What’s the difference between pool goggles and open-water goggles?

Think that swimming goggles are all the same..? Well, think again. With a huge selection available to buy, there are pairs to choose for many different types of swimming, preference and location.

First up, it’s worth thinking about where you swim. Are you a pool swimmer doing the hard yards in the chlorine all year round? Or are you swimming in open water, too?

As a triathlete, chances are you are doing both, with more open water in the summer months during peak race season.

Of course you can find a set of goggles that will work for both pool and open water, but to have a more successful (and enjoyable!) swim it’s definitely worth putting a bit of thought into what you buy.

What are pool goggles?

Let’s have a look at pool goggles first. Typically these will be smaller and fit more ‘inside’ your eye socket.

The reason for this is two-fold. Smaller goggles are more streamlined, so will create less drag than a larger goggle. If you’re racing at all in Master competitions, this could help give you the edge.

Pool goggles don’t need to be as big either, as you don’t need as much peripheral vision in the pool. With the black line to guide you and clear rules on where you can swim, it’s less important to be able to look around you.

In terms of the lenses, you will usually find less choice in goggles aimed at pool swimmers and that’s fine – there is less to deal with!

Pool goggles will usually be designed to give you clarity of vision in the pool and will have lenses that can help cut out the glare of fluorescent strip lights.

Lenses with a simple blue, amber or smoked tint will do a good job here and a certain amount comes down to personal preference. Or you can choose clear lenses, of course.

Many pool goggles are also mirrored, which helps cut out glare too. Plus, they look better (in our humble opinion) and can give a psychological advantage if you’re racing, as your competitors can’t see your eyes!

Finally, a word on straps. Look for a pair that won’t easily come off. A split strap with good grip is handy for dive starts. Wearing your goggles under your swim cap can help keep them in place, too.

What are open-water goggles

You’ll notice the shape of open-water goggles differs from pool goggles in that they are usually larger. As mentioned above, this is to improve your range of vision and especially peripheral vision.

Bigger isn’t always better, though. With size comes a trade-off on hydrodynamics and you also need to consider how the lenses are shaped.

Curved lenses can be helpful here, as they can increase the range of view without being too large.

Some goggles will have faceted lenses too, which allows them to be smaller yet still give you a good look at what is around you.

Of course if you want to see everything, then you may want to consider a swim mask. Brands including Aquasphere and Huub have redesigned the swim mask in recent years to be much more stylish and with better quality lenses.

The other benefit of large goggles in open water can include durability, too. Should the worst happen and an elbow come your way, more of your face will be protected.

In colder waters, large goggles will also keep more of your face warm, including the delicate nerve endings around the eyes that are very sensitive to temperature changes.

Open-water goggle lenses come in a range of tints and coatings so it’s worth thinking about your preference, as well as where you will be swimming.

Coloured tints will help improve visibility in different conditions and will cut out the glare of the sun. Be wary of dark tints if you swim in murkier waters, though.

Key will be to think about your racing, too. Will you be entering the water in early morning when the sun is low and bright? Will you be racing abroad, where the sun is also strong?

Harsh sun can make it hard to see course marker buoys, so look for a coloured tint advertised as cutting glare and helping make colours such as red/yellow/orange (the usual buoy colours) more visible.

As well as the colour of the tint, you could consider mirrored or polarised lenses, which – much like sunglasses – will also help to cut glare and increase the sharpness of what you are seeing.

One final option for open water is chroma-reactive lenses. These darken in response to sunlight (the same as reactive lenses in glasses) and are a great option if you swim in varied conditions and don’t want to buy multiple pairs.

Chroma-reactive goggles are also useful if you are doing a long swim (eg in an Ironman race) where conditions may change during your time in water.

Go more high-tech

In recent years goggle technology has moved on quickly, so there are even more sophisticated options out there if the standard pairs don’t quite do everything you need them to.

One option for short-sighted swimmers is goggles with multiple lens options. Huub offer a pair (the Altair) with pop-out lenses that can be changed depending on the prescription.

These also come with various tints, meaning you can swap the lenses in one goggle frame depending on the conditions.

For swimmers who find it hard to get a pair of goggles that fit and seal well, then The Magic5 have impressed me with their made-to-measure range. Simply scan your face using their app, decide on the lenses and a custom-made pair will drop through your door around a week later.

Finally, for swimmers in love with data, you can’t beat Form Smart Swim goggles for both pool and open water.

The Form goggles feature a floating display, which in the pool can guide you through sessions and give you immediate feedback on your pace, stroke rate and more.

In open water they include a compass, which you can use to help you swim in a straight line towards the buoys – invaluable come race day!

Conclusion

So there you have it. Goggles galore! Ultimately though, what you choose has to fit you, feel comfortable and not leak.

Using that as your starting point, weigh up whether you want one or multiple sets of goggles, then narrow your choice down by choosing a lens type, colour and coating.

Once your goggles arrive, it’s key to look after them too. You should always rinse your goggles in fresh water after your swim, then leave them to air-dry before storing them in your case.

Never touch the lenses either, as you could damage the anti-fog coating.

Good luck choosing – and check out our whopping guide to the best goggles for pool and open-water swimming if you need a little more guidance!