Form Smart Swim 2 review: The gold standard for swim wearables
Form Smart Swim 2
Pros
- Built-in heart rate monitor
- Excellent comfort & fit
- Real-time feedback
- Intuitive app interface
- Variety of workout modes
Cons
- Some advanced features require premium subscription
- Slightly narrowed field of vision
- Not ideal for beginners
In 2019, I reviewed the first generation of Form Smart Swim. These are augmented reality goggles that can track your swim workout. I was impressed with the goggles’ ability to display information in your line of sight and the metrics that they dish out. At the time, the technology felt like it had leaped off the pages of a sci-fi novel. Just a few years later – and we can have intelligent conversations with our computers. Things have really moved on.
About a month ago, the Vancouver-based company has released the second generation of their smart swim wear. The new goggles are sleaker and they offer a better fit. They also have a number of new features, including a built-in heart rate monitor.
Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets
In this review, I will take a look at the Form Smart Swim 2 and see how they compare to the original model. I will also discuss the new features and see if they are worth the upgrade.
FORM Smart Swim 2: check price on Amazon, Form website.
Form Smart Swim 2 review: Design, hardware, battery life
The Form Smart Swim 2 arrive in a premium package that immediately conveys a sense of quality and attention to detail. Included are the goggles themselves, a proprietary charger, multiple nose bridge sizes to ensure a tailored fit, and a redesigned case.
This new case not only boasts a more polished look but also features enhanced ventilation, promoting quicker drying and preventing moisture buildup after your swim. Speaking of fit, the mid-size nose bridge comes pre-installed, a good starting point for most, but I found a more comfortable, watertight seal by switching to a larger size for my subsequent swims. So you should definitely experiment.
Upon unboxing, the goggles themselves maintain the sleek, familiar form factor of their predecessor. Form has clearly prioritised a design that seamlessly integrates technology without sacrificing the comfort and wearability of traditional swimwear.
The smart unit, housing the goggles’ impressive array of sensors and processing power, is now 15% smaller, minimizing any potential distractions during your swim. In fact, from a visual standpoint, it’s incredibly difficult to distinguish these high-tech goggles from a standard pair, making them even more discreet than the original model. You will definitely not attract stares from other people in the pool. Which, in my mind, is a good thing.
The experience is enhanced by the refined dot matrix display, a hallmark of the Form Smart Swim range. This display, projected seamlessly into your natural line of sight, feels like an organic extension of your vision.
Here’s a good representation of what you see.
With this type of display, the only slight negative is that the relatively small lens narrows the field of vision slightly as compared to a regular pair of goggles. So it is not as easy to see other pool users. That’s something to keep in mind.
More comfort
While my familiarity with the first generation model certainly contributed to my instant comfort, even newcomers will likely find the adjustment period minimal. Within minutes, the display becomes an intuitive part of your vision. Two tactile buttons on the side offer control over the goggles’ functions, allowing you to navigate through menus and adjust settings with ease.
One of the improvements in the Form Swim Googles 2 lies in the extended strap mount. This design change enhances the goggles’ stability, ensuring a secure fit even during intense workouts. This stability is crucial for maintaining accurate heart rate readings, as the goggles rely on consistent contact with your temples to track your pulse.
The eye seals have also received an upgrade. Form has incorporated a more pronounced curvature into the seals, which enhances overall comfort and creates a tighter seal, effectively keeping water out. An improvement in this sense is definitely noticeable as compared to the first generation.
In essence, the Form Swim Googles 2 represent a refined evolution of the original model. But all these improvements combined do ensure a more comfortable and leak-proof fit. Form has taken the core elements that made the first generation a success and meticulously enhanced them.
Under the hood
In terms of sensors, the Form Smart Swim 2 largely mirror their predecessor, incorporating an accelerometer and gyroscope to track your movements in the water. The groundbreaking addition, however, is the built-in heart rate sensor. This eliminates the need for a separate device like a Polar OH1, which is required for heart rate tracking with the original model. By integrating the sensor directly into the goggles, Form has streamlined the user experience and made heart rate monitoring more accessible for all swimmers.
Battery life has seen a slight decline, from 16 hours in the original model to 14 hours in the Form Smart Swim 2. It’s not a drastic reduction. No doubt, the goggles are more power hungry given that they now integrate a heart rate monitor. This type of battery life should be more than enough to get you through at least 12 pool sessions. About 10 minutes on the charger is all that is needed for an additional two hours swim time.
The goggles still charge via a cable, maintaining the magnetic attachment mechanism for a secure and convenient connection. But it is a proprietary cable, so make sure you don’t lose it.
Form Smart Swim 2 vs Smart Swim 1
Here is how the first and second generation Form swim goggles compare. These are the main differences.
Form Smart Swim 2 | Form Smart Swim 1 | |
|---|---|---|
Dimensions (smart unit) | 37 x 19 x 20 mm | 42 x 20 x 22 mm |
Strap mount | Extended strap mount | Regular strap mount |
Eye seals | Added curvature for maximum comfort and fit | Durable, leak-free seals |
Heart rate monitor | Built-in | Can connect to external heart rate monitor such as Polar OH1+ |
Case | 2 sided ventilated case (extra breathable) | 1 sided ventilated case |
Battery life | 14 hours (12+ pool sessions) | 16 hours (15+ pool sessions) |
Price | $249 | $179 |
Form Smart Swim 2 review: Features
Since many features here echo those from my original review, I’ll focus primarily on the new stuff and changes.
The built-in heart rate monitor is the star of the show here. Gone are the days of ensuring a separate device is charged, properly attached, and switched on. Now, heart rate tracking is seamless and integrated, with the goggles picking up my pulse almost instantly. For those concerned about accuracy, rest assured, the readings have consistently aligned with my expectations.
Having a heart rate monitor gives you total control over your workout. Keep an eye on your heart rate zone in real time, make sure your heart rate has recovered enough between sets. The sensor allows you to get a true gauge of your effort.
It’s fair to say that Form Swim Googles 2, like their predecessor, cater to intermediate and advanced swimmers. The goggles intelligently determine your stroke type based on head movements, offering real-time feedback on your technique. And they are quite good at this.
As someone who is a lower-intermediate in terms of my ability, I noticed that during my initial swims the goggles sometimes classified my breaststroke as “drill” due to an improper head position. This prompted me to consciously correct my form, ensuring my head dipped below the surface with each stroke. The result? The goggles accurately recognized my breaststroke, demonstrating their potential for improving technique through real-time feedback.
Press the front physical button to switch the goggles on and you’ll be presented with three distinct modes: Pool, Open Water, and Swim Spa. While the UK’s current climate precluded open water testing, this feature promises exciting possibilities for future summer swims.
By pairing your Form Swim Googles 2 with a compatible Garmin or Apple Watch, open water swimming transforms into a data-rich experience. You’ll receive real-time feedback on metrics like distance and pace. Additionally, Form’s SwimStraight feature, available for both generations of goggles with a premium subscription, utilizes a digital compass to provide numerical bearings. This effectively minimises the need for frequent sighting and helps you maintain a straighter course in open water. I look forward to testing it out when the weather allows.
During my pool sessions, I utilized both the Free Swim mode and the Workout mode, which guided me through a pre-set routine. The goggles even recognised the unique 30-meter length of my local pool – allowing me to tweak the settings at the press of a button.
Navigating the goggles’ functions is effortless. The two buttons provide access to various menus and settings, allowing you to customize your display metrics and more. The wealth of information that can be displayed in real-time is truly impressive. You can choose to see metrics such as time, heart rate, split time, stroke rate, stroke count, distance per stroke, and more.
You can even see an assessment of your form for each pool length in real-time and while resting. I found that particularly useful as it allows me to work on my technique while I am swimming. A bit like having a coach on your side keeping an eye on your form.
Once you’re done swimming, a quick tap on the button pauses the session. Save your data or simply switch the goggles off. When you open the Form Swim App on your phone, you’ll have all the details of your swim right there.
Post-workout stats
The Form Swim App is your one-stop shop for all your swim data, presenting it in an easy-to-understand format. It puts your latest swim stats front and center, with a quick summary giving you the gist. Tap on it, and you’ll uncover all the nitty-gritty details: every length broken down by time, distance, heart rate, stroke info, that fancy SWOLF Score, and a whole lot more. Data lovers will feel right at home!
Here’s a sample of what you get.
Want to brag about your latest PB? The Feed section lets you share your swim data with your friends (or rivals!). You can also follow your buddies from other swim clubs and see how you stack up.
However, it’s worth noting that the current editing capabilities are somewhat limited, primarily allowing for basic changes. While the ability to tweak the occasional problematic lap data would be a welcome addition, the app still provides a robust and engaging way to track and analyze your swimming progress.
Coaching features
The Form Swim Googles 2 go beyond just tracking your swims; they also offer a range of coaching features. The app packs pre-loaded workouts that you can easily download to your goggles. However, note that these workouts primarily target intermediate to advanced swimmers.
As a low-intermediate swimmer myself, I found most of the workouts quite challenging. Nevertheless, I was able to find an “EASY Swim 500m recovery workout” that was manageable. However, you also get the ability to create workouts through the smartphone app which adds a welcome layer of customisation. During your swim, the goggles display lap-by-lap instructions for these workouts, making it easy to stay on track.
If you’re looking for a more comprehensive training program, Form also offers a vast library of goal-specific training plans. These plans provide a structured approach to improving your swimming, with workouts tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Perhaps the most exciting coaching feature is HeadCoach, which was introduced in late 2023 on the first generation device. This feature, available with a premium subscription, provides a wealth of real-time feedback on your technique, as well as post-swim analysis and training recommendations in the mobile app.
HeadCoach assesses metrics like head pitch, peak head roll, time-to-neutral, set pacing, and interval pacing, offering detailed explanations and educational videos in the app to help you understand and improve each aspect of your technique.
As mentioned, these coaching features are available for both generations of the device. However, it is worth noting that they are only available with a Premium subscription. This currently runs at $8.25 per month. The good news is that you get two months free with a purchase of Form Smart Swim 2 which should be enough time to determine if you want to stick with it.
Form Smart Swim 2 review: The verdict
Form’s second-generation smart swim goggles offer a compelling blend of sleek design, enhanced comfort, and cutting-edge features. The built-in heart rate monitor is a standout addition, providing an accurate gauge of your exertion levels without the need for additional devices. The refined display and improved eye seals further elevate the swimming experience, making these goggles a joy to wear.
While the battery life has seen a slight dip compared to the original model, it’s a minor trade-off for the added functionality and convenience. The intuitive app, comprehensive data tracking, and personalized coaching features solidify the Form Swim Googles 2 as the best smart goggles you can buy today.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that some of the advanced coaching features, such as HeadCoach, come with a premium subscription fee. While the two-month free trial offers a glimpse into the full potential of the goggles, the ongoing cost may be a factor for budget-conscious swimmers.
Ultimately, the Form Swim Googles 2 are a worthy upgrade. If you’re an intermediate or advanced swimmer striving for peak performance, these goggles deliver on their promise of enhancing your time in the water.
With a retail price of $249 on the company’s website (check price on Amazon, Form website) the Form Swim Googles 2 might not be an impulse buy for casual swimmers. That said, if budget is a concern, don’t overlook the first-generation Form Swim Goggles. At $179, they’re a more affordable option, especially if you can snag a discount. While they lack the built-in heart rate monitor, you can always add a separate one if needed, making them a versatile and cost-effective alternative.
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