Open water goggles: How to choose the right lenses

Man wearing Orca Killa Comfort goggles — Open water goggles are usually larger and more curved. Credit: Steve Sayers

Open water swimming goggles are a godsend for navigating open expanses of water when swimming. Optimised for sea and lake swims, they’ve got a host of features that will boost your performance for the swim leg.

The best goggles for triathlon are ones that can cope well in often unpredictable open water conditions. Goggles for swimming outside tend to be designed with a wider lens, such as a wrap-around style, in order to provide better visibility to see competitors around you and be able to best navigate around buoys.

Open-water goggles tend to prioritise clarity and range of vision over hydrodynamics. This is why open water goggles have a larger lens size compared to purely pool-focused options. They’ll aim to be more durable too, and scratch/fog resistant.

Most of all, open water goggles need to optimise your vision as much as possible when cutting through the waves, or dodging lake vegetation. Here is where lens tint and colour come in. You’ll need goggles that protect the eyes from harsh light and damaging UV rays, and boost clarity and comfort as much as possible.

Here’s all you need to know about different open water swimming goggle lens types, tints, and colours, and in which situations they each work best…

How to choose the right pair of swimming goggles for you

What colour lenses are best for open water swimming?

Different tint colours are designed for different conditions. It’s key to choose the right pair to match your swimming environment and race profile for your best chance of success on race day. Here, we’ve broken down the main different open water swimming goggle lense type, and the conditions they’re optimised for.

man swims in open water sith neoprene hat, gloves, and wetsuit

Clear lenses – It’s unusual to come across clear lenses in open water swimming goggles. This is because the use of a tint is designed to help you see in strong sunlight or murky conditions, which you’ll likely have when swimming in stretches of open water, exposed to the elements. If you want a pair to use in the pool as well as open water, look for a lighter tint but we’d recommend staying away from completely clear lenses.

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

Man wearing the Lomo Vigour goggles — Grey/smoked lens are for the brightest light conditions (Credit: Steve Sayers)

Grey/smoked lenses – this classic lens tint works like sunglasses to reduce bright light and glare from affecting your swim. These are really for the most harsh light conditions where you want maximum protection, and are not suitable for low light conditions.

Amber lenses – An amber or orange lens is good for increasing contrast in a range of light conditions. They can cut some glare, while also enhancing visibility. They’re not for swimming in super bright light, but are a good go-between, enhancing visibility in murky water. They’re versatile, too, since amber lenses can also be used in the pool.

Pink/violet lenses – Similar to orange lenses, a pink/violet lens reduces glare in moderate light. Best for use in low light conditions, they can create contrast with green/blue and are popular picks for pool swimming. For open water, these lenses would only be suitable in murky waters.

Swimming goggles: How should they fit and how tight should they be?

roka-r1-goggles-4 — Mirrored lenses help to reduce glare and look pretty flashy too (Credit : Steve Sayers)

Polarised lenses – worth considering if you’re racing in strong sunlight and in conditions where the light is reflected into your eyes by the surfaces around you (for instance, bright white sand, light rock, white pool tiles, light surroundings in the foreground when sighting). They work in the same way as polarised sunglasses, by reducing glare while also making everything look crisper, which is ideal if you want to see what’s happening underwater, too.

Photochromatic lenses – Bumping up the tech here with photochromatic lenses, which function by adjusting to the light conditions and varying their tint accordingly, from clear to smoked. Ideal if you may face differing conditions on race day, or want goggles that have the versatility to be able to handle any conditions.

Mirrored lenses – Think stylish and flashy lenses which, like polarised options, work to cut out glare. Plus, if you need another reason to try a pair, they look pretty cool and are great for psyching out your fellow competitors before the klaxon goes. The main difference between mirrored and polarised is that mirrored cuts glare and offers a particular snazzy style, while polarised cuts glare and aims to boost comfort and clarity.

About

Helen has been 220's Editor since July 2013, when she made the switch from marathons to multisport. She's usually found open-water swimming and has competed in several swimruns as well as the ÖtillÖ World Series. Helen is a qualified Level 2 Open-Water Swim Coach focusing on open-water confidence and runs regular workshops at the South West Maritime Academy near Bristol. She is also an RLSS UK Open Water Lifeguard trainer/assessor.