Swimfreak markets the BeachChrome as something of a ‘do everything’ goggle. And from testing, I’d say that’s about right. They’re somewhat larger than the usual style of swimming goggle that I go for, but I did find them comfortable with great vision. I tested the ‘black’ version which comes with a grey smoked/mirrored lens.
While the large transparent lens goes right round the eyes (unlike my normal goggles, which tend to have a narrow lens and then an opaque moulding around that), the amount of light coming into the goggles is noticeably increased, which made swimming at night in artificially-lit pools more pleasant. I was also very impressed with the anti-fog coating, which has lasted well throughout my month of testing (I’m notorious for killing anti-fog treatments!) and really appreciated the clarity of the lenses both when underwater and when taking rests / checking Garmin etc. Unlike other goggles where I have to lift them off my eyes to be able to check splits, I could read my watch perfectly well, as well as see the clock at the far end of the pool.
Comfort wise, although the larger eyepieces felt a bit alien at first, the goggles are fine for longer swims. Adjusting the headband is easy and the silicon around the eyecups is soft. I did have a little leakage once or twice, but that was easily fixed with a small band adjustment. I have to admit I have not tried diving with them yet.
While these would not be my normal choice for pool swims, they actually work perfectly well and don’t look too big once on. It’s a little early in the year (March as I write) for open water swimming, but I can definitely see the wider field of vision offered by these googles being a benefit when swimming open water in the lake or sea.
It’s a nice touch that the goggles also come with a decent hard case, spares and even a set of ear plugs.
Overall I think that, for the money, these are an excellent choice and unless you’re really worried about that extra 0.001% drag in the water, you won’t be disappointed.
Price: £22.99 (UK)
For more information visit: https://www.swimfreak.co.uk/
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