Swans Ascender swimming goggles review
The Swans Ascender are high-end swimming goggles that live up to their race-oriented promise.
220 Triathlon Verdict
Great fit and sleek looks and I loved the lenses on these. Premium goggles with a real race edge. Score: 92%
Pros
- Well-fitting
- Race-ready
- Numerous lens options
- Vision is superb
Cons
- Case seems cheap
- Rear clip is tricky to adjust
Straight out of the box and the Ascender swimming goggles from Japanese brand Swans just look fast. They’re sleek and shaped in a way which suggests they’re designed to be worn for racing with elongated and curved lenses here in a blue mirrored finish.
They’re also World Aquatics-approved, if that’s something that is likely to be a factor in your racing!
How we test swimming goggles
All of the goggles featured here have been tested extensively by me, 220 Triathlon editor and open-water swimming coach Helen Webster.
While testing the open-water swimming goggles in a lake, I considered comfort, field of vision, quality, value, resistance to fogging, water tightness, and how well the lenses deal with the light conditions they are intended for.
For more details, see how we rate and test products.
Swans Ascender colours and lenses
In total there are 10 colour and lens options in this open-water specific model ranging from a simple black and white frame with clear lenses ($51.80/£47.99), through several mirrored options ($65.60/£49.99) with the top end of the range being two photochromatic versions at $74.60/£65.99).
The smoke blue mirrored version tested here is slightly different though. It is one of only two colourways to include MIT lenses, which adds a little to the price point.
MIT stands for ‘Mirror Insert Technology’ which gives additional scratch protection for the lenses. In testing this claim rang true. I didn’t scratch the lenses – plus as these are premium goggles anyway, I would be tempted (if these suit you) to pay a little more for that additional protection.
Try as I might to look after my goggles in the world of open water they inevitably end up sitting on the ground at times, especially if flung around in a triathlon transition!
Swans Ascender performance
In the water, the blue tint on this version did a great job of cutting out harsh sunlight and cooling things down when the sun was blazing.
The other MIT option has a warm red-tinted lens. I’d be interested to see if that would work better for gloomier conditions.
Fit here was excellent. Although more low-profile than some of the others on test I didn’t have a problem getting a good seal and they stayed on well even in tumultuous open water race starts, I think in part due to the sleek shape.
The strap is a single strap which splits to go around the back of the head twice with a simple clip on the back to adjust them which clicks open and shut. It’s a touch fiddly but felt very secure once the goggles were adjusted and didn’t need any further tweaking through multiple swims.
Also included are a choice of nose bridges and I sized down here and easily found a good fit. It was simple to click in and out of place.
Swans Ascender bottom line
These are one of the higher-priced sets of goggles on test and they do come with a case, though this could have been better – it’s a simple plastic box with a sliding lid which detaches and is easy to lose. A better case for a premium set of goggles would have been nice.
On the whole though, these look great, perform well and will be in the rotation for my swims and races for the year ahead!
Swans Ascender specs
| Price | $65.60 / £56.99 |
| Lens | 10 lens and frame options |
| Adjustability | Back clip |
| Spec | Multiple nose bridges, plastic case |
Helen Webster
Editor, 220 Triathlon 
