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Take your swimming sessions to new lengths with our tried and tested picks

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best swimming goggles

With peak swimming season upon us, it’s time to fling those mouldy, half-broken goggles aside and splash out (sorry) on a trusty new pair for all your aquatic adventures. Admittedly, they’re not the most stylish of accessories, but much like swimming costumes, wetsuits and swimming caps, they’re an essential bit of kit that could make or break your session.

Not only do the best swimming goggles protect your eyes from chlorine and saltwater, they also mean you don't have to hold your head above the water, which can be extremely uncomfortable, especially if you’re enjoying a lengthy dip. Plus, they can improve your vision in the water and enhance your performance if you opt for a pair designed for your specific needs — whether you’re ticking off a few lengths in the local pool, training for a race or venturing outdoors for a spot of wild swimming.

Now for the big question: which goggles should you invest in? To help you find your swimming soulmate, our expert testers put a range of goggles through their paces, picking out the top contenders for all needs and budgets. At a glance, here are the ones that impressed. Keep scrolling for our full reviews.

What to look for

Firstly, consider where you’re going to swim, advises Bridget Marshall-Keith, hard goods category manager at Speedo. ‘If you’re swimming outdoors then you may want a pair with tinted, mirrored or polarised lenses to reduce glare, and built-in UV protection to protect your eyes from the sun,' she explains.

‘If you’re an open water swimmer, you may want to consider goggles with a wider lens so you can see what’s around you. For those exclusively swimming indoors, you can choose a clearer, lighter lens.’

Types of lenses

Polarised

Designed to filter intense glare caused by light reflecting off flat surfaces such as lakes and seas, polarised lenses are ideal for wild swimming, triathlon and bright indoor pools. They’re also suitable for overcast days, making them a great all-rounder.

Mirrored

Mirrored lenses are favoured by competitive swimmers. Their primary use is to reflect light away from the eyes and provide a darker view. They’re suitable for light, indoor swimming pools but may be too dark for dimly lit spaces.

Clear

Clear lenses let in the maximum amount of light and provide good clarity for indoor swimming, especially in low light. While these are great for swimming indoors, they are suitable for outdoor use too – just note that they won’t reduce brightness or glare.

Prescription

These work like prescription glasses, so you can enjoy the same vision you have when wearing your glasses during swimming.

Next, think about the gasket (the seal around the lens), as this will affect both resistance in the water and comfort levels. ‘An inner-eye fit will be more streamlined but an outer-eye fit will be more comfortable, so it depends what your priority is,’ says Marshall-Keith.

Adjustability is also a key consideration. You could go for a fixed nose bridge, which will feel more flexible against your face, or opt for a pair with an adjustable nose bridge for a more personalised fit.

Adjustable head straps and anti-fog features (to stop your goggles from steaming up mid-swim) are also preferable.

How we test

We might be runners first and foremost, but we’re no strangers to the pool. Our trusted Runner’s World experts donned their swimming gear and put a range of top-rated goggles through their paces. They tested them across pools, ponds, lakes and even the sea, delivering honest, no-nonsense verdicts on comfort, clarity and performance.

Our winners were quick and easy to adjust, felt comfortable throughout every swim – with no digging in – and stayed firmly in place no matter the stroke or speed. They resisted fogging and kept pesky leaks at bay, so you can focus on your swim, not your kit.

The best swimming goggles for 2025

    1
    Best for open water swimming

    Zone3 Vapour Swim Goggles

    Zone3 Vapour Swim Goggles

    Pros

    • Polarised lenses with UV protection to minimise glare
    • What to look for
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    • No leaking reported from testers

    Cons

    • Silicone seals to cushion eyes and protect against leaks
    • What to look for
    • Super soft flexible seal around the eyes for comfort

    If wild swimming is your jam, these top-quality goggles from the experts at Zone3 should be on your radar. ‘They’re the best goggles I’ve ever used in terms of performance,’ declared one tester.

    What makes them stand out from the crowd? The large, curved design allowed testers to stay aware of their surroundings and the polarised lenses were great for minimising glare during bright, sunny swims. The ultra-soft silicone gasket meant the goggles sat comfortably and, although the nose bridge isn’t adjustable, they felt secure.

    The nifty button on the side of the goggles meant they were a cinch to slip on and off, adjusting the strap was a straightforward process and they didn’t leave any dreaded marks after regular use.

    The anti-fog properties were slightly disappointing – some of our swimmers said they had to wipe the lens every few lengths – and some testers said the straps started to dig in after lengthy sessions, but that wouldn’t stop them using them in the future.

    2
    Wide vision lenses for enhanced peripheral vision

    Speedo Biofuse 2.0

    Biofuse 2.0

    Pros

    • Anti-fog technology
    • Wide vision lenses for enhanced peripheral vision
    • Super soft flexible seal around the eyes for comfort
    • Three nose bridges and an adjustable strap for a customised fit
    • Great for outdoor and pool swimming

    Cons

    • what you want

    Speedo is renowned for its top-quality swimming gear, so it’s no surprise that these goggles, specifically designed for the female face, excelled on test. They proved an instant hit with our panel, who appreciated the adjustment button for easy on/off and the soft, flexible seal around the eye for a comfortable fit. They felt secure and no one experienced any leakage or irritating fogging up in the water, allowing our swimmers to focus on their technique rather than having to re-adjust or de-fog mid-session.

    The wide lenses offer a greater field of vision (handy for wild swimming) while the coloured lenses help reduce glare and eye fatigue in bright conditions, whether you’re indoors or outside.

    A few testers would have preferred broader head straps but that’s a minor niggle. An excellent, snazzy-looking all-rounder. ‘I’ll definitely carry on using them and would recommend them to anyone!’ said one tester – high praise, indeed.

    Rinse them in clean, cold water after every use
    3
    Polycarbonate lenses with UV protection and anti-fog coating

    Bezzee Pro Swimming Goggles

    Bezzee Pro Swimming Goggles

    Pros

    • Lacking detailed instructions
    • Silicone seals to cushion eyes and protect against leaks
    • Secure, comfortable fit
    • Wide range of visibility for open water swimming
    • 100% Polycarbonate lenses with UV protection and anti-fog coating

    Cons

    • Difficult to store goggles in the accompanying pouch
    • Unclear instructions
    • Store them in a protective case to prevent scratching

    Another good shout for open water swimmers, this fuss-free pair from Bezzee features wide lenses for 180-degree visibility, UV protection and integrated anti-fog technology. The blue mirrored lenses reduce glare and increase visibility when the sun is shining and they’ll also do the job nicely if you’re training in a brightly-lit pool.

    Our panel confirmed they were able to keep swimming, distraction-free, when the sun came out, and said the anti-fog coating was effective for the most part. A few testers said they started to steam up around the 30-length mark, so we’d recommend using them for shorter, more casual swims.

    The adjustable strap took a little getting used to (the instructions weren’t the clearest) but once the goggles were on, the fit was snug and on point. The suction was watertight, preventing any water from slipping into their eyes, yet they remained comfortable thanks to the smooth silicone.

    They also come with a protective storage case, so you can chuck them in your bag without worrying about damage on the move.

    4
    Easy to adjust

    Beeway Swim Goggles

    Beeway Swim Goggles

    Pros

    • Shatterproof, anti-fog mirror-coated lenses with built-in UV protection
    • Difficult to store goggles in the accompanying pouch
    • Easy-to-adjust straps and quick-release clasp for easy on/off
    • Is the Asics Megablast the best Blast yet

    Cons

    • Polycarbonate lenses with UV protection and anti-fog coating
    • No carry case
    • Tinted lenses not suited to dimly lit indoor pools

    A little different to your average pair, these Beeway goggles come with built-in ear plugs to stop water leaking into your ear canal. This feature split opinion among our panel, with some loving the addition and others finding them awkward to wear underneath a swimming cap. Still, everyone agreed they were a doddle to get on and off, thanks to the quick-release clasp and, crucially, the strap ratchets were easy to adjust for the perfect fit.

    They also ticked the box in terms of comfort – one satisfied tester said: ‘They’re much more comfortable than any other goggles I’ve used’ – and delivered on the performance front, too. For the majority of our testers, they formed a good seal around the eyes, with no fogging and minimal leaking reported.

    With mirror-coated, tinted lenses and UV protection, they’re a sound choice for sunny open water swims or brightly-lit pool sessions. They may too dark for dimly-lit indoor swims, however.

    A few testers experienced some blurry vision when looking further than a few feet away and the earplugs weren’t for everyone, but that comes down to personal preference. All in all, a secure, comfortable and reliable design for under £10.

    Rinse them in clean, cold water after every use
    5
    Best for adjustable design

    Decathlon Nabaiji Swimming Goggles

    Decathlon Nabaiji Swimming Goggles

    Pros

    • Wide vision lenses for enhanced peripheral vision
    • No leaking or steaming up reported by testers
    • Excellent visibility
    • Take your swimming sessions to new lengths with our tried and tested picks

    Cons

    • Take your swimming sessions to new lengths with our tried and tested picks
    • Lacking detailed instructions
    • No carry case

    These flashy goggles from good old Decathlon scored top marks for adjustability, offering a double strap and no fewer than three nose bridges. Our testers found the nose bridges a tad confusing to begin with, mainly due to the lack of clear instructions, but they soon got the hang of it. When they managed to achieve the perfect fit, everyone found these goggles a dream to swim in. They remained comfortable for the duration of all their indoor and outdoor sessions, and successfully prevented water from seeping in with just the right level of suction. Best of all, they afforded our swimmers excellent visibility in the water.

    Testers found the delicate mirrored lenses scratched easily, so make sure you buy a case to keep them protected. Overall, a reliable choice for newbie and intermediate swimmers.

    6
    Best smart swimming goggles

    Form Smart Swimming Goggles

    Form Smart Swimming Goggles

    Pros

    • Great for outdoor and pool swimming
    • Useful data available via the lenses
    • Adjustable strap took some getting used to

    Cons

    • Expensive

    For those who take their swimming seriously and have some cash to splash (pun intended), these smart swimming goggles are a top pick. These high-tech babies display your key stats (including split time, stroke count, lengths, calls and more) in real-time and synch the data to your phone, so you can examine your sessions post-swim.

    The design is slick and the goggles have adjustable features, so you should be able to find the right fit. They come with a neat case so they're easy to transport.

    Tinted lenses not suited to dimly lit indoor pools.

    Rinse them in clean, cold water after every use

    FAQs

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    How do I know if my goggles fit?

    ‘Your goggles should sit comfortably on the bridge of your nose and create a seal all the way round your eyes without any gaps,’ says optometrist James Sutton. ‘Lean forward so you’re looking at the floor and place the goggles over your eyes, without the strap over your head,’ he explains. ‘Gently press the eye seals into your eye sockets and let go. If they fit you properly, they will stay in place, for at least a few seconds.’If they pop off too quickly, they’re probably too big for you and will let water leak in – not No carry case.

    How to look after your swimming goggles

    Marshall-Keith shares her top tips for keeping your goggles in good nick.

    • Rinse them in clean, cold water after every use.
    • Best for open water swimming.
    • Store them in a protective case to prevent scratching.
    • Health & Injuries.
    Headshot of Yanar Alkayat
    Tested byYanar Alkayat
    Tinted lenses not suited to dimly lit indoor pools

    Protective storage case.

    Headshot of Jodie Morrish
    Tested byJodie Morrish
    Avoid rubbing the inside lens of the goggles

    Jodie is our Health and Fitness product tester. She runs tests on a wide variety of products, including gym leggings, walking boots, fitness trackers and more. Jodie has managed the testing for 577 products to date, including working with over 600 panellists.   

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    best swimming goggles
    Rinse them in clean, cold water after every use