Shayne has been reviewing for Trivelo for many years and always has some great insight from his vast experience competing in triathlon. This week he shares his review of the TYR Tracer-X Elite Goggles. Worth considering for you next “A” race? Part of our ultimate swimming goggles comparison.
Summary of TYR Tracer-X Elite Review
Trivelo Score – 3.5 / 5
They’re not the most comfortable goggles on the market in my opinion, but they are better than most at long swims. There are bespoke fit options on the market that would be a similar price point, If comfort is what you’re after.
Overall, these are now my new preferred goggles, largely due to the visibility aspect and the clarity of vision. Most racing I do is early in the morning, where the sun is low, so good clarity of vision and good protection from the suns glare are really important. Nothing will make you slower over your swim leg than not being able to navigate and see properly ergo swimming further than you need to.
Pros
- Lens is fantastically clear, absolutely first class.
- Comfortable to wear, note once you have adjusted them properly
Cons
- With a range of fitting options getting the right fit can take time to achieve.
Introduction to TYR
Well, fun fact, Tyr is actually the Norse God of war, and probably a nod to Tyr’s pursuit of winning competitions in the water. .
In a swimming perspective TYR Sport was established in 1985 to provide the competitive swim market with new, innovative technical swimwear. Since its inception, TYR has grown to exist as one of the world’s most recognizable swimming and fitness brands. They sponsor some of the worlds most recogniseable swimmers and are a brand that will feature prominently at the Olympics in the pool.
Here’s what they have to say about the TYR Tracer Elite goggle:
Engineered for elite level male and female swimmers, all Tracer-X goggles are packed with a range of state-of-the-art features including a sculpted ultra-low profile lens, five removable nosebridge size options and HD lenses with anti-fog coating. In addition, every pair is equipped with Durafit liquid silicone gaskets that provide an ultra-comfortable, deep inner-eye fit and water-tight seal. Plus, with 180′ wide peripheral range, the Tracer-X Elite promises a clear, extensive field of vision. With an ultra-low profile, the unique shape of the stability side rails provides maximum durability and increased hydrodynamics.
First Impressions
TYR tracer lenses are exceptional, but they wont be if you throw your goggles into your bag and scratch them. When you open the packaging you are welcoming by a number of extras. A case being a useful starter. There’s a range of nose piece sizes to fit the goggles over your nose accurately. A free cap – always useful.
Instructions to Fit the Goggles Comfortably
Pay attention to this. Particularly if you’ve changed from a different brand. This will help you to speed up the process of getting the goggles to fit well, minimise leakage and ensure that you can wear them for long periods.
Fit in the Water – Overall Comfort
So the comfort of Tyr Tracer Googles is great…. After many weeks of tweaking, the fit is now comfortable enough for an hour or more. The tweaking has come from me having a fairly large head, so it took a while to get the tightness / nose fit and elastic position just right.
Once I found the sweetspot, they’re great. The goggles come with a range of nose pieces to accommodate different shape noses, but also differing gaps between the eyes. There are dramatic differences between the size of the nose pieces and therefore the fit – you’ll know that you’ve got it wrong either through extreme leakage of a lack of comfort.
They are low profile, meaning that they don’t have a lot of height over the eye, I have long eye lashes and have had no issues with the profile of these goggles making swimming uncomfortable.
Read Annettes review of the TYR Stealth-X goggles and how they compare to the Tracer-X Elite.
Visibility
This is where the TYR tracer absolutely excels in my opinion, probably the best I’ve ever worn. The lens is fantastically clear – I’ve not experienced a more clear lens in only prescription glasses. The clarity and detail of what you’re looking at is fantastic, which sounds like a moot point when you’re looking at the bottom of a pool, however when you’re sighting a buoy a few hundred metres away or a landmark in the distance, then this is a really important factor to consider. The visibility in the sun, or protection garnered from the UV coating is also great.
The shape of the goggle also aids peripheral vision, why is this important you may ask. Well needing to glimpse to competitors that maybe either side of you means you can do this with less head movement. More head movement = less efficiency and speed in the water. This is also really useful if your using objects to the side of you to sight from, instead of infront.
Anti-Fog Durability
They come with the usual anti fog and anti-glare coating that we’d expect from a high end and elite pair of goggles. Which also helps outdoor swimming on those cold mornings, and when in the pool.
Speed
For most athletes, that aren’t looking at fractions of a second deciding races this is probably the least important aspect of a goggle and tricky to test. There are far more things about swimming that impact speed, far more greatly than goggle profile and hydrodynamics – for most of us. However, if its speed you’re after then these goggles have particular shaping that allows water to pass more freely around the eye and a range of hydrodynamic tech to ensure that drag is minimal. No doubt you’ll see a few pairs floating around at the Olympics.
Extras with the Goggles
Importantly there is a reuseable case. This is a key method of maintaining antifog, but also a scratch free lens.
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