Zone3 Volare swim goggles review

The mighty Volares from British tri brand Zone3 have been around for a few years now but they must (and are) doing something right, as they are one of swim goggles I see the most at the local pool.

So how have they stood the test of time? 

Zone3 Volare design and lens

The sleek, low-profile design is bound to appeal to serious swimmers and triathletes. They look good and even if you don’t believe in the impact this can have on racing, I always feel like I am in a better mindset for swimming if my goggles feel ‘racey’! 

Here I tried out the green/black colourway with a mirrored lens but they also come in teal/cream/copper with a polarised lens, black and red with a mirrored lens (which scored 80% last time I tested these) and in a black version with a clear lens. 

For me, this colourway was preferable but I would have been interested to try out the polarised version too to see what the read-across was between pool and open water. That version is reduced to £17.50 online which is an absolute bargain if still available – worth a punt if you’re on a budget this season! 

Zone3 Volare performance

Zone3 describe the Volare as: “Our ultimate swim anywhere do anything goggle, combining the low-profile look and performance of a pool racer with the comfort of the ultra-soft silicon gaskets usually only featured in open water swimming goggles”. That rings true in my experience, as like the Tri-fit and Huub goggles also within this test, these could easily work across both. 

It’s nice to see this from the tri brands included, too. Not all of us want to buy multiple goggles for training and racing. The mirrored tint here darkened things a little while still keeping colours true, so if you like to see things as they are these will work for you (personally I quite like my goggles to brighten things up a little, especially on gloomy days. But the polarised version could be good for that, as well as increased clarity in open water). 

There was a little visual distortion at the bottom of the lenses, similar to the Huubs, but overall the range of visibility was good. I also found the soft gaskets comfortable and the plastic extender along the side of the face (the same as the Tri-fit Propels) kept them secure and in place. The strap is a flat split strap that worked well, with a single clip adjuster. 

Again there is a choice of nose bridges to help get the perfect fit. I didn’t see any ingress, though they did take a little faffing around with to create the perfect seal on my face. 

Finally, there’s no case included which may be a positive if you are trying to reduce your use of plastic. I do like one though to avoid scratches!

For more swim gear recommendations, read our round-up of the best swinsuits for women.

Quick specs
Price	$50 / £35
Weight	0.16oz / 4.45g
Features	Mirrored lens, multiple nose bridges, no case

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