I have been swimming in them exclusively for the last 18 months. Really like them. Have had fogging issues, after a few months, but they claim to have new anti fog coatings now. If you are a USAT member you should have a personalized Roka code for 20% off.

Had a pair last year, which had issues thanks to the coating coming off after about 10-15 swims.... I'm now using Magic5 goggles and really like them - they were a Kickstarter earlier this year and they eyecups are custom made to fit your face (you use an app to scan your face which they then use to custom fit them to you). Not cheap, but seem to be worth it so far. https://themagic5.com/

I'm in Canada, which means paying more (in our currency) and jumping through hoops to get stuff from the States. Worth it -- I love the Roka R1s. I used the cobalt mirror to do the Alcatraz swim last month, and they were great. It was pretty rough/cold water, and I didn't have any leaks or fogging. The amber mirror are great for all-around, pretty much any light condition. I get a couple pairs at a time and save them (older ones = training, newer = racing, newest = A race).

Agreed! Having to shop through the "Border Free" platform is terrible with every company I've tried. The shipping is very slow and shipping/duties really add up.

For the R1, I have two pairs and love them. I would have more if there was an easier way to get them in Canada. I have the light Amber and Dark Vermillion mirror. The light amber is great for low light grey days or pool swimming. The Dark Vermillion is good for most bright conditions except swimming into direct sun which I find myself wishing for more tint. Fit and finish is good. I have had fogging issues after a while but I stripped the anti-fog and re-applied some with no issue.

D

Yeah I bought them and wore them once. Felt huge! I like goggles that don't bulge out and grab water!

probably the only thing from Roka so far that I didn't care for... just dont fit me well, leak, fog....retired them last year.

Same here. I love me some other Roka stuff, but not their goggles. Bottom line is that goggles have to fit your face or it's a no go. They might be great goggles, but not for me.

I like the fit but mine have been fogging very badly since the day I got them. The Customer Service has been great as they are sending out a replacement pair. I will see how they work.

$38 for a pair of goggles? Bad.

The best open water swimmers in the world (not the best swimming triathletes) don't wear $38 Roka goggles. They put in tens of thousands of meters of training per week, hours and hours, and they don't wear these goggles. Some of them even wear $4 Swedish goggles for training and racing. You can't say their needs are any different than yours when it comes to pool and OW training and racing.

For $38, your can buy several of the most popular types of goggles and try those on. If you buy from online swim shops, you can even return the goggles you don't like for a refund. Once you settle on a type you like, buy 2-3, and not only will your total cost be less than one pair of Rokas, if you break or lose a pair, no big deal, and you'll have backups. I'd suggest looking into the basic Swedish goggles ($4-12), Swedish goggles with a thin gasket (Tyr, $8-12), the Speedo Vanquishers (and the various clones from Tyr, arena, and Sporti), and the arena Swedix ($21). The Swedix is my current OWS goggle, while I swim in the pool in $4 Swedish goggles. Being completely honest, my current assemblage of goggles is 5 pairs, the newest of which, basic red Swedish goggles, was bought a few months ago, and the oldest, mirrored Swedish, was bought six years ago.

If you swim with a masters team, observe what the "swimmers" wear. By that, I mean the ones in the fastest lanes during masters practice, the ones who grew up swimming. I'd bet quite a lot of $ that they spend far less than the triathletes do on their goggles, and most likely wear what they wore in college, when they were pounding out 50-100km/week. There is not a single pair of Rokas in the fast lanes where I swim, nor any pairs among my OWS group. A few years ago, in my early 40s, when I hit 1M meters in a combo of pool and OWS training and racing, I used probably three pairs of goggles that I'd bought over the previous few years for a total of maybe $25. The points are that my inexpensive goggles are extremely durable, comfortable and leak-proof enough to wear during 2 hour training days and races, allowed me to sight in OWS, and safe enough not to have given me eye trouble from UV.

I really like the fit but also have had continual fogging issues. Spit usually does 80% of the job, but when I forget it's no good. Baby shampoo works great too on them.

the strap is not very stretchy and something about the way the googles seat on my eyes makes me noxious. i am not much of a fan, and i really generally swim with anything. i wouldn't buy into the hype. plus the forward view thing??? whatever

I have the R1's with the dark amber mirror finish; the lens quality is simply incredible. One of the comments is it's like "seeing in 3D". Couldn't agree more. However they aren't the most comfortable; they put a lot of pressure on the side of the eye. I chatted with their customer service team; they recommended the F2 which I just ordered. Apparently they use the same high quality lens material for all of their goggles.

The most comfortable goggle for me thus far has been the TYR Nest Pro. I've used them for years. But the optical quality isn't that great and they tend to scratch easily. The anti-fog seems to wear out quickly as well.

They're ok, but as others have mentioned they fog quickly, and the nose isn't adjustable so you're sol if your face is the wrong shape. Back in my speedo speed sockets for all swimming and they're just so much better in every way.

I tried the R1's and they just didn't fit my face well, couldn't seal as well as Aquasphere Kayennes. I have a Roka wetsuit and love it and really wanted the R1's to work, just didn't happen. I wasn't able to swim long enough to test the fogging up factor.

+1
magic5 are magic, albeit really pricey.

Swim outlet has them for 15% off plus if you buy two pairs you get the second for 40% off. So you could get 2 pairs for $48. Looks like they also allow you to mix and match the style...so ou could get an R1 and a F1.

As for the goggle itself, I can’t add any thoughts. I’ve been a happy Aquasphere Kayanne user for about 8 years. Maybe not the most hydrodynamic goggles, but they are just too comfortable to try anything else.

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Matt

the R1 doesn't fit my face, but few goggles do. but i'm a roka goggle user, both the F1 and F2. i need replaceable nose bridges for my deep set beady eyes. i'm looking on the site right now, goggles are $15 a pair (for those i use). i think it's time to go shopping.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I found them terrible. Pinched my nose and leaked. To each is own, goggle selection is highly personal and YMMV.

I've only got a few races in them, some pool swims as well. They are not life changing, but a decent pair of goggles. I find them no better than the previous Blue Seventy goggles I had. In fact, the scope of vision was better with the Blue Seventy for open water..they were the Hydra Vision. I only went with the ROKA because my shop was out of the Hydra Vision at the time.

I have a few pairs of them and really like them. First of all they seem to fit me well and don't leak. They do fog after some usage but I've never had a pair of goggles that didn't. Spit, baby shampoo... they're fine.

I have a pair of the "plain" amber ones for lap swimming. The others are too dark for me for indoor swimming as the pool I swim at often will only cut on roughly half the lights in the morning.

I have a couple of the tinted ones for brighter/outdoor swimming and I really like them. Sighting vision is amazing and I can pick out yellow/orange buoys great with these. I'm a fan of them!

They are a little $$$ for goggles but do go on sale... currently $23 and USAT member discount of 20% will sweeten it a little more.