Lomo Vigour polarised goggles review

Make no mistake, there are a lot of options available if you’re looking for a set of open water swimming goggles. Coming in at a really good price though – just £16.99 – the Lomo Vigours immediately caught my eye in this year’s pile to be tested.

Not only do they tick the budget box, but they’re even polarised, which is unheard of for this money. So what do they offer and how do they perform?

First impressions

First impressions are that the Lomo Vigours (£16.99) offer a nice package. The red and black colourway is likely to appeal to most swimmers. Plus, they come with a hard plastic case to keep them free from dirt and scratches.

Out of the case and I’m immediately reminded of the Zone3 Vapour and the Huub Aphotics which have a very similar shape design. That’s no bad thing, though. The frames are wide and made from quite thick plastic. That sturdiness suggests they will last well and I certainly had no problems during the test period.

They could feel a little heavy on my face over longer swims though, a problem shared by other larger goggles of this design.

They’re a chunky design and feel solid. While the nose bridge is fixed it has a little flexibility in it which should help with achieving a good fit. A wide split strap feels sturdy and keeps the goggles in place.

Adjustment is via the two red ‘buttons’ on either side, which are very simple to operate with cold wet hands. There is also a retaining clip on each side to stop the excess rubber flapping around (a pet hate of mine!).

Putting the goggles on, those silicone gaskets are very wide and soft which is welcome on a heavier goggle. I found it easy to get a good seal and they didn’t leak or fog during my swims.

Polarised lenses included

As for the polycarbonate lenses, they feature a grey tint and are polarised, which makes the Vigour goggles really good value for money. The tint did a great job of blocking harsh sunlight without changing the colours of my surroundings too much.

Polarisation works much the same as polarisation in sunglasses and just adds much more clarity and detail to your vision in bright light. I guarantee once you try them, you won’t want to go back to normal lenses!

The shape of the lenses was good too – wide ovals with a gentle curve across them allowing for good peripheral vision.

I could see the black gaskets and the edges of the red frames if I looked left and right without turning my head, but the range of vision would be plenty for most swimmers. It’s nice not to have the complication of different facets in the lenses, too.

Final thoughts

In conclusion these are a sturdy, solid performer with lenses that exceed my expectations based on their price point. They are a large goggle and felt a little heavy on longer swims, but swimmers with larger facial features may not find the same.

A more interesting colourway option would be nice, but in crowd-pleasing red and black and with a hard case included, you can’t really go wrong.

Find more open water swimming goggles in this guide to the best swimming goggles for triathlon.

Lomo Vigour polarised goggles specs

Price:	£16.99
Case:	Hard case included
Lenses:	Grey, polarised
Adjustability:	Two buttons
Colourway	Red/black