Guide

Phelps brings up the rear: swimming goggles tested by Kassensturz

27.2.2019

Translation: machine translated

Together with a test laboratory specialising in eye protection, Kassensturz tested eight swimming goggles. The surprising result was that the cheapest models came out on top, while the biggest name came bottom.

Michael Phelps in last place. Ouch. What probably never happened to the record-breaking Olympic champion in his career happened to the swimming goggles that bear his name in the cash register crash test. The distorting effects of the lenses and a headband that had to be constantly readjusted were its downfall. The manufacturer countered with the objection that the assessment criteria did not do justice to their professional glasses. If you are an Olympic champion, go here directly to the Phelps model. For everyone else, I'll start with the top-rated products .

The Kassensturz test criteria:

Glass quality (fogging/distortion/processing)
Heat resistance
Ageing due to UV light
Slip resistance of the headband

Place 1: Aqua Sphere "Kaiman" (5.6 / very good)

The only goggle tested that was rated "very good" is the Aqua Sphere Kaiman. They only received deductions for the width of the field of vision and heat resistance, otherwise they always received top marks. Unless you leave them to stew in the blazing sun for hours on end (tested at 70 degrees in the oven), you're well equipped with them.

Swimming goggles

Aqua Sphere Kaiman

Place 2: Arena "Nimesis Christal Medium" (5.4 / good)

The Arena Nimesis Christal Medium is close behind. It also scores slightly lower for heat resistance and the width of the field of vision, and only gets a 4.5 for the slip resistance of the headband - a problem that my colleague Patrick Bardelli also had to contend with with his model from the Nimesis series.

Swimming goggles

Arena Nimesis

video
Background information
«It looks quite good when you don’t breathe»
by Patrick Bardelli

Place 3: Speedo "Jet" (4.9 / good)

Third place goes to a model for savers: the Speedo Jet. The biggest deductions were for fogging (3.1), but in the overall rating it was convincing. Nevertheless, it was not the price-performance winner.

Swimming goggles

Speedo Jet

One size

Place 4: Speedo "Futura Plus" & Nabaiji "X-Base" (4.8 / good)

Hats off to the X-Base from Nabaiji. The goggles, which are sold by Decathlon and are not available from us, cost a whole 3.50 francs. Nevertheless, it performed just as well as the Speedo Futura Plus when tested. Both models shared fourth place.

Swimming goggles

Speedo Futura Plus

One size

Place 5: Intex "Free Style Sport" & Aqua Sphere "Vista Clear" (4.5 / sufficient)

The models Free Style Sport from Intex (not available from us) and Vista Clear from Aqua Sphere were rated "sufficient". Both fog up quite quickly and the Intex goggles were also criticised for their cloudy lenses. The Vista was also downgraded because its lenses distort. Together with the Phelps model, they are the most expensive swimming goggles tested. We currently only have them in the "dark" version. But I assume that the test result won't tempt you to make an impulse purchase.

Swimming goggles

Aqua Sphere Vista dark swimming goggles

Place 6: Michael Phelps by Aqua Sphere "Xceed" (3.5 / unsatisfactory)

The model with the prominent name did not come a close second, but came in last place. It only received very good marks in the categories "material quality" and "ageing due to UV light".

Swimming goggles

Aqua Sphere MP Xceed swimming goggles

All glasses coped well with UV radiation, by the way, and all received top marks for rubber ageing. Here you can find an overview of the ratings and this click will take you to all the swimming goggles in our range. <p

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Michael Restin

Senior Editor

Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.ch

Simple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.

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