9 best kids’ swimming goggles for lessons and holidays

As one of the world’s most reputable swimming brands, Speedo was born on Bondi Beach, Australia in 1928, and appreciates how important a trusty pair of goggles is to swimmers of all ages. Instantly, our seven-year-old tester commented on the larger field of vision, desperate to go underwater to see what she could discover. The visibility was great for indoor pools, too, with large clear lenses aimed at indoor swimming.

Adjusting the straps were straightforward enough – while the side clasps are thin, it didn’t feel like they were going to snap. We found these fitted our tester’s face like a second skin. We didn’t experience any fog issues and leaks were kept at bay. At £12, this Speedo option is a great all-rounder.

These soft kids’ goggles are part of sporting giant Decathlon’s impressive range of swimming paraphernalia, which is reasonably priced.

It was easy to adjust these for our younger testers using the notched strap on the back of the goggles, and our four-year-old tester didn’t want to take these off, applauding the clarity. They offer a wide field of vision, feel super soft and our mini testers gave them a thumbs up for comfort.

The goggles are also available in a blue colourway (£9.99, Decathlon.co.uk).

Founded by elite triathlete and world championship winner James Lock, Zone 3 is a British brand dedicated to swimming and triathlons. While none of our testers show star potential in the swimming category (yet!), we could see the appeal with the kids version of the brand’s popular adult “attack” swimming goggles, as the aquahero goggles ooze quality.

The wide, flexible silicone frame meant they fitted all three of our testers comfortably, but seemed the best fit for our seven-year-old, who loved the clear blue lenses. The lenses have built-in anti-fog, which provided exceptional viewing quality, and would lend themselves well to indoor and outdoor swimming. The silicone gaskets felt super soft on the skin and offered plenty of flex, as did the strap itself. While these may not offer any illustrations, or fancy colourways, we highly rate the useability of these goggles.

Our teenage tester is keen to improve her swimming, and we found these goggles are helping her build confidence underwater. Wearing them for more than an hour during each swimming session, she commented on the comfort and pristine vision, which is thanks to the anti-fogging technology.

These goggles have a wild field of vision, and using the side adjustment was a doddle. Being a self-conscious teen, coming out of the pool with no ring marks gained top marks, too. The soft suction follows the shape of the face well, keeping the water out and any marks or irritation at bay. One thing we did notice is you need to take extra care with the mirrored lenses, as they can easily scratch on hard surfaces.

Zoggs is a brand many of us associate with goggles. Set up more than 30 years ago, the brand has more than three decades of swimming expertise under its belt. Our youngest tester put the phantom kids’ mask through its paces, looking like an adorable young scuba diver with these wider-style goggles.

The mask style is rather smart when swimmers are new to the water – the mask won’t restrict their vision, and we had no leaks or fogging. Adults will appreciate the “quick adjust”, too, as you can just pinch the sides to alter them. The soft-seal frame moulded to our tester’s little face well and there were no complaints on the comfort front, either.

For those starting out on their swimming career, the Speedo biofuse mask goggles are totally geared to young swimmers. From the Velcro side adjustments to the soft neoprene straps and wide-vision single lens, these make a great introduction to the concept of goggles. While they’re at the upper end of the price scale, the quality is undeniable. The lenses didn’t fog up, and no pesky water seeped through, either. Because the lenses are clear, they’re perfect for indoor swimming.

When products come as a two-pack, we’re often dubious about the quality, questioning whether one pair is simply a backup. Fortunately, we didn’t find this to be the case with Zabert’s K20 goggles. The clear lenses give a wide view, offering 180-degree visibility, and benefit from UV 400 protection. We also found these to be reliable on the fog front – only steaming up a handful of times over the testing period.

These goggles fitted all three of our testers, and adjusting is a straightforward process – simply feed the band through the clips at the side of the frame. Comfort was praised, too, as the silicone moulds to your child’s face without rubbing. We did find the silicone particularly stretchy, which could lead to a snapping after prolonged use or if the goggles weren’t well looked after. The goggles come in a zipped bag, which has been a godsend for mad dashes to swimming lessons.

Although these goggles are currently out of stock, the brand is working to have them back in stock soon.

Naturally, we questioned whether these kids’ goggles from Bling20 were purely a novelty item, and while we can’t deny these goggles bring the fun factor to swimming, with its comical lashes and sparkly frame, how would they fare under the water?

They’re latex-free, offer UV protection and an anti-fog coating, plus there’s an adjustable silicone nose piece, for extra comfort and a snug fit. The chunkier strap at the back seemed to offer comfort to our tester but if your child has thick hair, it could be a sticking point without the split strap. While these focus on the fun, our young testers found them very wearable, but it’s worth bearing in mind the shelf life.

JoJo Maman Bébé is a parent’s best friend when it comes to kitting out babies, toddlers and younger children, and these swimming goggles are no exception. Once we adjusted the silicone straps ­­– you’ll need to alter both the top and bottom, which did feel a little taxing – these no-thrills goggles were ready for action.

The result? They may not offer a lot of the fancy technical features, but there were no complaints from our four-year-old tester, making them a smart choice for occasional swimming trips. For the price, these goggles were comfy, had UV protection and we didn’t experience any leaking or fogging during testing. The smaller lenses do lend themselves to pre-schoolers, although we did find the adjustable strap quite long (if not a little flappy), so there’s room to grow.