The Form Smart Swim 2 LT goggles include innovative shape correction

If you plan to use these goggles for open water swimming, your data will be reduced. You can see how far you’ve traveled or view metrics like your stroke rate. You can capture more accurate distance tracking and see data like speed if you already own an Apple Watch or Garmin watch. This will send information from the watch to the head-up display.

One open water feature you can access for free is SwimStraight. This was previously hidden behind Form’s Premium subscription. Allows you to use the built-in compass sensor to swim in a straight line. It works well once you do the awkward calibration dance of setting up the compass first.

Photography: Michael Cao

This premium subscription essentially gives you access to the model’s suite of training and workout features. This subscription starts at $9.99 per 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 choose from pre-made workouts to add structure to your swim time. There’s also HeadCoach, which I think is the most compelling reason to get a subscription.

HeadCoach works by recording your swim results and then recommending workouts based on performance. It also suggests exercises to improve your swimming technique. This feature of the glasses looks like a video game from the 80s. She recommended that I do an exercise to work on my head score. This meant that my head and shoulders were in the water too much, causing drag. On the screen, I could see a dot (my head) bobbing above and below the line, and I focused on keeping the dot from falling too low. The exercise was simple but very effective. In my opinion, this is the model’s secret sauce.

I no longer need convincing that what Form has created for swimmers is truly remarkable. I’ve recommended their goggles to fellow swimmers and anyone who wants to see what innovative wearables really look like.

The Smart Swim 2 LT provides an affordable way to experience Form’s innovative features – it’s the version of their goggles I would choose to buy. Unfortunately, the fact that you still need to pay for a subscription to access the coaching and coaching features means that these glasses will remain out of reach for a lot of swimmers. If you can change the investment, this is an effective way to track your pool and open water swimming, visualize metrics and skills, and improve your form.