A Guide to Goggle Lens Types

The type of lens that you will need ultimately depends on numerous variables. The weather, indoor or outdoor swimming, the level of lighting. You must carefully consider the type of environments which you will be most frequently swimming in!

Different lenses can also be multi-purpose. The same lens can fulfil different purposes depending on what it is used for. Competitive, training and recreational are three of the main reasons however competitive and training purposes would require the most advanced features in lenses.

Clear Goggles

-Condition: Indoor/cloudy

-Transmits natural light

-Maximised clarity

-Visible Light transmission: 88-92%

Clear lenses are most suited to indoor swimming or open water swimming in overcast conditions. Clear lenses offer the best possible visibility but without the benefits of protection from bright lights. Shop our wide range of clear lens goggles here.

Smoked Goggles

-Condition: Sunny

-Ultimate light protection

-Increased glare reduction

-Greater visual acuity

-Visible light transmission: 9-12%

Smoked lenses are very common among all swimmers due to their versatility, they are just clear enough to be used indoors, and offer just enough protection to be used outdoors. Shop our wide range of smoked lens goggles here.

Tinted Goggles

-Condition: Indoor/cloudy

-Improved colour perception

-Keeps visual comfort

-Visible Light transmission: 58%

Tinted goggles offer a similar level of protection to smoked but with a coloured tint to them, this is often preferred by swimmers as it can be nicer and level stressful to the eyes. Another reason people chose tinted over smoked is simply due to the aesthetic look they provide, swimwear is becoming more and more fashionable and swimmers are getting fashion conscious. 

Having a matching cap and swimsuit is one thing, but if you can get your goggles to match too you're certainly going to be feeling better knowing you look good! Shop our wide range of tinted lens goggles here.

Polarised Goggles

-Condition: Sunny

-Ultimate glare cut

-Improved visual acuity

-Enhanced warm tints

-Visible light transmission: 11%

Polarised lenses are treated with a chemical coating that reduces glare coming from reflective surfaces. Polarised goggles are typically used by open water swimmers due to the sun reflecting off the surface of the water which has the potential to distort a swimmer or even cause damage to the eyes. Shop our wide range of polarised lens goggles here.

Photochromatic Goggles

-Condition: Partially sunny

-Adapts to all conditions

-Changes with level of UV

-Visible light transmission: 27-78%

Photochromatic lenses respond to ultraviolet rays by darkening in brighter light conditions and becoming clearer in darker environments. These lenses continuously adapt to varying light levels, providing you with the best possible visibility while swimming. Shop our wide range of photochromatic lens goggles here.

Mirrored Goggles

-Condition: Sunny

-Greater visual acuity

-Visible light transmission: 18-27%

-Red: Enhanced depth perception, reduced colour saturation and reduced eye strain 

-Yellow: Ultimate light protection, increased contrast, enhanced blue colours 

-Orange: Enhanced sharpness and greater visual definition 

-Pink: Increased shape definition and reduced colour saturation, plus enhanced blue and green colours. 

-Blue: Enhanced yellow and orange colours. 

-Silver: Keeps neutral colour.

Mirrored lenses reduce glare and incoming light but not as much as polarised would, It is often you see swimmers wearing mirrored lenses for the psychological advantage that they may provide. Being unable to see someone's eyes can often make fellow swimmers feel intimidated. Shop our wide range of mirrored lens goggles here.

These are a wide variety of the lenses available! To decide ‘Which colour Swimming Goggle Lenses should I wear?’ You should answer some of the following questions: 

-Do I swim indoors or outdoors more often? 

-Am I used to bright lighting or low lighting? 

-Will I use them for training or competition? 

-What weather am I most used to swimming in?