I seem to need new goggles about every 4-6 months, and I don’t swim that much. How long should goggles last? Any recommendations for ones that have a long life?
Thanks
I’ve replaced the straps & nose piece a few times but I’m still using the same pair of swedes that I bought back around 2004.
Still have a pair of swedes that I use at night/indoors from the early 90s.
Some of the foam goggles, at least imo, tend to wear out faster. None of my racing goggles have lasted more than 4-5 seasons before they leak like a mofo or are scratched beyond what I want to look through when I raced.
The foam or rubber gasket always seemed to warp in the heat or degrade or something. Or the rubber straps broke or the nose piece broke and needed dental floss to hold it together.
mine will usually last 2-3 years, typically the strap breaks. What is failing on yours ?
Tusa View is my preference as they have the best prescription lenses, but they are hard to find.
Currently using cheap Sporti which are nearly as uncomfortable as swedes, most recently purchased TYR are too painful to wear, Speedo about the same as the Sportif. Haven’t noticed a difference in durability in these brands.
I use Kaiman goggles generally. The seal around the eye is my problem. They start leaking.
Thanks for the tip. I’ve ordered a pair (two for one spring sale!).
Cheers
Typically at least 3 years, though I cycle through them
Year 1: Race goggles
Year 2: Open water goggles
Year 3+: get added to the pile in the swim bag for lane swims. They get thrown out after about a year or two, once the anti-fog has worn off and it gets annoying to dip them in water every few intervals.
I guess since I buy a new pair every year you could say that my average goggle goes through a year of wear and tear before I throw them out
Thanks for the tip. I’ve ordered a pair (two for one spring sale!).
Cheers
Swedes aren’t for everyone. They are for me, I’ve even raced in many, many times. i was typically a FOFOP AG swimmer though and never really was in the scrum during my triathlon career
Thanks for the tip. I’ve ordered a pair (two for one spring sale!).
Cheers
Swedes aren’t for everyone. They are for me, I’ve even raced in many, many times. i was typically a FOFOP AG swimmer though and never really was in the scrum during my triathlon career
I’m a back of the pack swimmer, so I’m never really in a scrum either 
I used Arena Cobra Ultras and have some for training and then otehrs that only get used for races. The training ones last years, but are a bit foggy.
I use Kaiman goggles generally. The seal around the eye is my problem. They start leaking.
I’ve found that the aquasphere gaskets get leaky after about 2-3 years (swimming 2-3X/week). Other goggles (ex. the Speedo Vanquishers) last a bit longer, probably because the gaskets are not as soft. Personally, a $30 pair of goggles every couple of years is cheap enough that I use the goggles I like best (in my case the aquasphere k180 and Dr.B prescription ).
You might find that goggles with an “in socket” fit (Vanquishers, K180, Speed Sockets, Blackhawk, etc.) last longer than the “over socket” ones (Kaiman, Spec Ops 2.0, etc.) due to the smaller, less floppy gaskets.
I have some Speedos that are older than my kids.
A little Johnson’s No More Tears keeps the lenses going forever.
Don’t tighten them too much, if you are not diving, there’s no need.
Keep the case that came with them, no scratches.
I bought a pair of googles in late 2000 and they are the only goggles I’ve ever owned - same with my bike and wetsuit. To say I don’t spend a lot on triathlon is an understatement.
My Swedes get scratched up cuz I just throw them in my bag.
I replace them about every 6 months but at $3.50 a pair it’s not too painful.
Goggles with more parts tend to have more places that can fail, especially where the parts are joined (gaskets to lenses, straps to frame, nose-piece to frame, etc). It’s more galling when the goggles are expensive. Those responding that they use Swedish goggles have the interesting paradoxes of inexpensive goggles that don’t same to fail, or if hose fail, it’s NBD since the whole ensemble is so inexpensive, or the fixes are so inexpensive. Of course, these goggles aren’t for everyone, and especially these days, aren’t nearly as popular as in the past. Wear the goggles you like.
Pools and salty water can be very hard on goggles, and so can after-swim care and storage. I’d suggest either to wash and carefully store goggles after use, or buy less expensive goggles (that work for you), or take it as an expense for working out. I pay $85 every few months for running shoes, so try to stretch out the utility as long as possible. Trainers to daily non-running shoes to dog-walking shoes to lawn-mowing shoes, etc.
Be glad that goggles cost less than runners.
My Swedes are 10 years old. I use sewing elastic to replace the nose piece and straps, so there is a maintenance cost to be aware of – say $0.30 every 5 years or so.
I was in your cycle as an HS swimmer, and once the Swedes felt comfortable, I didn’t look back. I realize they don’t work for everyone.
One thing that seems to matter for me as far as quality over time: clear goggles with no tint last a lot longer. Small scratches and a little fog in mirrored lenses or colored lenses seem to disproportionately worsen visibility. A little wear and tear in a clear goggle seems to me to matter less.
Besides cycling new bungee straps or straps from lost and found goggles, I’ve used strips cut from old butyl inner tubes for the nosepiece on Swedish goggles. The nosepieces last forever.
You’re welcome
I use Kaiman goggles generally. The seal around the eye is my problem. They start leaking.
I used Kaiman goggles for many, many years but then I switched brands last year because the Kaimans started leaking after 5-6 months. A friend had the exact same problem and also switched brands last year. I switched to Huub, and my friend to TYR. I’m now happily on month 15 with my Huubs and haven’t had any problems.
I’ve replaced the straps & nose piece a few times but I’m still using the same pair of swedes that I bought back around 2004.
Still have a pair of swedes that I use at night/indoors from the early 90s.
Looked at another way, not only are these the most durable and cheap goggle on the market but they are also the FASTEST. Name a goggle that has been worn by swimmers with as many medals at OLYs and Worlds.
Old mate from desert has still got his from 30 years ago.
A few thoughts on making these comfortable, gleaned from posts on here, in addition to what others have written. Do not make the strap so tight. They just need to suction on the eyes, not squash your eye ball into your skull. When setting them up, keep them wider than your preferred set up. Then twist them to shorten the string to get your preferred set up.
While they are blurry at the edges at certain title angles, at other tilt angles you can actually see forward and to the side in ways no other goggle can. To avoid scratches of all my goggles and ease of transport, I fold my towel and then put my goggles and suit on it and roll it up like a burrito.
No degradation of the rubber / gasket involved in this brand.
They been good enough for some of the GOATs. Thorpe raced and trained in a few pairs for his whole career (plus in his come back in 11-12).