The FINIS Smart Goggles don’t reinvent any wheel as a fitness tracker. But its device sticks to simplicity and offers reliable data for swimmers to improve. Swimmers might keep the FINIS Smart Goggles handy for years, as long as they don’t think about a few missed opportunities with its display.
My review of the goggles gave me an opportunity to hit the pool again. Here’s where the FINIS Smart Goggle provides a nice incentive for swimmers curious about their performance. As someone who hasn’t swum in years, it was fun to jump back in with a brand-new lens. The goggles were enough to pull me back into the fast lane, while its easily laid-out data after a swim encouraged me to visit my local pool again. In my active lifestyle filled with VR, reviewing other lifestyle gadgets, and running, the FINIS Smart Goggles felt like a neat addition.
This is a special effect the FINIS Smart Goggle introduces for new swimmers in 2022. As more sporting activities turn into data, Finis neatly throws in a heads-up assistant which doesn’t overwhelm swimmers. Its own hi-tech screen reels back on flashier features from competitors like FORM Smart Swim. Despite Finis playing it safe, users can appreciate paying attention to data which matters (and nothing more).
As a goggle first, swimmers can appreciate the FINIS Smart Goggles’ fit. It’s comfortably shaped with lightweight rubber. Its frames are eloquently shaped for a one-size-fits all approach. The goggles fit me like a glove after some easy strap adjustments and I managed to keep them on for hours without any pressure. The added comfort comes from the FINIS Smart Goggles’ wide padding around the eyes. As a result, users can find a natural fit which actually rests on the cheekbones. It’s a nice consideration as Finis takes an extra measure to (mostly) keep a tight seal.
That goes without saying the goggles feel more like a tool than an accessory at public pools. It’s also worth noting the FINIS Smart Goggles sport a casual design without any added bulk from a HUD device. As far as fitness devices are shown, swimmers get a traditional and sleek design which doesn’t have anything to prove.
“It’s also worth noting the FINIS Smart Goggles sport a casual design without any added bulk from a HUD device.”
Sadly, the FINIS Smart Goggle doesn’t escape some pet peeves of swimwear before. Water still managed to trickle in each lens if I blinked hard enough. The seal doesn’t exactly keep up with my constant breathing and face movements, which can shift its fit. Once the seal breaks, fogging takes over my HUD and visibility. On the first wear, I barely had any of these problems come up. That’s assuming if you’re a swimmer who never removes their goggles at the start. But with a clean and tight fit, the FINIS Smart Goggles are crystal clear to see through. So much that users can see tiny bubbles on their hands and the end of a 25-metre lane.
The FINIS Smart Goggles truly shine with its own tracker. It’s a tiny nugget which sits inside the goggles. The tracker is big enough for users to see live data while swimming. But also, small enough for swimmers to see everything as they would. In other words, the FINIS Smart Goggles are surprisingly not a distraction when compared to regular ones. Unlike competitors, Finis’ own version sticks to mechanical parts. A small bubble displays an easy-to-read screen. The display simply shows your lap and a stopwatch timer. Finis’ uses a less exciting white-on-black text presentation that simply works. Users expecting a hi-tech light show might be disappointed. But it’s a no-frills display swimmers can count on as they’re moving.
The tracker only has one button integrated with its goggles. One simple press triggers a “start lap” message. I enjoyed having the option to count individual laps or full sets. This came with a choice of pressing the button as much as I wanted. Swimmers might have to remember pushing the button, since Finis’ goggles don’t feature an auto start. In a neat bonus, swimmers accidentally pressing the button won’t be tracked.
Users can choose to view three different modes: Laps, Time, and Sets. All three are similar and still show a stopwatch. Laps simply count how many swimmers do. Time only shows the stopwatch and nothing else. Sets show a clock, scored time and the laps achieved during a rest. Without an extensive list of features, the FINIS Smart Goggles don’t exactly tailor to swimmers according to their goals. Here’s where the tracker feels a bit too bare-bones by singling out features in each of its modes. There are a number of missed opportunities, which include making custom displays or a speedometer. I would have liked to see the display make more use of its space during laps instead of saving it for rests.
“But with a clean and tight fit, the FINIS Smart Goggles are crystal clear to see through.”
The tracker itself is phenomenal. Its timer adequately calculates my pace in each lap. The FINIS Smart Goggles also know exactly when I stop to change laps. Staying in one spot for too long triggers its Rest mode, which recounts times for each lap. Tracking resumes once I started moving again. I expected nothing less out of the tracker, which helped me maintain a speed. I’ll admit to having more fun as the live data turned my swim into a time attack game of sorts. But athletes and professional swimmers can look to the FINIS Smart Goggles for simple performance pointers.
Finis understands most swimmers are concentrated on their laps, so I can’t dock marks for the HUD being too bare-bones. But this also kept the information from getting too distracting. Instead, the full data is reserved for its Ciye fitness app. There is a strong integration between the tracker and its app. The Ciye app might feel like another thing to tap, until users start to discover just how fun and easy navigation is. A Pools page lets users add their community centres and facility details. Pool distance and units help the tracker effectively measure laps. This smartly played into the FINIS Smart Goggles’ ability to tell different locations apart. If swimmers choose to swim somewhere else, the Ciye app and goggles keep up without a problem. All data is stored with a Ciye account, which makes it easy to pass the FINIS Smart Goggles around to other users. Everything here just works as expected, with plenty of room to grow through new features.
As long as users keep their Bluetooth on, setting up the FINIS Smart Goggles is a breeze. The Ciye app does a wonderful job of automatically taking care of things. Then asking users to add their first pool. The FINIS Smart Goggles are instantly ready to use just as soon as swimmers dip into the pool. New users can grow to appreciate Finis tailoring data for each pool. At my local 25 m pool, the FINIS Smart Goggles laid out my pace, rest, and respective times in a chart. Neat bonuses come with kcal burned and learning how fast you could cover 100 m. Somehow, the FINIS Smart Goggles knew what strokes I performed in each lap. This isn’t limited to freestyle, breaststrokes, backstrokes and the butterfly.
Battery life for the FINIS Smart Goggles isn’t an issue for years to come. Its waterproof tracker sports a magnetic charger. The goggles can fully top off in under 45 minutes. In return, users get over a week’s worth of power. It’s worth noting I only burned five percent of a charge in my first swim. Then I saw a ten percent drain on standby over the week.
Long-term users for the FINIS Smart Goggles will also be treated to software support. According to Finis, the Ciye app will also come with more features on the way. This includes a recently added stroke rate on the HUD. The Ciye app also adds in achievements for covering distances, pool visits and hours – all things which make the activity more exciting than ever. The FINIS Smart Goggles add a new way to swim through its data. Experienced swimmers might be surprised at how much they’ll be paying attention to their performance. Novice or new swimmers might have a refreshing and modern way to hit the pool.
