What to Look For in Silicone Swim Goggles

Having the right swim goggles is essential for any swimmer. A pair of quality goggles will provide a leak-free fit and protect the eyes from chlorine and other environmental contaminants.

The custom design protocol by Coleman et al. was all one piece printed with polycarbonate material. This was less cost-effective than the two-piece approach of Park et al.

Foam Sockets

The foam sockets used in most silicone swim goggles are soft and fit the face and seal out water. They are also less likely to cause eye irritation or allergic reactions than latex straps. However, they can wear down over time and may need to be replaced.

There are several types of foam sockets used in swim goggles. These include soft plastic sockets, hard plastic sockets and a combination of soft plastic and rubber. Soft plastic sockets are the most common and are the least expensive. Silicone Swim Goggles They are also more flexible and can be adjusted for a perfect fit. Hard plastic sockets are more durable but are slightly more expensive and are less flexible than soft plastic.

Many swimming goggles use a combination of soft and hard plastics to create the best overall results. These goggles are often referred to as hybrids or dual-use goggles. They are designed to be comfortable and versatile, and can be used in both training and competition. Some examples of dual-use goggles are the Speedo Fastskin Hyper Elite and the TYR Zionor.

The main advantage of hybrids is that they can be used in both training and competition. They are more comfortable than traditional racing goggles because they have a smaller profile and can be adjusted for different nose sizes. This allows the swimmer to have a more personalized fit and gives them a competitive edge in races.

Silicone Injection Molded

The silicone seal of these goggles provides a tight fit without pinching or pressing too hard on the eye sockets. This is a big benefit for kids and people with sensitive eyes. It also allows for a wider field of vision than traditional swim goggles with rigid plastic lenses. They also feature anti-fog and scratch resistant lenses for crystal clear underwater visibility.

The supple nature of silicone also makes these goggles easy to adjust for a comfortable fit, even after a long swim. Foam and latex straps tend to be stiffer and can cause discomfort for some swimmers. Silicone is also much more durable than latex and doesn’t break or become degraded over time.

One of the challenges with FINIS’ latest smart goggle was designing a gasket that would align with a small module that counts laps, stroke rate and split times. They needed a durable and flexible material that could flex and match the button shape to ensure watertight integrity. This was where Formlabs’ Silicone 40A resin came in handy.

Beittel says that the elasticity of the silicone helped them develop a prototype quickly. He was able to make little tweaks to the design of the gasket and test them in the pool before making any final changes to production materials. This saved time and money and allowed the product development team to get their mermaid fins to market faster.

Rubber Straps

While silicone is the dominant material in swim goggles, it’s not uncommon to find some that use latex. Latex is durable and can withstand a lot of exposure to chlorine, but it can become brittle with time. Silicone is softer and more flexible than latex, and it doesn’t degrade as easily in the face of repeated chlorine exposure.

Generally, swim goggles will include the lenses, gasket, and straps. Lenses help with vision in the water and can be clear, tinted or mirrored. Tinted and mirrored lenses offer UVA and UVB protection, which is important for those who spend significant amounts of time in outdoor pools.

The gasket helps with a watertight seal and can be either foam or rubber. Foam gaskets are a bit lighter, but they also don’t last as long as rubber ones. Rubber gaskets are a good choice for people with sensitive skin, as they’re less likely to cause an allergic reaction than latex.

The straps are what connect the goggles to your head, and they can be a variety of styles and materials. The most common are silicone and bungee cords. Most silicone straps are soft and comfortable on the head, but there are some that feature a more rigid rubber for added support and durability. There are also a number of adjustable options for the head strap, with toggle adjusters being the easiest to use.

Bungee Cords

The straps used on silicone swim goggles are typically bungee cords. They are very flexible and soft and offer great comfort compared to rubber straps that can be stiffer and may cause skin irritation.

They also have a better ability to stretch which can help them fit better on different face shapes and sizes. Bungee cords are also less likely to snap or degrade over time as they can handle more flex and compression than rubber straps.

One of the big challenges when developing a new pair of goggles is how to achieve a good seal while keeping the water out. The Silicone Swim Goggles most common approach is to use a hard plastic lens that seals against the skin. The problem is that this can create a lot of drag force and can be uncomfortable for the wearer.

Another option is to use a soft material like foam that provides the sealing function while allowing some flexibility. The researchers in this study designed a soft material that is more flexible than the hard plastic and able to accommodate changes in skin movement and deformations around the eyes. They then tested the resulting goggles with a single participant. The results showed that the new goggles performed significantly better than the hard plastic goggles and were more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.