I have a love-hate relationship with goggles. As an avid swimmer and triathlete they are a necessary evil. With deep set eyes, I have trouble finding goggles that maintain a seal. Add in the fact that I am cheap and finding the perfect pair can be down right impossible.
During a trip to Running Free in Markham last spring, the staff convinced me to try on the Sable 101 competitive mirrored goggles. Lo and behold, they actually fit! They certainly aren’t cheap and I was hesitant to whip out the credit card but I bit the bullet. Since then, I have also obtained the Sable 101 tinted regular goggles and have used both pairs for four triathlons, countless open water swims and during my bi-weekly master swim classes.
Overall, these are pretty good goggles and I have made the following observations:
- They have a wide and crystal clear field of vision, which certainly helps when sighting during open water swims and finding spare change on the bottom of the local pool.
- They provide a firm fit even with my hard to fit face. The interchangeable nose pieces certainly help customize it and I have yet to suffer flooded eye lenses in practice or a race. Since I sometimes wear contacts, this is an important quality. However, occasionally if the head straps are too tight the strong suction to my face results in long lasting face marks (raccoon eyes) and a slight headache.
- After about the first couple months, fogging up became an issue, especially with a large temperature differential between the water and air. A little spit on the lenses provided temporary relief but I think better care and maintenance ((keeping them clean and dry after use) on my part and some anti-fog solution or baby shampoo might help.
- It is important to ensure that the lenses as well as the gaskets are properly seated before putting them on. If not, then they will certainly leak and quite possibly, the lens may even pop out. Although this has happened to me while putting them on, it hasn’t occurred during a race, even in those instances when the goggles were knocked off my face.
- In terms of the differences between the mirrored and the tinted goggles, my personal preference is the tinted, even in bright sunlight. I find the mirrored finish almost too dark and the slightly lower price point makes the tinted goggles even more attractive.
