Review: Form Smart Swim 2 LT Goggles

Form Goggles are like the Meta Glasses of the water. While they're not as well known, and don't have cameras or speakers, they're the blueprint for smart eyewear for swimmers.

I’ve been following the Form story since I met cofounder Dan Eisenhart and he handed over the first version to try. I loved them and still use them to this day. One glaring problem for Form was and still is the price. The first pair launched for $199. Newer models have jumped to $250. In comparison, a premium pair of Speedo goggles costs around $50 to $80.

At $149, the Smart Swim 2 LT Goggles are Form’s most affordable pair of connected swim goggles. They're still not cheap, but the price is certainly a step in the right direction. There are some compromises to hardware that come with the lower price tag, but they're probably not deal-breakers for most swimmers. What might be is the fact you still need to spend more on a subscription to get the most complete Form experience.

Pulling Out the Heart

Photograph: Michael Sawh

I’ve worn every version of Form’s goggles, and the Smart Swim 2 LT is pretty much identical in terms of look and feel, barring a couple of differences. They’re still not as lightweight as a regular pair of swimming goggles, but the added heft isn't the sort that makes a huge difference when you get into the water with them. They come with additional nose guards so you can improve the seal around the goggles lenses.

One of the hardware casualties is the heart rate monitor, which is included on Form’s more expensive goggles. You can still monitor heart rate, but you’ll need to pair an external heart rate monitor via Bluetooth. Ideally, you'd do that with one like the Polar Verity Sense, which can be clipped to the goggles, reducing the transmission distance and making the data more reliable.

Photograph: Michael Sawh

Photograph: Michael Sawh

You also miss out on the Gorilla Glass featured on Form’s Smart Swim 2 Pro Goggles. This provides a stronger layer of scratch resistance on the lenses. If you’re mainly sticking to pool swims, and always use the protective case after you swim, you can probably live without that extra protection.

The same display technology is used to present real-time swim metrics and other data to one side of the lenses. It uses waveguide optics, which essentially work by transporting light to the built-in display to generate a dot-matrix-style interface. The simplistic nature of the interface helps ensure you’re not overwhelmed by your stats or Form’s available workouts being projected in your eye line. I’ve tested other swimming goggles with built-in displays like the FINIS Smart Goggles (which have been discontinued). Form's interface is the best example of how to build a non-distracting display into a pair of swimming goggles.

Same Great Swim Tracking

ScreenshotForm app via Michael Sawh

ScreenshotForm app via Michael Sawh

Form's swim tracking is on par with a host of smartwatches and sports watches. I’ve worn their goggles alongside the Apple Watch and several Garmin watches. Apple and Garmin offer some of the strongest swim tracking support, and the Smart Swim 2 LT can recognize swim strokes and capture lap counts and distance covered just as accurately. It’s the same story for battery life. The quoted 14-hour battery life allowed me to easily log 30-minute sessions three or four times a week, for multiple weeks, without having to worry about charging.

If you’re planning to use these goggles for open-water swims, your data is pared back. You can see how much distance you’ve covered or view metrics like stroke rate. You can capture more accurate distance tracking and see data like pacing if you already own an Apple Watch or a Garmin watch. That will send the information from the watch to the heads-up display.

One open-water feature you’re free to access is SwimStraight. This was previously hidden behind Form’s Premium subscription. It lets you use the built-in compass sensor to swim in a straight line. It works really well once you’ve performed the awkward calibration dance to set up the compass first.

Photograph: Michael Sawh

That premium subscription mainly gives you access to Form’s suite of training and workout features. That subscription cost starts at $9.99 a month with the option to pay $99 up front for a year’s access. This gives you the added ability to create custom workouts or select from preset ones to add structure to your swimming time. There’s also HeadCoach, which I’d say is the most compelling reason to get a subscription.

HeadCoach works by scoring swims and then recommending workouts based on performance. It also suggests drills to improve your swimming technique. In the goggles, this feature looks like a video game from the '80s. It recommended that I do a drill to work on my head pitch. This meant my head and shoulders were sinking too much in the water, causing drag. On the screen I could see a dot (my head) bobbing above and below a line, and I focused on keeping the dot from dropping too low. The drill was simple yet very effective. In my opinion, this is Form’s secret sauce.

I don't need anymore convincing that what Form has come up with for swimmers is genuinely great. I’ve recommended their goggles to fellow swimmers and anyone who wants to see what a truly innovative wearable looks like.

The Smart Swim 2 LT offers a more affordable way to try Form's innovative features—it's the version of their goggles I’d choose to buy. Unfortunately, the fact that you still need to pay for a subscription to access the training and coaching features means these goggles are still going to be out of reach for a lot of swimmers. If you can swing the investment, these are an effective way to track your pool and open-water swims, visualize metrics and skills, and improve your form.