I currently wear aquasphere goggles with a clear lens. They fit great but when I race in open water, I end up with the sunrise reflecting right in my eyes and it makes me nauseous. So I need new goggles this year. Any recommendations on tinted goggles for a small frame face that any of you are very happy wearing in open water on bright days?
Fit trumps everything else.
If you can find your favorite brand with a tint wear them.
Many of the statements about the value of specific OWS goggles are just hype.
If they fit you well, your same aquasphere’s but in a tinted or mirrored version.
I’d get the Aquasphere, same model you have in the tinted version. I’ve swam in the Kaiman OWS for years, and have also found the TYR Nest pro to be similar fit and functionality.
TYR Remix, come with clear and tinted lenses and are very soft around the eyes (if you know what I mean).
Roka is our wetsuit and speedsuit sponsor so they don’t make goggles. Our go-to style is the softer plastic gasketed type goggles. Specifically we’ve been wearing Zoggs.
I wear the L-XL, but they also make S-M sizes. I prefer a double strap so I have been using their Predator style. I’ve got a pair of light blue that I wear for most races and a pair of polarized smoke that I have been wearing for outdoor training. It is an extra expense to get the polarized lenses, but they ‘might’ help with glare. I have found that the newer the goggle, the less glare you have when swimming. For this reason, I’ll usually have an almost new pair for races.
Amy wears the S-M and is in a pair of the Predator Flex, which has a single strap with a buckle adjustment. She likes those.
Fit trumps everything else.
If you can find your favorite brand with a tint wear them.
Many of the statements about the value of specific OWS goggles are just hype.
This
+100 on fit. Most of the OWS specific or “tri” specific goggles require shallow eye sockets. I have deep eye sockets, so ALL of those styles I’ve tried… leak.
I use Speedo Air Seal XR. Very comfortable, have 3 nosepiece sizes (my biggest fit issue) and a slightly wider lens for good peripheral vision and seems to have fairly good optics for sighting. I may try their liquid charge with my next pair.
Linda,
What model do you have currently?
We offer nearly every goggle in a smoke or mirror lens.
If you have a “Ladies Fit” goggle, please check out our “Small Fit” goggles as well. They are both the same size, and this will offer you more color and lens choices.
With our Patented Curved lens technology, you get a 180 degree field of view. Perfect for open water!
The goggles as you know offer ease of adjustability, even when they are on your face, and great comfort.
If you need some help finding a smoked lens option, please let me know.
jake
Find a google that fits and then get the polarized lens version of that goggle to cut the glare.
Tyr Spec Ops goggles are polarized and will cut glare. I will agree the fit trumps everything else, and Tyr fits me really well, the polarized lenses and cool looks are just extra. They are definitely worth looking at.
Fit trumps everything else.
Many of the statements about the value of specific OWS goggles are just hype.
This
I would disagree with the bolded statement above.
Yes a goggle that is used in open water can and should be used in the pool as well. That said, an “open water” goggle, by industry standards, is a larger goggle with softer gaskets, wider field of view, and in most cases (but not all) a fixed nose bridge.
What characterizes an “open water” goggle is the wider field of view. A small socket, flat lens goggle provides no peripheral vision, which isn’t ideal for open water swimming. Yes, the flat lens can work, but a curved lens allows for a wider field of view. This helps in sighting, especially when you are way off course.
Another thing that generally stands out in an “open water” goggle, is the comfort, as it is generally a larger goggle and sits on your face in a different way than a small socket “pool/ competition” goggle.
I do agree that any goggle can be used in the pool or open water, but there most certainly is a distinction when it comes to what sets an “open water” goggle apart from a small socket goggle.
We have a small socket goggle in the K180, that offers curved lenses. This goggle is a great performer in both the pool and open water.
Bottom line, find something that fits, take care of the goggle, and it should last you for a good while!
jake
I use typical socket goggles with a blue tint. Mirror is too dark for me some mornings especially if clouds are around. Clear to bright. The blue tint is the perfect balance for me. The comp socket goggles are the only ones where I can take a hit and they don’t leak. The others leak on their own or when I take an arm to the head and the suction/seal is broken.
I love my Kaimans, but use some Zoggs predators with polarized lenses for OWS. Fit almost as well as the Aquaspheres, but much better sighting.
TYR also makes the Spec. Ops in polarized, just doesn’t fit me quite as well.
Amy and I both had a pair of Special Ops that were in our Kona packet. Our experience with them was that the mirror finish flaked off pretty quickly. For a google that has that retail price, we weren’t impresses.
Bottom line, find something that fits, take care of the goggle, and it should last you for a good while!
jake
I Agree with this statement. I’ve been wearing the same pair of tinted kayenne with the smoke lens for prob 3 years. Rinse off after each swim and keep in their case they came with. Before races I clean the lenses with some dish soap and rinse well. This helps with any early morning glare. Only complaint is the dirty James river has stained the clear rubber.
The Special Ops are also massively wide in the nose-bridge and unadjustable. Shame, since each individual side fit my eye very well and was soft, but the nose-bridge pushed them out of the way. Went for the adjustable Tracers instead for both me and my girlfriend.
I’ve since returned to swedes until Nootca stepped up with their 207 goggle, which I find quite incredible. The green tint works as well in the pool as it does in early-morning starts, and the visibility is top-notch. The Nootca 5 also replaced my swedes for the long days in the pool.
Jakers - I wear the Aquasphere womens Kayenne w/ clear lens.
I was just reading on the US Masters Swim website that a Smoke lens is best for bright sun and swimming outdoors in sunlight, so I may try the same Kayennes in the smoke lens. Either those or the K180 or K180+
Thank you everyone for the suggestions and comments. Hopefully OWS this year won’t be as painfully glaring to my eyes. Not sure why I waited this long to get a different color lens anyway.
I used to be a big fan of all things aqua sphere until I tried the Finis polarized Surge. These goggles have been going strong for over a year of both pool swimming and open water/racing. They have never once leaked and the straps show no signs of splitting etc. I used to go thru a couple of pair of goggles a year before I got these things. I highly suggest you give them a try.
Tyr Spec Ops goggles are polarized and will cut glare. I will agree the fit trumps everything else, and Tyr fits me really well, the polarized lenses and cool looks are just extra. They are definitely worth looking at.
This is what I use. I’ve cycled through a lot of goggles, the only thing I would never use during a race are the swedish goggles for obvious reasons. Happy with the TYR Spec Ops or Spec Ops 2.0 or whatever it is. Tinting helps a lot during races where the sun will be an issue and the polarization is surprisingly nice given that you’re right on the water with the sun at a shallow angle.