Customer Reviews

Aqua Sphere Kaiman Swim Goggle

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I have been swimming regularly for than 20 years in the US and overseas, so I have tried many goggles. The reviews on Amazon made great claims and it is difficult to find my favorite Japanese goggle in the US, so I gave Aqua Sphere a try. The reviews are correct. It is comfortable, does not leak, and the FOV is wider than other goggles I have used. The strap is robust (the strap is the first thing to fail on my best goggles). The hardest part was threading the strap through the retainer: no instructions, and I had to use a pliers to pull it through. Once that was done (no, the strap did not tear or break), adjustment is a cinch. There is no need for the strap to be very tight, and the goggle will not be comfortable if you tighten it too much. I have a high nose and many goggles not only do not fit me but are positively uncomfortable. The nose bridge of Aqua Sphere is soft and does not hurt my nose. As for fog, I continue to do what I have done for many years: use a drop of liquid soap on each lens and on my finger, spread it very gently over the lens, and rinse only until no bubbles appear. You must be careful not to scratch the lens with your fingernail. This method works for at least 40 minutes of swimming in all conditions I have encountered. This is a world class product.

I bought two pairs of these goggles (size small) for my 5 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old daughters as a result of reading so many good reviews. The single-molded eye piece design is a huge improvement over the cheap Speedo goggles I tried first with the separate nose bridge piece holding the two lenses together. Those never stayed on!

By far, the best feature of these goggles is the easy strap adjusment. Gone are the days of feeding flimsy straps through buckles, trying the goggles on to see if the fit is right and repeating the process if it isn't. Put these on a little loose, then simply pull on the straps as you're wearing them to tighten to the desired fit. This is essential if you are putting them on a child. (Perhaps adults can set them to size the first time, then take them off and put them on again without resizing. But with my kids, I'm always loosening them to get them off without them complaining. But I don't mind since they are so easy to tighen the next time.)

Also, the strap on these goggles doesn't tug at my kids' hair when taking them on and off like the rubber straps on the cheaper goggles. The split strap design helps them stay in place much better too.

My only small complaint is I noticed scratches on the lenses after only a few uses, despite that I think I read the lenses are scratch-resistant. They are handled by my kids which probably explains it, but I'm good about putting them away in the original packaging when we are finished with them. The good thing is I looked through the goggles myself and it doesn't appear that the scratches obstruct your view when wearing them. You can just see the scratches when looking at the surface of the lenses.

I would definitely buy these again.

This is the best swim goggle I ever tried. It is comfortable, seals completely, and easy to adjust. The only drawback is that the curved lens distorts more than goggles with flat lenses but I can certainly live with that. My wife and daughter also love their Kaiman goggles.

I use these for doing recreational swimming as well as for racing in triathlons. They are comfortable, don't leak, and I get a nice wide view. When racing in large groups of people, they also aren't knocked off my face as easily as some of the other pairs that I used. Generally, when I'm bumped by another swimmer that is close by, they tend to suck closer to my face. But then it feels like my eyes are about to be sucked out of the sockets. I can get a little more than 2 years of use out of a pair before the rubber starts to break down. I swim for about 2-3 times a week and can do a mile swim in about 25 mintues. This is my third pair of the Kaiman's. I've used Tyr and Speedo in the past.

I've paid high dollar for Speedo and the Finals, professional goggles, and they always fogged up and leaked. Never felt good on the eyes and weren't worth the money. I finally gave up and lived with the foggy vision and red eyes after a day of swimming. But I tried again and yup, Speedo failed me once more. Then I read the reviews here and figured $14 wasn't going to kill me if they weren't any good either. Guess what? They rock!

Finally, someone that actually swims designed a goggle. These barely (and I mean near nothing) leak, never fog, and feel very comfortable. I wore them last night for over an hour and didn't have that feeling of relief when I removed them.

One thing that immediately impressed me with these was the engineering of them. With claps that insure the band does not loosen and "tabs" to keep the extra from dangling in front of you under water, you can see that someone who actually uses these goggles made them. With no adjustable nose bridge, which is usually the number one source for leaks, I just could tell these would actually work. Kudos Aqua Sphere!

I am VERY happy with these goggles and will probably buy them for the rest of the family now.

When I received these, I loved them. They fit very comfortably and when I used them they did not leak at all. When I went underwater in my pool, I saw everything double. I tried every adjustment I could think of to correct this as nobody else seems to have this problem from the reviews I have read. Looking underwater and seeing double gave me nausea and I had to close one eye to use them. I hated to return them as they were great except for the double vision. I am ordering a different brand and see if I will have the same problems.
UPDATE... I discussed this problem with my eye doctor and he believes the problem is that my eyes are inset more than most people and this makes the goggles wrap around more and this will cause the double vision. The fit and comfort of those goggles were 5 stars so don't shy away from them just because you "may" have problems like I did. Give them a try, you can always return them.
UPDATE.... Just received Speedo goggles and no more double vision. They don't feel as comfortable as the Aqua Sphere goggles but they are also great goggles.

I am going to mention that before I had bought a pair of Barracuda Goggles for a lot more money than I paid for the Aqua Sphere Kaiman Swim Goggle (Regular, Clear Lens/Silver Frame) but it almost always leaked water while swimming. The Barracuda are softer on the frame, kind of padded, while the Aqua Sphere are a lot tighter to the point that some minor discomfort may arise from the pressure, but sure worth every moment since no more water filters inside if properly fitted. That is mostly what I wanted and exactly what I got. Allows you to swim without the inconvenience of having to remove water constantly. Which brings me to the point that is not necessarily how much money you spent that delivers the best option. I also bought their Ear Plugs and the strangest disappearance act took place between the locker room and the pool. One moment they were there the next moment: Vamoos! I agree with most reviews about these highly efficient goggles and I would gladly rate them 4.5 Stars instead of 4 but since there are no fractions allowed I will reserve 5 Star ratings for some truly amazing and perfect product. No more water inside the Goggles, thank you Aqua Sphere!

Love the goggle, very comfortable and not too expensive costing either. Only trouble I have with it is once it does get wet on the inside you really have to dry it out to see clearly underwater. The material the glasses are made of does not seem to "sheen" away the water. So you have to remember to keep the inside dry when wearing and should have no troubles.

Bought my son the cheap goggles, not knowing any better, and we thought fogging was normal, as well as the leaking. I see kids each day at practice dip their goggles in the water to prepare for class, and boy am I grateful our goggle struggles are over!

Read the reviews, bought 2 pair and they are great. Don't get the inside wet, however, and you'll do fine. No fogging, no leaks and they are extremely comfortable. I tested them out for comfort as soon as the box arrived by strapping them on my head and started doing office work...and forgot that I was wearing them!

My only disappointment is that they scratch rather easily. Also, make sure to read the care instructions and rinse them in fresh water and allow to air dry after each use.

Update 11/16/09:
Make sure these are cared for according to the directions. If left to kids, the care instructions might not be carried out properly. We ended up having to throw these away, some time ago, because they fogged up badly and began curling in and filling with water. Too bad.

These fit my son perfectly and do not leak. He has learned how to swim now and loves them. I own 2 pair myself (one with tinted lenses and one without). As long as they keep making these, I'll never buy anything else! I had a lot of trouble finding a pair of goggles that don't leak. I was beginning to think my head was just a weird shape or something. The Kaimans have not leaked. I love the 'wide angle' view you have in the water with these too. No more tunnel vision. Don't buy the more expensive goggles - these are the ones to try first!