Current customers are grandfathered. New customers will need the membership.
MEMBERSHIP CHANGES
If you purchased your goggles before May 26, your FORM experience won’t change. But we wanted to let you know what’s changing for swimmers who purchase after May 26. Real-time metrics in pool, open water, and swim spa are now part of the FORM membership. New swimmers will be required to have an active membership to access this and all member features.
As a FORM swimmer prior to the recent change, you will always have access to the features you’ve enjoyed with your current goggles. You are not required to have a membership to access real-time metrics and post-swim analysis.
If not they are in too big of a rush to sell. Or maybe their next round was requiring it.
The problem with the goggle market, (listen up, this is gold right here): people who buy several pairs of goggles per year do not generally want smart goggles. Or put another way, the amount you swim is almost for certain negatively correlated to your desire to buy this product.
If not they are in too big of a rush to sell. Or maybe their next round was requiring it.
The problem with the goggle market, (listen up, this is gold right here): people who buy several pairs of goggles per year do not generally want smart goggles. Or put another way, the amount you swim is almost for certain negatively correlated to your desire to buy this product.
Not free. $15 to $25 depending on if you buy monthly or yearly or whatever.
And yes I agree with your points. If I was a new user it’d be a non starter. It almost bricks the device with this new announcement
$20/month if you pay for a year in advance. Goggles are included but of course they become a bulky pair of normal goggles should you elect to not renew your membership. Oof.
Was the Form goggle sales model always subscription? - that you got your first pair of goggles with an initial mandatory subscription? Or, did you purchase them and then opt to have the subscription?
I have been thinking about them with intrigue, but I would never consider them at $230/year.
In their model, what happens when you need to replace the goggles? Do you cancel and start a new subscription? What is their replacement value? Do they give you a fee set of replacements every 2 or 3 years?
This type of hardware subscription model died a decade ago in the mobile phone market. It is hard to fathom that it is sustainable today.
Was the Form goggle sales model always subscription? - that you got your first pair of goggles with an initial mandatory subscription? Or, did you purchase them and then opt to have the subscription?
I have been thinking about them with intrigue, but I would never consider them at $230/year.
In their model, what happens when you need to replace the goggles? Do you cancel and start a new subscription? What is their replacement value? Do they give you a fee set of replacements every 2 or 3 years?
This type of hardware subscription model died a decade ago in the mobile phone market. It is hard to fathom that it is sustainable today.
Bought them when they announced open water support. You could buy them outright and subscribe if you wanted the workouts feature.
Now it seems you buy subscription and you keep them after 6 months. Except now without the subscription they’re worthless.
Check out Vuzix goggles. That’s what I’d consider instead of Form goggles right now.
No you don’t get replacement goggles to my knowledge
nope; I bought mine I think it was summer 2020, and it was a straight purchase. The membership model didn’t even exist. The other goggles of this type (Finis, I think) hadn’t come out yet.
$20/month if you pay for a year in advance. Goggles are included but of course they become a bulky pair of normal goggles should you elect to not renew your membership. Oof.
I cannot imagine how a set of intelligent bankers could misread their market this poorly.
$20/month if you pay for a year in advance. Goggles are included but of course they become a bulky pair of normal goggles should you elect to not renew your membership. Oof.
I cannot imagine how a set of intelligent bankers could misread their market this poorly.
This cannot work.
Goodbye, Form! This company is going to tank unless they change this model.
$20/month if you pay for a year in advance. Goggles are included but of course they become a bulky pair of normal goggles should you elect to not renew your membership. Oof.
I cannot imagine how a set of intelligent bankers could misread their market this poorly.
This cannot work.
I could work if you change it so that you can have your googles refurbished under the subscription model 2 or 3 times a year. So you pay $240 per year and every time the goggles themselves start to fall apart you send them in and they swap the electronics to a new set of lenses. Cost to them is $15 plus labor for each swap. Advantage to consumer is that they don’t have to worry as much about scratching their over priced electric gadgets.
Of course I would rather the all out purchase with refurb availed as needed like Garmin does.
$20/month if you pay for a year in advance. Goggles are included but of course they become a bulky pair of normal goggles should you elect to not renew your membership. Oof.
I cannot imagine how a set of intelligent bankers could misread their market this poorly.
This cannot work.
Goodbye, Form! This company is going to tank unless they change this model.
Legit one of the silliest business decisions I’ve ever seen in the sport. It’s so bad I’d have thought it was an April Fool’s joke if the timing was better. I have a pair, and if they ever try to charge me a subscription fee I’ll simply never look at them again.
In one post I’ve gone from a supporter & pusher of the product to telling people to not even consider them.
They are goggles. They are trying to sell subscriptions for swim goggles… amazing. But it must just be a sign that the company wasn’t going to make it anyway. No other reason for a desperation move like this.
$20/month if you pay for a year in advance. Goggles are included but of course they become a bulky pair of normal goggles should you elect to not renew your membership. Oof.
I cannot imagine how a set of intelligent bankers could misread their market this poorly.
This cannot work.
Goodbye, Form! This company is going to tank unless they change this model.
the most common goggles used by people who buy multiple goggles per year come with a nose strap. But you cut it off and make a new nose strap by cutting a small piece of the the head strap. This is the consumer they are hoping to attract?
Ouch… wish them the best, but I don’t think this is going to work, they are not whoop, and have a much smaller market of folks for these googles.
The live pace feature is arguably the only reason why you buy these goggles IMO—they are definitely not great googles by themselves, and it’s not worth $200+ a year.
I was really close to buying a pair since they support open water now, and it’s finally open water season where I live. I wouldn’t have much use for them in the pool (I’m a turtle not a fish) but having metrics I can see in real time in a lake was intriguing- Knowing how long and how far I’ve gone wouldn’t be guesswork anymore. But not for $20 a month. Are there any Form competitors offering open water metrics?
I got the email also and had to do a double take - what are they thinking…
i could understand the limitation during the first 12 months, but once you’ve paid out the goggles - limiting their use OUCH…
The original purchase option I would of thought would of been the best option (athletes have no issues blowing 200$ on one time purchases, but when subscriptions to all the platforms start costing that each month, even the dentists might start to bulk…)
I’ve had them for 2yrs and I think they are great with the garmin integration, and had no qualms paying 200$ for them, but no way would I subscribe as the offer stands today.
Like others, from being a defo supporter yesterday, I’m not recommending from today.
Let’s say you average about 100 swims per year. The cost is only $2.30 per swim. That is cheaper than a latte. These are a great value!
I average 200 swims per year. I pay $40 for two pairs of goggles (prescription otherwise it would be less). I pay .08 per swim. Form goggles would 2875% expensive more per swim.
I pay $40 for two pairs of goggles (prescription otherwise it would be less).Wait… I have a goback… What kind of prescription goggles are you using? I was using Aqua Sphere Eagle goggles for prescription, but they look like they got discontinued. I need a replacement.