Over the past few months Trivelo associates across the globe have been reviewing stacks swim goggles. We have over 20 pairs being tested as I write this post. I decided to take on some of the reviews myself as I am doing a lot of swimming at the moment and can dedicate some time to this. I’m swimming up to 5 times a week as I prepare for a 12 hour night endurance swim so plenty of scope to test the Roka R1 goggles.
Summary of Roka R1 goggles review
Trivelo Score – 4 / 5
I have used a range of different swim goggles but never Roka before. What was I thinking before. Roka goggles are superb. I have to accept I am late to the party. Good fit. Look good. Great seal that is reliable. Decent anti-fog up to a point but not infinitely working. Good visibility and clarity of lens.
Pros
- Look awesome
- Clear lenses for great visibility with tinting
- Effective seal meaning you don’t need them super tight
Cons
- Anti-fog lenses have medium length lifespan before fogging up
First Impressions
First impressions are a simple box. Bit old school. Cardboard with a plastic sleeve. No big environmental prizes being awarded to Roka for saving the planet but works fine. Getting them out of the box and feeling the goggles no complaints. Lightweight and rubber seal and strap all feel good. Solid first experience with the Roka R1.
Fit in the water – overall comfort
Swimming in the Roka R1 is a great experience. The tinting of the lenses is subtle but effective even on an overcast day. I’m yet to use them in the dark but in sunny environments and using them on a rubbish weather day the tinting works well.
Peripheral vision is good, able to see around without much effort. I dind’t actually need to adjust the strap for my head with it about right from the off. No issues with leakage or adjustments needed. Feel good and a good option even for a long swim.
Seal of the goggles
Awesome. No leaks. Not needing to have the goggles ridiculously tight. They are a small sized goggle in terms of real estate on your face but no issues on the seal working well.
Anti-fog durability
Really impressed with the anti-fog on the Roka R1. Using them in swim sessions up to a couple of hours they worked well. Some fogging on first use where I didn’t flush them with water but soon as flushed they were spot on. Some progressive build up as my body temperature raised but over using for a number of sessions consistent anti-fog capabilities.
The anti-fog after around 20 hours swimming wears off and results in them fogging at around 15 mins plus. That is swimming at high intensity and generating a lot of body heat that is hard for goggles to manage.
For some fully featured tech goggles read our review of the Form Smart Swim 2 goggles with head up display functionality.
Quality of materials
The goggles feel and look awesome. High quality and a product I was happy to wear in the pool. The strap is relatively thin which is in keeping with the goggles overall design being for speed. Using for training or shorter races they are a good option.
Extras with the goggles
Nothing extra with the Roka R1. Just the goggles ready for you to hit the pool.
Would I buy these?
I would buy these and will likely replace my pair with another pair when they degrade. Big fan of the goggles and swimming in them.
Video Review of the Roka R1 Goggles
Hear me speak about the Roka R1s and their strengths on our YouTube channel.
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