Main points
- Form’s Smart Swim 2 goggles display swimming metrics in real time for enhanced performance monitoring.
- The wearable features a smaller, temple-based heart rate sensor that provides comfortable and accurate data underwater.
- The SwimStraight feature helps open water swimmers enhance uninterrupted directional guidance.
While there are many waterproof smartwatches suitable for swimming, they may not always be the most practical option. They are especially useless for keeping an eye on your performance metrics while actively swimming. Imagine trying to check your stats while doing the backstroke. That’s where Smart Swim 2 comes in. These innovative swimming goggles feature a built-in display, allowing you to view your statistics without interrupting your swim.
Form launched the first version of Smart Swim in 2019 and has now announced the second version, simply called Smart Swim 2. Both versions feature an array of sensors and a built-in heads-up display in the right lens so you can see real-time data as you swim.
Like the first version, the Smart Swim 2 has a small box on the side of the goggles that houses the sensors and components. Form calls it a “technology pack,” which includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, and barometer. The technical bags on the Smart Swim 2 are 15% smaller than their predecessors, which will make them more comfortable to wear and more hydrodynamic. Keep in mind that they still lack any form of GPS, so you’ll need to pair them with a compatible Apple or Garmin watch if you want to see distance and pace information.
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These wearables will track metrics such as swim distance, pace, stroke count, SWOLF and underwater heart rate.
One of the most important upgrades to the Smart Swim 2 is the integrated temple-based heart rate sensor. Getting accurate heart rate data in the water is tricky. Wrist-based devices often don’t work very well, and even chest straps can have problems. Plus, fussing around on another device can be annoying. Form guarantees reliable and accurate measurements, it will be interesting to see how this turns out. It does reduce battery life compared to the original version (down from 16 hours to 12 hours), but that shouldn’t be an issue for most people. Having heart rate data displayed directly in the goggles might be more advantageous than the four hours of battery life.
Form also prioritized comfort and fit with the Smart Swim 2. It introduces a new proprietary eye seal developed to fit a wider range of facial structures. The longer temple design ensures better head stability thanks to new attachment points for the goggle strap. To accommodate different face shapes, the goggles feature five arched nose bridges to ensure everyone is comfortable and safe.
Not just for pool swimmers
Another new feature of Smart Swim 2 is SwimStraight. The new feature is a digital compass designed to aid open water swimmers. As you swim, it provides real-time directional heading inside the goggles to help you stay on course. It should allow swimmers to determine direction without having to stop. Instead, they simply need to maintain a consistent heading while looking into the goggles. The feature will trickle down to Smart Swim 1 as well, as long as you pay for a premium app subscription.
Aside from these physical changes, a lot remains the same with the Smart Swim 2 goggles. They still have the same display, with a 72 x 40 display resolution and a two-button user interface. You can still choose between pool, open water or swim, and you can choose the length of the pool from a list of standard options.
There are over 1,500 pre-built workouts, or you can build your own or import a training plan from TrainingPeaks. The Form Smart Swim 2 goggles (and all their features) are race approved by World Triathlon, USA Triathlon, the Professional Triathlon Organization (PTO) and Supertri, which is critical for some athletes.
Originally announced in October 2023, Form also updated its HeadCoach digital coaching technology. Form says the feature provides “real-time access to technical awareness, focused skill development (head coach skills), and in-app education and analytics right in the goggles.”
For example, it can analyze the pitch and roll of your head, or how quickly you turn your head to one side to breathe. It then rates you based on these different techniques and can suggest personalized workouts and videos to improve your swimming. Master skill tips will appear automatically in Free Swim mode, or you can manually build them into a custom workout.
The Form Smart Swim 2 goggles are available now for $249. Your purchase includes a two-month free trial of Form Premium, but you’ll need to upgrade to Premium after two months if you want access to workouts, training plans, HeadCoach, TrainingPeaks import, and SwimStraight. Premiums are $15 per month and $99 per year.