Aqua Sphere K180+ Safety Goggles

No doubt there will always those who swear that Swedish goggles are the only way to go, but for most of us, those little suckers hurt. It's a simple biomechanical fact: the orbit of the skull is not perfectly round. So why an oval goggle (or in the case of a pair of "Swedes," a tiny, nearly circular lens) that either shoves inside the orbital or fits onto the eye socket's edges? And how can the same oval lens flipped upside down fit the other eye with comfort and without leaking? Enter the new K180, available in a variety of tinted and clear lens options. For the first time, Aqua Sphere-a brand known for being big-goes small. Super small, actually, and beyond delivering a remarkable viewing experience that puts your Swedes to shame, the K180 also brings comfort you wouldn't expect in a goggle. The increased viewing area (think wide-screen versus standard format) comes from the Italian company's past experience. Aqua Sphere earned its name years ago by creating the first curved (rather than flat) lens on its Seal mask. Scaled down in the K180, the benefits for open-water swimming are the same as we've experienced in the Seal: unbeatable peripheral vision (close to 180 degrees from side to side, hence the name) and less goggle claustrophobia. The K180 has an adjustable bridge with three size options, and two separate gasket options (and thus two models): the K180 has a folded silicone gasket, while the K180+ has super-soft micro-gasket, built less for comfort and more for minimalist performance. Both models have specific left and right lenses, using a nearly teardrop shape for an anatomical fit free of leaks or hot spots. They're a great option for those who are looking for just the basics but don't like the feeling of hard plastic pressed into their eye sockets.