheral vision to make sighting easier. Jack Rex Burnell, GB’s top marathon swimmer, recently designed the ‘Burnell’ goggle with sponsors Huub and these were key considerations for him.
“I wanted my design to be aerodynamic, but with an openwater style visibility,” says Burnell. “There’s a lot of big goggles in triathlon – but I like smaller goggles as they’re more aerodynamic. Visibility when sighting was key, so the top of the goggles need to be angled correctly and not create a blind spot. I like to look out of the top of my goggles to sight so I don’t need to lift my head as high. I also wanted visibility to the sides, so you can see your position in the pack and whether you have other swimmers around you – both so you know where the competition is, but also so you can draft efficiently.”
FUTURE FITTING
There’s a little trial and error in finding the correct fit, but with many brands offering a range of fits and sizes based on face shape, there are plenty of options out there. Neil McConnochie, CPO of Zoggs, tells us: “Typically there are two key considerations, firstly the shape of your head and secondly the size. Swimmers with narrower faces or smaller heads are better suited to smaller or profile-fit frames compared to larger frames. The best way to determine which goggles suit your face is to try them on before you buy. If you get a second of suction and they’re comfortable around the nose and eye socket then they’re likely to be right for you.”
If you want a unique fit, though, then new company The Magic 5 will custom-make goggles to fit your face (from £48.78). First you scan your face using an app on your mobile phone, then that is sent to the lab where a pair of goggles are custom-made just for you. Cofounder Rasmus Barfred says: “Each pair of The Magic 5 goggles is unique, and produced specifically for each customer. The main component that is custom-made is the gasket, which is produced to fit the exact curvature of the face. When that is controlled we control a natural seal, hence you don’t have that pressure or suction in your goggles that you have with other pairs. Through the scan and data collection process we can accurately select the optimal nose piece for that customer’s goggles.”
PICK THE RIGHT TINT
Once you’ve decided on the right fit and size for you, lenses are next. You need to think about what kind of visibility there’ll be in the water, as well as what kind of weather conditions you’ll be facing when you look up to sight.
Triathlon swims are often in the early morning, meaning you can be looking into low sunrises that can make seeing your sighting points difficult. Back to Neil McConnochie from Zoggs: “For open water our Polarized Ultra are the best choice, as they cut glare and blue light, which results in an enhanced visual experience. The copper ultra lens also provides the perfect balance between bright and low light conditions, which you’ll often get in open water.”
If you’re not sure what kind of conditions race day may bring, or want to use your goggles in multiple conditions, then a light smoked or amber lens should do the job – just don’t pick something too dark, as the aim is to enhance visibility, not reduce it! The other option is to go for a set of photochromatic lenses, such as Zoggs’ Predator Flex Original Titanium Reactor (£60) or Huub’s Aphotics (£44.99), which
“However big or small, look for goggles with a curved lens and good peripheral vision”
feature light sensitive lenses which darken or lighten depending on the conditions. These are also a great idea if you’re taking on a longer swim, where the weather conditions may change.
Finally, there are a couple of other key things to look for with your lenses. Mirrored lenses again help reduce glare, but also look cool (be honest, it matters!) and can offer a psychological advantage on race day if you want to psych out your competitors. An anti-fog coating is a good idea, too, as it will help prevent your goggles steaming up during the race – and is a little classier and more reliable than the old ‘wipe-a-bit-of-spiton’ trick!
GOGGLE CARE
Whatever goggles you choose, look after them and they’ll serve you well. “Longevity really comes down to how you look after your goggles,” says Neil from Zoggs. “For someone swimming two to three times per week they should last anything from 6-12 months – however, we know of many swimmers who are still using the same pair of Zoggs they bought several years ago.”
Protect the lenses by rinsing them in fresh water and avoiding touching them with your hands (and definitely don’t get lube on them, that’s an instant recipe for binfodder), then always put them back in the case or soft bag when not using them.
A good tip for race day if you’re feeling fancy is to take your hat and goggles off first, then pull your wetsuit off leaving the hat and goggles protected inside the sleeve until post-race…
£42.50 The Zone3 Vapours are an instant visual hit, with some neat Tim Donthemed graphics and an attractive colourscheme. The good times continue in the water, with the photochromatic lenses adapting to a variety of light conditions in the Mallorcan morning sunlight (and indoors if you wear open-water goggles in the pool) and reducing glare. The sizeable silicone gaskets are soft and largely prevent goggle marks around the eyes, and they also provide a seal that stays leak-free. The peripheral vision is impressive and they opt for a button mechanism for tightening the split straps. Although not as heavy as the Huub, the 54g weight puts them at the higher end here and they can feel heavy at the later end of endurance swims. You’ll also want to fork out an extra tenner for Zone3’s protective case as the lenses can be prone to scratching. zone3.com £35 Compared to the Zone3 and Huub especially, the Roka R1 Amber Mirrors are like a pool and open-water goggle hybrid, with a hydrodynamic design, lean weight (38g) and relatively limited gasket coverage that sits close to the eyes. The latter won’t please those looking for endurance comfort over swim speed (and we do have concerns of them being knocked off in the washing machine of race day), but this is the pair on test that should please the pointy-end speedsters out there. The key feature is a patented ‘retroscopic’ lens angle, and this provides a wide range of vision for such a minimalist pair of goggles. We did have some initial fogging on a bracing Clevedon Marine Lake swim and the adjustment clip is fairly basic for the price, but elsewhere we have few concerns about the durability of the nose bridge and the split straps enhance both fit and comfort. roka.com £33 Speedo is possibly the most famous swimming brand name, but its triathlon focus has long been intermittent (despite creating one of the first mass produced tri-suits, the Aquablade, in the 90s). Their new 2019 wetsuits and tri-suits have already impressed our kit testers in previous issues, but they’ve come unstuck with the Aquapulse Max 2 Mirror. Unstuck is the operative word here, as the IQfit 3D goggle seal possesses little suction and, for a number of testers, produced a high level of water intrusion. Which is a shame as, when free of water, there’s a decent range of peripheral vision due to the wide lenses, while the mirrored lenses impressively reduce any glare. The numbered tensioning scale on the straps is a neat touch but we would prefer a split strap system and the gaskets are also a little firm compared to others on test. speedo.com
AQUA SPHERE KAYENNE
£29.99 The Kayennes have featured in this test multiple times over the years as, while newer tech and innovations abound elsewhere, Aqua Sphere are sticking to the ‘if it ain’t broke…’ format. And that is no bad thing, because the Kayennes are some of the most effective open-water goggles in history. Much of this acclaim stems from the triangular shape of the lenses offering an impressive range of vision and yet still producing a low, hydrodynamic profile. The gasket is comfy and the split straps assist with finding a secure fit. We’ve used them for years in training and racing and are yet to break a pair, helped by the reinforced nose bridge and button adjustment system on the straps. You can buy clear or mirrored versions (the latter have a reputation for fogging) but we’d recommend the polarised seen here for glare reduction and clarity in low light conditions. aquasphereswim.com/uk
HUUB APHOTIC
£44.99 The Huub Aphotic are also in the photochromatic party, with the lenses changing from clear to dark depending on the levels of lighting. The benefits when open-water swimming are instantly apparent and they offer top-class clarity, especially at sunrise/set and when changing direction around buoys. The large gasket seal is comfortable and secure, while the button adjustment system makes finding the optimum fit a simple process with little danger of snapping the split straps. While £45 seems a hefty outlay, skimping on goggles is flirting with race-day peril and the proven durability (and protective case) will ensure they last multiple seasons. Where they will divide opinion is that they’re noticeably larger than anything here (at 86g, they’re double the weight of the Aqua Sphere), which may deter the speed merchants out there. huubdesign.com
ZOGGS FLEX PREDATOR
£36 Since their launch in 2011, the various incarnations of the Predator Flex have had a history of highs and lows; often celebrated for their range of vision and clarity, but also criticised for their hard gaskets and a batch of durability flaws with the nose bridges. And yet in sorting those nose bridge issues and returning to the original design, Zoggs have created an open-water classic with the Predator Original Predator Flex seen here. The gaskets instantly produce a great and secure seal that doesn’t leak at all on long-distance swims, and the wide scope of vision is unsurpassed. The polarised lenses truly impress in a host of light and weather conditions, and they’re also adept at taking the glare off the pool lights (while not making it too dark) if you wear them indoors. Adjustment is easy via the clips. Worth noting is that they look a lot like the less impressive Flex 2.0. zoggs.com