Search for children’s swimming goggles and you’ll quickly discover there are a lot to choose from.
You can pick up a basic pair for around £5, while at the other end of the scale some specialist swimming goggles can cost £50, £100 or even more. In between are dozens of brands, shapes and styles promising anti-fog lenses, better seals, UV protection, improved comfort and seemingly endless different strap designs.
So where do you start?
For most children, particularly those learning to swim or attending weekly swimming lessons, the most expensive goggles aren’t necessarily the best goggles.
What’s far more important is finding a pair that suits your child.
Do they fit properly without having to be painfully tight? Do they keep the water out? Can your child see clearly? Do they pull their hair? Will they stay comfortable for an entire lesson? And, ideally, can your child put them on and take them off without needing help?
Because a £5 pair that your child happily wears every week is a better purchase than a £50 pair they hate wearing.
Equally, paying a little more can be worthwhile if it solves a problem that’s making swimming difficult — whether that’s leaking, uncomfortable straps, hair pulling or a child who constantly needs help getting their goggles back on.
So rather than starting with “How much should I spend?”, we’d start with “What does my child actually need from their goggles?”
Here’s what we’d look for.
1. Start with comfort
Children’s goggles need to do more than simply keep water out.
Your child might wear them for most of a 30 or 45-minute swimming lesson, so something that feels fine when you quickly try it on at home may become uncomfortable in the pool.
Goggles should feel secure without needing to be painfully tight. If your child regularly complains about them hurting, wants to take them off halfway through their lesson or comes out of the pool with very pronounced marks around their eyes, don’t assume that’s simply part of wearing goggles.
The right fit should feel secure and comfortable.
2. Look for a good seal – not just a tight strap
One of the most common complaints about children’s goggles is leaking.
The instinctive solution is often to tighten the strap.
But tighter isn’t necessarily better.
The eyecups need to suit your child’s face and create a good seal around their eyes. If the fit isn’t right, repeatedly tightening the strap can make the goggles uncomfortable without actually solving the problem.
You can do a simple check by gently pressing the goggles against your child’s face without putting the strap around their head. If you can feel some suction and they briefly stay in place, that’s a useful indication that you’re getting a decent seal.
3. Think about the strap – especially if your child has longer hair
This is something that’s easy to overlook until you’ve experienced it.
Traditional swimming goggles commonly use thin silicone or rubber straps. They’re absolutely fine for many children, but they can catch, tangle and pull at hair as they’re put on and taken off.
For a child who is particularly sensitive about their hair, that can turn putting goggles on into an unnecessary battle before they’ve even reached the water.
It’s one reason we chose to stock Frogglez at Comfy Kids Swim. Instead of a traditional thin strap, they use a wide, soft neoprene strap designed to sit comfortably around the child’s head without pulling at their hair.
4. Ask whether your child can put them on themselves
This is one feature we think deserves far more attention when choosing children’s swimming goggles.
As children grow, swimming lessons aren’t only about learning strokes. They’re also an opportunity to become more confident and independent.
Ideally, your child should be able to get their goggles from their swimming bag, put them on comfortably, adjust them if necessary and take them off again without needing an adult or swimming teacher to do it for them.
That means one less thing for a swimming teacher to sort out at the side of the pool and one less thing for parents to deal with while trying to get everyone changed and ready.
More importantly, for a young child, being able to say “I can do it myself” can be a lovely little confidence boost.
It’s another reason we like the wider strap used by Frogglez: the design is intended to make getting goggles on and off simpler for children themselves.
5. Make sure they can actually see
Keeping water out is only half the job.
Your child also needs to be able to see their swimming teacher, other swimmers and where they’re going.
Look for good-quality, clear lenses and anti-fog protection. If your child regularly stops during lessons to wipe foggy goggles, they’re going to spend less time concentrating on swimming.
Anti-fog coatings need some care too. Avoid rubbing the inside of the lenses, as this can damage the coating. Rinse them in clean water after swimming and allow them to air dry.
6. Consider whether goggles or a swim mask would suit them better
Not every child likes traditional goggles.
A swim mask has a larger lens area and sits differently around the face. Some children find this more comfortable and enjoy the wider field of vision.
Neither is automatically “better”.
If your child hasn’t got on with conventional goggles, trying a different style rather than simply buying another similar pair can be worthwhile.
At Comfy Kids Swim, we stock both Frogglez Goggles and Frogglez Swim Masks for exactly that reason.
7. Don’t choose purely by age
Parents often search for the best swimming goggles for a 3-year-old, 4-year-old, 5-year-old or 6-year-old.
It’s a perfectly reasonable place to start, but age isn’t everything.
Two five-year-olds can have completely different head sizes, face shapes and preferences. One might be completely confident in the water while another is only just becoming comfortable putting their face under.
So use the manufacturer’s recommended age range as a guide, but think about your individual child too.
8. Think about confidence in the water
Some children couldn’t care less about getting water in their eyes.
Others really dislike it.
For a child who’s nervous about putting their face into the water, comfortable goggles can remove one of the things they’re worried about and allow them to concentrate on what their swimming teacher is asking them to do.
Being able to see clearly underwater can help too.
Goggles won’t create water confidence on their own, but good swimming equipment can remove some of the little discomforts and distractions that make learning to swim harder than it needs to be.
So how much should you spend on children’s swimming goggles?
There isn’t a magic price point.
You don’t necessarily need expensive specialist racing goggles for a child attending their weekly swimming lesson. Equally, the cheapest pair isn’t a bargain if they leak, hurt, constantly need adjusting or your child refuses to wear them.
Instead, think about what you’re getting for the money.
For us, we’d prioritise:
Comfort. A reliable seal. Clear vision. No unnecessary hair pulling. A secure fit. Easy on and off. And, wherever possible, a design your child can manage independently.
If an inexpensive pair ticks all of those boxes for your child, fantastic.
If spending a little more solves a recurring problem and makes swimming lessons easier every week, that can be money well spent too.
The best swimming goggles are the ones that work for your child
With so many children’s goggles available, it’s easy to get caught up comparing brands, specifications and prices.
We’d keep it simpler.
Think about the whole swimming lesson.
Can your child put their goggles on themselves?
Are they comfortable enough to keep them on?
Do they keep water out without being excessively tight?
Can your child see clearly?
Do they stay in place without constant adjustment?
Do they avoid pulling at their hair?
And, most importantly, is your child happy wearing them?
Those are some of the reasons we chose Frogglez for Comfy Kids Swim. Their soft neoprene strap offers an alternative to traditional thin goggle straps and is designed to make goggles comfortable and simple for children to use themselves.
Because the goal isn’t to own the fanciest pair of swimming goggles.
It’s for your child to put them on, forget about them and get on with enjoying their swimming.