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Whether looking to splash around or start with the swim team, here are the best kids’ swim goggles that are comfortable, don’t leak, and enhance swimming performance.
Swim goggles for kids are essential to protect the eyes, keep water out, and allow young swimmers to see under and above the water.
Kids’ swim goggles should fit snugly, be comfortable, remain fog-free, protect from UV exposure, and allow for a full field of vision when in the water.
In this guide, we dive into the world of children’s swimming goggles, exploring the best options for every type of splashing and swimming.
Whether hitting the water for the first time or gearing up to join the swim team, here are the top swim goggles for kids and youth swimmers.
Let’s jump in and get our splashin’ on.
Best Swim Goggles for Kids – Overview
Here is a quick look at our top options for swim goggles for toddlers, kids, and youth swimmers:
- Best “first” swim goggles — Speedo Skoogles
- Best goggles for stylin’ in the shallow end – FINIS Kids’ Character Goggles
- Best leak-free goggles for kids — Speedo Hydrospex Jr
- Best kids’ goggles for swim team — Speedo Jr Vanquisher 2.0
- Best budget-friendly kids’ goggles — Sporti Antifog S2 Jr. Goggle
- Best optical swim goggles for kids — Speedo Jr. Vanquisher 2.0 Optical
- Best kids goggles for maximum field of vision — AquaSphere Kids Seal 2 Swim Mask
Next, we will look at each specific swim goggle in more detail.
We will highlight key reasons we like them during our hands-on testing, and close with some tips to remember when looking for the best swim goggles for your kid.
Speedo Skoogles
✅ Best “first” swim goggles
Speedo is synonymous with swimming, from swimwear to outfitting the fastest swimmers on the planet. For kids just getting comfortable in the water, the Speedo Skoogles are the perfect “first” swim goggles to learn to love the water.
The Skoogles are made for young swimmers aged 4-6 years of age, have a soft silicone gasket that provides a comfortable and leak-free suction against the skin, and Speedo offers swim goggles in a wide variety of colors.
The Skoogles have UV and anti-fog coatings to ensure clear vision while splashing around in the water, and the soft silicone head straps are easy to adjust for parents and won’t tug and yank on your kiddo’s hair.
Comfortable, durable, and made by the leading goggles brand in the pool, the Speedo Skoogles are the perfect kids’ swim goggles for those first swim lessons.
| ✅ Reasons to Buy | ❌ Things to Note: |
| Made by Speedo, the leading goggle brand in the pool | Too large for toddlers |
| Silicone head straps that won’t pull or yank on hair | |
| Soft silicone gasket for leak-free splashing around | |
| Durable one-piece gasket | |
| For kids aged 4-6 years |
FINIS Character Goggle
✅ Best splashing and styling kids’ swim goggles
The FINIS Character Goggle, which comes in four different playful character designs, is the best goggle for kids with big personalities who are pumped to get their splash on in the water.
Whether your kids are obsessed with mermaids, pirates, unicorns, or tikis, these goggles have a character to match their personality.
The FINIS Character Goggles aren’t just fun and play; the lenses feature UV protection to reduce eye strain when splashing around outdoors, the head straps are made of soft silicone that won’t catch and yank hair, and buckles at the side of the gasket make straps adjustments easy.
Are these swim goggles practical for actual swimming? No. But will they make splashing around in the water more fun? Absolutely.
SwimOutlet sells all four of the FINIS Character Goggles and tacks on free shipping with orders of $49 or more.
| ✅ Reasons to Buy | ❌ Things to Note: |
| Perfect kids swim goggles for maximum personality and fun | Too bulky for more competitive swimming |
| Four different character designs | |
| Silicone construction that won’t yank on hair | |
| Head straps can be adjusted to keep goggles in place |
Speedo Hydrospex Junior Goggles
✅ Best leak-free swim goggles for kids
The Speedo Hydrospex Junior Goggles are a large gasket swim goggle that features an extra-wide gasket skirt that gently suctions against your child’s cheek, creating a water-proof seal for swimming.
Swim goggles that take on water aren’t just annoying; they can become a safety hazard as water-filled goggles reduce vision, and young swimmers often struggle to empty the lens while swimming.
The Hydrospex Junior Goggles have a one-piece goggle gasket that is border-line indestructible, and the supple silicone construction won’t chafe against a child’s skin or tangle hair.
The Speedo Hydrospex goggles are designed for young swimmers aged 6-14 years, and are available in a wide range of solid colors and playful prints.
The main drawback of the goggles is that hard-to-fit faces may struggle with the one-piece gasket design, which doesn’t allow for a custom fit.
| ✅ Reasons to Buy | ❌ Things to Note: |
| Leak-free design | One-piece gasket may be difficult to size for hard-to-fit faces |
| Extra large skirt for a water-tight seal | |
| Lots of colors and prints to choose from | |
| Flexible and sturdy construction |
Speedo Jr. Vanquisher 2.0
✅ Best kids’ goggles for swim team
Looking to transition from splashes to swim team? The Speedo Jr. Vanquisher 2.0 are the best choice for kids ready to level up their swimming prowess.
Long Speedo’s most popular and best-selling lap swimming goggles, the Jr. Vanquisher 2.0, takes everything that makes the adult version so popular, from a leak-free fit to massive color and tint collection, and shrinks the frame and ocular lenses for kids’ faces.
Designed for children aged 6-14 years, the Jr. Vanquishers come in a mirrored, clear, and colored lens.
The mirrored lenses are perfect for swimming laps outdoors, reducing eye strain and protecting kids’ eyes from UV exposure. Clear and lightly colored lenses on the Jr. Vanquishers are perfect for indoor pools.
Fun Fact: The adult version of the Speedo Vanquishers topped our list of the best swimming goggles.
A custom-fit is made with four nose pieces and adjustable head straps made of long-lasting silicone. The low gasket design and excellent peripheral vision mean kids can focus on swimming at best times instead of trying to see around them.
The Speedo Jr. Vanquisher 2.0 goggles are the top choice for aspiring young competitive swimmers. Vanquishers are used by countless elite swimmers globally and come in various colors and tints.
Plus, and perhaps most importantly, the Jr. Vanquisher 2.0 goggles ensure a leak-free, snug fit for optimal performance.
| ✅ Reasons to Buy: | ❌ Things to Note: |
| Best goggles for young competitive swimmers | Mirrored tint can be hard to see through in darker, indoor pools |
| Tons of color and tint options | |
| Easy to adjust with multiple nose pieces and adjustable head straps | |
| For kids and youth swimmers aged 6-14 years |
Sporti S2 Antifog Junior Swim Goggles
✅ Best budget-friendly kids’ swim goggles
The Sporti S2 Junior Antifog Goggles are budget-friendly kids’ swim goggles that are perfect for beginner lap swimmers and kids who want to protect their eyes when diving and splashing in the water.
Sporti is a value brand of swim gear that makes excellent goggles and swimwear at a fraction of the cost of the big swim brand names. The Sporti S2 Goggles are a great example of this, retailing for less than $10 for a set.
Despite the low price tag, parents and kids don’t need to sacrifice on color and tint selection, with the Junior S2 goggles available in a huge range of colors and tints, including mirrored lenses for outdoor swimming.
The S2’s have a UV-coated lens, anti-fog protection for long-lasting clear vision when swimming, and adjustable dual silicone head straps. And each set comes with multiple nosepieces for getting that perfect fit for your kiddo’s face.
Some reviewers noted that swapping out nose pieces could be a little tedious, however.
| ✅ Reasons to Buy: | ❌ Things to Note: |
| Budget-friendly pricing | Some users found the nose piece difficult to adjust |
| Lots of color and tint options | |
| Silicone head straps | |
| Long-lasting anti-fog coating | |
| UV protection for outdoor swimming |
Speedo Optical Jr. Vanquisher 2.0
✅ Best prescription swim goggles for kids
Swim goggles are tool for increasing confidence and vision in the water. But what about swimmers who require corrective lenses to see clearly?
While these young swimmers don’t have as many options, there are some quality optical swim goggles.
The best for kids is the Speedo Optical Jr Vanquisher, which combines the features of the best-selling Vanquisher with corrective lenses. Prescription includes diopters -1.5 to -8.0.
The optical Jr Vanquishers are priced very reasonably, not much higher than “regular” Vanquishers, and you get the same durability, four nose pieces, and silicone head straps that don’t rip on a child’s hair.
Being a speciality kids swim goggle, color and tint options are limited, with the Jr. Optical Vanquisher only available with a clear lens.
That said, young swimmers who want to take on laps and bring their prescription with them, the Speedo Optical Jr. Vanquisher 2.0 is their best choice.
| ✅ Reasons to Buy: | ❌ Things to Note: |
| Best optical swim goggles for kids | Limited color and tint options |
| Combines performance features of the Vanquisher with corrective lenses for clear vision | |
| Excellent peripheral vision | |
| Soft silicone head straps that are easy to adjust and get that perfect fit |
AquaSphere Kids Seal 2 Swim Mask
✅ Best kids’ goggles for maximum field of vision
The AquaSphere Kids Seal 2 Swim Mask is the best goggles for kids that don’t want to miss a thing (visually) when swimming and splashing around in the water.
The expanded lenses on the Seal 2 gives young swimmers maximum field of vision, perfect for exploring at the pool or at the lake. The AquaSphere Seal 2 is perfect for long afternoons by the water thanks to the silicone gasket, UV protection, and
The AquaSphere Seal 2 is a swim mask, and not necessarily swim goggles. Swim masks provide a larger field of vision while protecting eyes from chlorine, sunshine, and enhancing underwater vision, but this comes at an cost, too.
The bulkier design of swim masks like the AquaSphere Seal 2 means they are more prone to falling off during high-speed water entry (diving into the water, for example). The bulky design also makes it less hydrodynamic for more serious youth swimmers.
But for kids who want to see it all with comfort, the AquaSphere Seal 2 is the perfect option for hitting the water.
| ✅ Reasons to Buy | ❌ Things to Note: |
| Best goggles for maximum vision and building swim confidence | Too bulky for more serious lap swimming |
| Comfortable enough for extended use | Likely to fall off when diving/jumping in |
| Suitable for young swimmers aged three years and up | |
| Easy to adjust head straps | |
| Anti-scratch lens |
How to Choose the Perfect Kids’ Swimming Goggles
Sorting through the swim goggle bin and the options online requires consideration of several important factors that ensure comfort, safety, and functionality.
Here are the key things to look for when shopping around for children’s swim goggles:
Comfort and Fit
The most important aspect of swim goggles, beyond the colors and design, is a comfortable fit that keeps water out and eliminates discomfort.
Look for kids’ swim goggles with a silicone or rubber gasket skirt that sits comfortably on your child’s skin. Adjustable head straps for appropriate goggle snugness. And multiple nose-pieces for harder-to-fit young faces.
Sun protection
Swim goggles help kids see more clearly underwater, reduce eye strain, and protect kids from harmful UV rays.
Look for swim goggles with UV protection, shielding from UVA and UVB exposure. For outdoor splashing and swimming, look for swim goggles with darker or mirrored lenses to further reduce squinting and glare.
Anti-fog coating
Swim goggles almost universally come standard with anti-fog coatings inside the goggle lenses. This helps reduce water buildup and condensation from clouding up lenses, reducing vision.
Note that anti-fog coatings are not permanent and can degrade quickly from chlorine exposure and over-eager finger wipes on a lens.
For long-lasting anti-fog, gently rinse the goggle lenses after swimming with lukewarm fresh water and reapply an anti-fog spray to extend the lifespan of your kids’ swim goggles.
Style and design
While obviously not the deciding factor when choosing the right kids’ swim goggles, colors and design play a role.
Playful colors and prints, or themed swim goggles, can influence a child’s enthusiasm for wearing goggles and actually keeping track of them while at the pool.
Choosing a goggle with fun designs or favorite colors can make swimming more enjoyable.
Age and skill level
Consider your child’s age and goals in the water when choosing between the different types of swim goggles.
More serious young swimmers who want to hit the lap pool will want a swim goggle with a hydrodynamic gasket that sinks gently into the eye socket.
Kids simply looking to see under the water at the lake or in the shallow end of the play pool may prefer goggles with larger frames and field of view.
Price
Swim goggles are a relatively inexpensive investment that can last a long time in the water (make sure to care and clean the swim goggles to extend lifespan)
What is the difference between kids’ and adult swim goggles?
Swim goggles for kids are sized smaller for narrower and smaller faces. The ocular lenses are closer together, the length of the head straps shorter, and the nose pieces are sized to the nose bridges of children.
Kids’ swim goggles also tend to have adjustable buckles at the side of the goggle gasket, which can make it easier for parents to configure proper head strap tightness.
Wrapping Things Up
Swimming is an excellent activity and sport but also a crucial life-saving skill. The right swim goggles can make a child’s experience in the water more enjoyable, helping to build confidence.
Whether a child is looking to put their face under the water for the first time or join the local summer swim team, a quality set of swim goggles can make all the difference.
Using the guidance and advice above, choose the perfect swim goggles for your kids and unleash more fun and skills in the water!
More Swim Goggle Resources
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