I usually swim with rubber suction cupped goggles but I forgot them and borrowed my friends foam rimmed goggles. They seemed to work the same, one thing I did notice is that they didn’t hurt my eyes as bad when I took them off.
If there really a difference between the 2 or is it just a matter of preference?
I find the foam more comfortable, but, I have never been able to obtain a consistent seal with the foam.
I don’t think the foam ones last as long. In my experience they get leaky. But they definitely left me looking better than the rubber ones. Every MWF morning someone asks if I slept ok the night before because of the huge rings around my eyes!
Jodi
It’s a matter of finding the ones with eye cups that fit your face the best regardless of padding material (or lack thereof)
The people who spend 5 hours a day in the water tend to go for minimal foam goggles or gasketless swedish style goggles.
Preference. I like the Speedo womens vanquisher goggles - those are rubber. My brother won’t wear anything but the Sweedish ones. Find something that fits and doesn’t leak.
“It’s a matter of finding the ones with eye cups that fit your face the best regardless of padding material (or lack thereof)”
Exactly - some hurt, some don’t.
“The people who spend 5 hours a day in the water tend to go for minimal foam goggles or gasketless swedish style goggles.”
Back when I was a young whippersnapper (before the invention of rubber and foam), gasketless was all we had. Before that, we had nothing. You were either red-eyed or learned to spend a lot of time with your eyes closed.
My theory is that the seal material helps cause fog by trapping grime and gunk. I use rubber-rimmed goggles only b/c most swedes don’t fit my small face that well. Foam just doesn’t deliver IMO.
I believe the rubber gaskets make for a better seal and last longer. It’s also a personal preference and it depends on what fits the shape of your face. Try Lane4 goggles on my website below.