Swedish goggles

A picture of various pairs of "swedish" style goggles. Note the different nose pieces and the lack of a traditional seal around the eye.

Swedish goggles are a classic and popular type of swimming goggles worn by many competitive swimmers. They are the most popular goggle among elite swimmers. The original Swedish goggles were produced by the Swedish company Malmsten AB and were first designed in the 1970s. Swedish goggles influenced many other goggle designs and generic Swedish goggles are widely available. Malmsten claims that Swedish goggles are "probably the worlds most copied swim goggles."

Swedish goggles are notable for a lack of a gasket or seal around the eye cup, as found on most other goggles. They come in various colors including clear, black, blue, green, red, amber, pink, silver metallic and bronze metallic. Swedish goggles are relatively low cost, with basic goggles costing around $5 retail and metallic goggle costing around $15.

Much of the popularity of Swedish goggles is due to their customizable fit. The goggles are sold unassembled, with each goggle set including a pair of eye cups, one long (around 36") latex rubber strip, and a nose piece consisting of string that fits inside a plastic or rubber tube. Swimmers may choose a single or double head strap, and some choose to cut a small piece of latex from the head strap for use as a nose piece. Malmsten's official assembly instructions can be found at http://www.m-malmsten.se/produktblad/swedishassembly.pdf