For runners and cyclists, the tech to track every element of your run or ride is endless, but until now, swimmers have been largely left behind. Sure, we’ve seen brands like FORM release smart goggles that display your data in front of your eyes as you swim, but most swimmers still rely on their smartwatches.
The simplicity of swimming has always been something that draws me to the sport — it’s just me and a pair of goggles. My time in the water is truly one of the only hours of my life free from the constant notifications on my phone, and I like it this way. Sure, I’ve always got a Garmin or Apple Watch on my wrist, but with my phone far away in the locker, I won’t see any notifications anyway.
For this reason, when Speedo floated the idea of testing smart goggles my way, I was hesitant. Yet Speedo has done what other brands haven’t — they’ve completely hidden the tech in the water; instead, you’ll get all the insights into your performance, but not till you’re on dry land. I’ve been swimming with the Speedo iQ Vanquisher 3.0 goggles — read on to find out more.
These goggles are designed to hone your technique
I’ve not had a swimming coach since I was in high school, so it’s no surprise my technique needs work, but let's take a step back before diving into my data. Out of the box, the goggles look like the standard Vanquisher goggles I’ve swum with for decades, yet these have an on-off button and a magnetic charging port. It sounds obvious, but the charging cable shouldn’t get wet.
Once charged and connected to your phone via Bluetooth, you can sync your swims to the Speedo iQ app once you get out of the water. You simply need to remember to turn your goggles on before you start swimming and off when you get out of the pool.
I’m used to, as a runner, looking at my pace, distance, and cadence when I get out of the pool. I don’t really know what to look for when it comes to swimming, but the app made it obvious.
One of the main areas of focus is head playback, allowing you to watch your head position as you swim — mine was dramatically out of range in front crawl, giving me a lot to work on. Things were slightly more positive during breaststroke, but I definitely need to remember to tuck my chin toward my chest, keeping my neck straight.
The goggles track all four strokes, capturing data on pace, distance, breathing, head position and turn performance. In the app, you can dive into this data and see your trends over time.
They’re not just for training
If you are serious about swimming, the app gives you a wealth of information to share with your coach when you get out of the water, but these goggles aren’t just for training. Speedo iQ has been approved by World Aquatics for competition use, meaning swimmers can train and race in the goggles.
For the best of the best, this deep analysis can help make all the difference to performance.
The experience was seamless
I was impressed with how easy these goggles were to use, both in and out of the water. The goggles fully charge in 90 minutes and have four hours of battery life, meaning, for me, they’ll last multiple swims between charges.
To start recording, press the button for two seconds, and you’ll see a blinking green light. When you finish, press the button again and the light will go from green to blue, indicating the goggles are ready to connect to the app.
If there’s been no activity for two minutes, the goggles will automatically turn off to save battery life, so you don’t need to worry about leaving them turned on in your swim bag.
As mentioned above, when swimming, I completely forgot I was even wearing smart goggles, allowing me to focus on my swim distraction-free. The Vanquish 3.0 goggles cost $189/£149 and are available now for anyone who wants to unlock a world of underwater data.
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