I usually buy swim goggles in the ten-to-twenty-dollar range. Then I spend half my swim time shaking water out, rubbing at fog with my fingers and tightening them more and more until I wind up with raccoon eyes. So when I heard about THEMAGIC5 swim goggles and their promise of no water getting in, backed by a full guarantee, I began to dream of higher-class goggles.

Okay, I only dreamed for a few days before acting.  At sixty-five dollars per pair, the goggles were way pricier than any I’d ever bought. But I was sick of swimming with one eye closed until I got to the other side of the pool, or the river, depending on the season, and could continue battling with my goggles. Plus, they had a Black Friday sale going on and I had a code for 40% off. That brought the price down to under forty dollars. I was in.

As usual, the magic of the internet plays a huge part in THEMAGIC5’s scheme. Back in the old days, you would have had to go to a high-end swim shop to be fitted for custom goggles. Or maybe they didn’t exist. But nowadays all you have to do is download THEMAGIC5’s 3D face scanning app and take a couple of selfies. It took maybe two minutes to send in my order and scans.

MAGIC5 likes to build up the excitement, so they stayed in touch by email for the next two weeks as they processed my order and sent out the goggles. Then the magic day came when I received the goggles in the mail.

Trying out THEMAGIC5 swim goggles

My MAGIC5 swim goggles came in their own special carrying case, complete with drainage holes, and a short set of instructions. Key among them: don’t rub the lenses, as you’ll wear off their special antifog potion. This is a hard habit to break, as my fingers seem to do it instinctively. Also, the instructions reminded me to rinse the goggles with clean water after swimming in a pool or saltwater.

The straps are probably the weirdest thing to get used to. THEMAGIC5 goggles have two thin straps instead of one thicker one, and you don’t tighten them nearly as much as with usual goggles. Not having to tighten them much is a wonderful thing, as I don’t feel like the goggles are trying to suction my eyes from their sockets, nor do I wind up with giant indentations. But I’m still getting the hang of tightening the straps just enough and arranging them on the back of my head. A little too loose, and water gets in. Just right, and the magic works—no water in the goggles, and comfortable enough to pretty much forget them. Which is a first, in my experience.

The antifog is pretty good, but not perfect. I still have some fogging issues with them.

THEMAGIC5 swim goggles choices

I wasn’t sure which type of THEMAGIC5 swim goggles to choose, so I went with the top seller, blue magic mirror gold. Just like they sound, these mirrored goggles look blue and gold and will work for indoor or outdoor swimming. Quite pretty. Other choices include smoke magic (gray), blue magic, clear magic, black magic mirror silver and right now a limited edition purple mirror gold. I just bought the one pair, but you can save a few bucks if you buy them in bundles. Granted, they’re still pricey, but for example right now the three-pair winter bundle is on sale for $130, bringing the price down to $43 per pair.

Unfortunately, THEMAGIC5 doesn’t offer prescription lenses. Its website hints this may change in the future, and it really should.

Assessment

I’m happy with my THEMAGIC5 investment. Not having to fight with my goggles while swimming is a huge relief. I’ve only tried them in the pool so far, but goggle failure is even more of an issue in open water, where it’s harder to stop and adjust them. I’m looking forward to fewer goggle hassles come summer.