The Days Before Goggles
Before giving you my opinion on whether or not I think that the Aqua Sphere Seal goggles are the best kids swimming goggles on the market today, I ought to first give you a short explanation of how I came to buy them for my twin boys when they were aged about 3 years.
Like most parents, we introduced our kids to the joys of swimming at a very early age. They were about 4 months old when we enrolled them in their first “Waterbabies” classes and at that stage they didn’t need or want eye goggles. They were perfectly happy and comfortable diving around underwater with their eyes open – we even have some great professional photographs taken of our twins (aged about 18 months) side-by-side underwater with their eyes wide open and bubbles flowing out of their mouths. It truly is remarkable how very young children can so easily develop a natural affinity with the water if they are introduced to it at an early enough stage.
However, fast forward 3-4 years, and their attitude to goggles has changed dramatically. For some reason, they were no longer content to go “au natural” in the swimming eyewear department and demanded goggles before daring to put their faces into the water for any length of time! I don’t know why this happened, but my observations of other similarly aged children leads me to the conclusion that they are not unique – in fact this desire for goggles at the age of 3/4 years seem to be very common indeed.
The Quest for the Best Kids Swimming Goggles
This title is misleading to the extent that our early efforts to find the twins a pair of goggles was no quest at all. We simply popped into the nearest sports shop and bought a very cheap pair of standard looking kids goggles. I was aware of the fact that they didn’t look very comfortable, but that basic type was good enough for me when I was a kid and I was hopeful that they would just get used to the discomfort of wearing them and the big red ring marks that they would inevitably leave behind around the eye area. They cost about £5/$8 and off we went to try them out (see image on the right for the sort of thing I mean).
Of course, these basic goggles were a disaster and ended up being a complete waste of time and money. They were very difficult to adjust since I had to disassemble the strap from the plastic loop almost entirely before guessing how much tighter or looser they needed to be each and every time we went swimming – and I never quite managed to get it right. The kids moaned and cried about how uncomfortable they were and I grew increasingly frustrated. The kids were so upset with them that they preferred to go without them even though this meant that they would not submerge their heads in the proper manner.
I had no idea at that stage that there was a better alternative until I saw another kid happily wearing a pair of very funky looking goggles that looked like a hybrid between normal googles and a diver’s mask. So, I asked the parents about them and was enthusiastically told that they were a pair of Aqua Sphere Seal Kids Goggles.
Not only did they look great, but the child wearing the Aqua Sphere goggles seemed to love them. This was more than enough evidence for me and so I found them on Amazon and ordered a pair that very same day.
My Experience with the Aqua Sphere Seal Kids Swimming Goggles
I have absolutely no complaints about these goggles whatsoever!
They are so simple to adjust – you simply push the little buttons on the side of the eyepieces to loosen the strap and simply pull the loose strap ends when the goggles are being worn to tighten them.
The goggles themselves are made of a very flexible rubber/plastic material that means that they mould comfortably around the contours of your child’s face – you get a very snug watertight fit without any discomfort at all. What’s more, the wrap-around feature means that your child gets an excellent field of vision when they are underwater.
One of the biggest problems with the standard type of kids goggles is that they let in water and fog-up very quickly. If adjusted correctly, they Aqua Sphere goggles are watertight and never fog-up at all.
We have had them for over a year now and there are no significant signs of wear and tear. The eye parts are not scratched and the adjustment mechanism works as well as it did when we first bought them. It helps that they are supplied in a hard case so that they can be protected when not in use rather than simply thrown into a bag with the rest of their swimming gear.
The Specifications
- Exceptional comfort – silicone skirt contours to the face providing a comfortable, water tight fit
- Quick-adjust silicone strap.
- 100% UVA and UVB protection in strong Plexisol  lens.
- 180 degree, virtually distortion-free field of vision.
- Seal Kid swim masks with clear lenses are designed to provide the greatest visibility indoors or in low light.
Watch this Short Aqua Sphere Seal Review Video
The Price
They are more expensive that the standard goggles, but they are worth every penny (and more!) in my opinion.
In the US, they cost around $18-25 (depending upon which color you choose).
In the UK, they cost around £11-13 (depending upon which colour you choose).
The Funky Options
Although you can find some extra funky options here, the basic options are blue, pink, clear and green.
The Verdict
As you have probably guessed by now, I am a big fan of these goggles and I have not seen any others that come close to them in terms of functionality and comfort.
I highly recommend them as the best kids swimming goggles on the market today.
Where to Buy the Aqua Sphere Seal Goggles
I bought them on Amazon and I have not found them on sale anywhere cheaper.
Further Information
If you are still undecided, you can click here to read some more excellent User Reviews.
I would love to hear from you if you have any feedback or questions about the Aqua Sphere Seal Kids Goggles. Just leave a comment in the box below or send an email to kristian@kidsafetyfirst.com
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