If you want to boost your child’s water confidence, a comfortable, leak-proof pair of goggles are an essential buy. Whether it’s for weekly swimming lessons or holidays spent splashing in the pool or sea, it’s worth buying the best kids’ goggles you can find.There are certain features which are non-negotiable when buying a pair of swimming goggles for your child. Firstly – and crucially – they have to be watertight. Nothing derails a swimming lesson or puts a kid off more than having to contend with leaky goggles and stingy chlorine-irritated eyes, so you want a pair of kids’ goggles with well-fitting eye cups and adjustable straps to get the perfect fit.Children’s goggles tend to come in two sizes, from preschool age to six-years-old (kids goggles) and for ages six to 14 (junior goggles), though some pairs straddle these sizes a little. While there’s no set age for children to start wearing swimming goggles, many swim schools recommend getting your child used to, and comfortable with, putting their head underwater first.The best kids’ goggles are so comfortable they’ll forget they’re wearing them. Look for soft eye cups that don’t rub and lenses that offer a wide field of vision. Most goggles come with anti-fog technology and UV protection, which is particularly important for outdoor swimming.Thankfully, even the highest-spec kids’ goggles are relatively inexpensive, and I’ve included a range of prices from under £10 to £25 to suit all budgets. If your child takes regular swimming lessons, it’s worth buying the best you can afford, which, with care, will last for years.Read more: Best paddling pools, tried and testedLook for soft eye cups that don’t rub and lenses that offer a wide field of vision (Sarah Dawson/The Independent)The best kids’ swimming goggles for 2026 are:Best overall – Zoggs phantom 2.0 junior swimming goggles: £16.50, Zoggs.comBest budget buy – Decathlon soft swimming goggles: £8.99, Decathlon.co.ukBest for swimming lessons – Forza kids’ swimming goggles: £8.99, Networldsports.co.ukBest for outdoor swimming – Splash About marlin sport: £13, Splashabout.comRead more: Best kids’ headphones, approved by parents