TYR Special Ops 2.0 Polarized Goggles Black One Size

Why it's worth it

The Special Ops 2.0 is built for swimmers who spend their sessions under the sun. Polarized lenses cut the glare coming off the surface, which matters when you're sighting a buoy in open water or trying to find a lane line in an outdoor pool at noon.

Glare off water isn't like glare off a road. It comes at you horizontally, right where you're looking when you lift your head to sight, and it turns a swim buoy into a white smear. TYR specifies that the polarized lens filters out 99.9% of that surface reflection. If you train outdoors or do open-water work, that's the single biggest comfort upgrade available in a goggle — you stop finishing sessions with tired eyes.

The one-piece frame is the other reason triathletes keep buying these. There's no separate nose bridge to pop loose mid-set and no hinge to work itself out of adjustment. Owners who've gone through many pairs describe the same experience: they don't leak, and they don't need fussing with once you've set the strap. The Durafit silicone gaskets are soft enough that most people don't come out of the water with deep rings around their eyes.

From our review of 10 swimming gear and pool accessories, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +Glare off water isn't like glare off a road
• +The one-piece frame is the other reason triathletes keep buying these
• +The peripheral view is wide for a goggle this close to the face, which is what you want when you're swimming with other people…
• +For an indoor swimmer, none of this argues for these over the Vanquisher, and the tint actively works against you

What to know

• –Polarized and dark lenses are wrong for indoor pools
• –Side clips are the weak spot
• –The embedded anti-fog is inconsistent