FORM Smart Swim 2 LT: Open Water SwimStraight Test

Summer is right here. As I discovered right now, my regular open-water swimming (OWS) venue at Shepperton is closed attributable to algae, and solely the winter lake is open in the meanwhile. I’d by no means swum within the winter lake and thought this could possibly be an excellent (heat) alternative to check out the FORM goggles on a lake the place I wasn’t acquainted with the format or sighting factors. Specifically, the Smart Swim 2 LT has SwimStraight technology, which provides you a heads-up bearing/compass show inside your goggles as you swim, and it’s a free function. The idea is that when you’ve sighted and headed off in the suitable course, you don’t should sight wherever close to as a lot and nonetheless go in a straight line.

Today’s exams

I needed to attain two issues right now.

1. Using SwimStraight on the Smart Swim 2 LT for OWS in an unfamiliar lake
2. Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra accuracy testing in OWS (GPS + HR)

SwimStraight – Why This Is An Important Feature

I’m an OK swimmer (Ironman finisher), however swimming is certainly not my sturdy level. I do know that if I don’t swim in a straight line, I swim additional. I do know that if I regularly carry out sighting, my legs will sink barely, and that may gradual me down.

SwimStraight can assist you swim a shorter distance quicker. That’s a reasonably apparent profit, and extra possible one which positively compounds the more serious a swimmer you’re. For glorious swimmers who naturally swim straight, it could barely de-risk your race and reduce the frequency of your sighting.

The Test

I had the FORM goggles on my head (unusual that) with the controls on the usual proper facet.

Also on check have been the Forerunner 970 on my proper wrist and the Cheetah 2 Ultra on my left. I had the Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 within the tow bag as a reference gadget (it’s most likely essentially the most correct GPS on a watch on dry land).

All units have been began earlier than coming into the water, after buying an excellent GPS repair, and stopped quickly after exiting the water. One lap is about 500m, however there will probably be a little bit of error when out of the water, and maybe additionally launched by faffing round firstly, as there have been a lot of different individuals. I deliberate a few particular person (similar) exams, this being the primary.

Results

I’d solely ever used FORM goggles in lakes I used to be acquainted with, and I used to be stunned that unfamiliar environment affected how I used the tech. At my common swim venues, the turning factors are routine; I do know the place to go subsequent and the magnitude of every flip. At this new venue, I used to be a lot much less assured concerning the subsequent buoy’s location, they usually have been all small/low ones — not arduous to see, however not simple both. The key discovering right here was that on the turning factors, I used to be slower and, after heading off towards the subsequent one, I used to be much less assured in what SwimStraight was telling me, so I made extra sightings than I’d have anticipated to (one thing like as soon as each 10 strokes relatively than simply cracking on).

By unusual coincidence, somebody was swimming near me who was clearly a bit quicker however clearly not going within the straightest of traces. I suppose neither of us was racing, however I beat them to each buoy as I used to be going straighter (although not tremendous straight).

I’ve constructed up a number of swims with these new goggles bot within the pool and now in OWS. I’ve the subscription and thought I’d verify my progress.

I’m a bit confused by the scores I’m getting from the app’s Coach. These 5-swim common stats all appear to suggest I’m an excellent swimmer, ‘Level 5 expert’ in some circumstances. I’m actually not.

General Ease of Use

The goggles are pretty new and didn’t leak. When I put them on, there was good suction in every eye socket, indicating to me that no water would get in, they usually have been greater than comfy sufficient for the hour I used them right now. There is slight stress to the nostril facet of my proper eye socket, and that facet appears to be positioned not fairly proper, as indicated by the discomfort and by the show not finding in my field of regard as I would really like. (I’ve tried different nostril bridge widths — bigger — however choose the one I used: medium.)

Compared to utilizing it on my regular lake at Shepperton, I discovered SwimStraight much less helpful than regular in unfamiliar environment. For me, it’s higher to tweak and enhance what I already know relatively than act as a studying assist in a totally new atmosphere.

Cheetah’s Accuracy

The coronary heart charge and GPS tracks lack a 3rd comparator, which did not work. Either that, or somebody forgot to press the button on the watch within the tow float. Clearly, the Garmin chest strap is displaying the fallacious HR, however I can’t show it. From the GPS observe, it’s not apparent which is fallacious, however I’m pretty sure it’s the Cheetah 2 on the left facet, although the return to the shore could be fallacious on the Garmin. Re-test required.

GPS and HR Results

Sorry! None of the FORM Smart Swim goggles has built-in GPS, and the LT is the one mannequin within the vary with no built-in temple HR sensor. The following HR and GPS outcomes are thus for the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Ultra that I’m additionally testing proper now, though it’s price noting that, for instance, the FORM app will sync your GPS hint out of your smartwatch, so on this case, my GPS observe within the FORM app is synced from my Forerunner 970.

$149

 

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FAQ

Does FORM SwimStraight cut back how typically you could sight in open water?

Not robotically. In a well-known venue, the place you already know the place the subsequent buoy sits, SwimStraight permits you to sight much less and swim straighter. In an unfamiliar venue, it may possibly work in opposition to you: with much less confidence within the buoy positions, this check produced extra sightings, roughly as soon as each ten strokes, relatively than fewer.

Does the FORM Smart Swim 2 LT have built-in GPS?

No. No mannequin within the FORM Smart Swim vary has built-in GPS. The FORM app syncs your GPS hint from a paired Garmin or Apple Watch, so your open-water observe nonetheless seems in your swim historical past.

Does the FORM Smart Swim 2 LT observe coronary heart charge?

No. The LT is the one mannequin within the FORM vary with no temple coronary heart charge sensor. The Smart Swim 2 and Smart Swim 2 PRO each embody one. To file coronary heart charge with the LT, you want a separate sensor or watch.

What Are the FORM Smart Swim HeadCoach Skill Levels?

HeadCoach evaluates your swimming utilizing 5 distinct skill ranges: Developing (Level 1), Emerging (Level 2), Competent (Level 3), Advanced (Level 4), and Elite/Optimal (Level 5). Within every of those 5 tiers, your efficiency is tracked on a exact numerical scale from 0 to 100.

Last Updated on 23 May 2026 by the5krunner

tfk is the founder and writer of the5krunner, an impartial endurance sports activities expertise publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at a global age-group degree, tfk gives in-depth skilled evaluation of health expertise for severe athletes and endurance sport rivals. ID