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Holoswim 3 Pro Review
for Swimrun Buyers

Our new Holoswim 3 Pro review goggles have arrived! We've been testing them to see what all the fuss is about. They are a step up from the Holoswim 2S goggles, and have a couple of intriguing features.

If you've ever found yourself drifting 50 yards off course during an open-water swim, or wondered exactly how fast you were moving during that last set of pool-based 100s, you already know why smart swim goggles have become such a hot category.

The Holoswim 3 Pro is the newest entry from HoloSport, and it's generating a lot of buzz among swimmers, swimrunners, and triathletes who split their training between the pool and open water.

This Holoswim 3 Pro review pulls together everything we know about the goggles—design, tech, battery life, comfort, and how they stack up against the competition—so you can decide if they're worth your money.

If you're already looking to buy, click on any image or link below to go directly to the HoloSport website, and remember to use our discount code - HOLOSWIM10 - to get a 10% discount!

Holoswim 3 Pro Review

The box...

When you open the box, you find another box!

The storage box will protect the goggles

But what's inside the box?

The Holoswim 3 pro box opened to show the goggles

The goggles, charging lead, and another SEVEN nose bridge sizes!

Holoswim 3 Pro Review

What IS the Holoswim 3 Pro?

At its core, the Holoswim 3 Pro is an AR (augmented reality) smart swim goggle that puts a tiny heads-up display right inside the right-hand lens, in your line of sight. Instead of guessing your pace or your direction, or losing count of pool laps, you can glance down and see your stats in real time.

What makes this Holoswim 3 Pro review particularly relevant for swimrunners and open-water swimmers, though, is that HoloSport built the goggles for both pool and open-water use from the ground up, not as an afterthought.

First impressions

First impressions matter, and HoloSport clearly worked on making the Holoswim 3 Pro feel less like a gadget and more like a normal pair of racing goggles.

Compared to the earlier Holoswim 2 Pro and 2S models, the 3 Pro has a noticeably lower, more streamlined profile that reduces bulk and drag in the water. At roughly 73 grams, it's light enough that you forget it's doing any computing at all once you get moving.

The slim design

The little light blinks green during charging

Holoswim 3 Pro Review

Comfort and fit

Comfort and fit are where many smart goggles fall down, so HoloSport addressed this head-on with the 3 Pro. The goggles come with a much wider selection of nose bridges—up to eight or nine sizes depending on the retailer—compared to just four with the older 2S model.

The strap has also been redesigned to be flatter and wider, spreading pressure more evenly around your head and helping keep the goggles locked in place during hard efforts or rough open-water conditions.

The eye seals are quite wide and very soft at the edges, which helps to keep water out as well as avoiding the "goggle eyes" afterwards!

The eye seal is wide and soft

That said, no goggle fits every face perfectly, and it's worth being honest about this in a Holoswim 3 Pro review.

Although we encountered no problems with the fit and seal of these goggles, a small handful of users on Facebook and Reddit have reported leaking, most commonly on one side, even after trying different nose bridge sizes.

If you have a narrow or asymmetrical face, it's worth testing the fit carefully or checking the return policy before committing, since seal quality can vary from swimmer to swimmer even with a well-engineered goggle.

The display

Now for the feature everyone's curious about: display visibility. There are three (3) brightness levels to choose from, depending on your environment.

The 600-nit OLED AR display is bright enough to read clearly in indoor pools, and it holds its own in most outdoor lighting too, though very harsh, direct sunlight can occasionally wash it out a bit at certain angles. The display itself is a 64x128 HD AR screen tucked into the lens, and it's genuinely easy to read mid-stroke.

Notoriously difficult-to-photograph display - it's bright!

You can customize which metrics show up on screen—pace, distance, compass, lap count, stroke count, SWOLF, calories, and more—through the HOLOSPORT app. Setting up multiple custom screens means you can keep it simple for pool sets and more detailed for open-water swims.

How it REALLY looks!

Holoswim 3 Pro Review

Real-world use

In real-world use, glancing at live pace or distance mid-stroke felt surprisingly natural after a session or two. There's a small learning curve to dial in your ideal layout, but once it's set, the data updates smoothly without breaking your rhythm.

In the tech department, the Holoswim 3 Pro runs on a 10-axis motion sensor, a solid upgrade from the 6-axis sensor found in the Holoswim 2S. That extra sensing power feeds into the metrics you actually care about: lap count, distance, pace, stroke count, calories burned, rest time, and SWOLF score, giving you a genuinely useful picture of how a training session went the moment you climb out of the water.

Here's how you communicate with your goggles:

iPhone users should download the HoloSport app from the App Store.
Android users should download the HoloSport app from the Google Play store.
After downloading the app, scan the QR code on the goggle box or in the instructions. Your phone then communicates with the goggles by Bluetooth.

Richard adjusting the Holoswim 3 Pro goggles

Switching on!

Built-in GPS

This is the feature that really sets the Holoswim 3 Pro apart from the rest: built-in GPS. Unlike many "smart" swim goggles that depend on your phone or a paired watch for location data, the Holoswim 3 Pro has its own onboard GPS chip.

That means you can track open-water swim routes, distance, and pace without needing to pair the goggles to a phone or a separate watch, which is a big deal if you swim in any kind of open water.

Open-water route guidance is expected to be available by the end of September 2026 via a software update, showing you a heading right in the lens so you can course-correct in real time instead of discovering after the fact that you zig-zagged your way across a lake.

In our experience, open water swimming is really where the Holoswim 3 Pro shines, courtesy of the built-in GPS.

Perfect for swimrun!

Battery life

Battery life is where the trade-offs of built-in GPS become clear. In pool mode, without GPS running, the Holoswim 3 Pro is rated for up to 16 hours of continuous use, which is more than enough for even the most dedicated swimmer's weekly volume.

Open-water mode with GPS active, however, drops that down to roughly 5 hours, since satellite tracking is a lot more power-hungry than the pool sensors. Five hours is still plenty of time for the majority of swimrun events, but it's worth keeping in mind if you're planning an event longer than 5 hours.

A 2-hour full charge time means you can top up the goggles relatively quickly between training sessions if needed.

Use this link to the Holoswim website; you can get a 10% discount by using the discount code HOLOSWIM10.

Holoswim 3 Pro Review

Apple Watch connectivity

Another nice quality-of-life touch is Apple Watch connectivity. The Holoswim 3 Pro can pull data from a paired Apple Watch and display it directly in the lens, so swimmers who already track heart rate or other metrics on their wrist don't have to choose between two separate data streams.

HoloSport also includes a library of training plan templates you can load onto the goggles, which is handy if you like structured sets but don't want to memorize or write out a workout beforehand.

Anti-fog performance

On the anti-fog front, HoloSport says the coating has been tested and certified by TÜV Rheinland, the German quality-assurance body, which adds some third-party credibility to a claim that most goggle brands make but don't always keep.

You have to activate the anti-fog coating simply by wetting the insides of the lenses with plain water before you put them on. Simples!

In our experience, it works very well - we have had no issues with fogging either in the pool or in the sea.

Mogsy wearing the holoswim 3 pro goggles

Mogsy trying out the Holoswim 3 Pro

Comparisons

So how does the Holoswim 3 Pro stack up against its closest rival, the FORM Smart Swim 2 Pro? FORM has been around for longer, and is generally considered the more polished, software-focused option, with deeper structured workout support and a more refined coaching experience, but it comes with a monthly or annual subscription fee for full functionality.

Holoswim's pitch has always been the opposite: comparable core metrics, no subscription ever, and now, with the 3 Pro, a genuine hardware edge in the form of built-in GPS, which FORM's goggles don't currently offer.

One Reddit user comparing the Holoswim 2 Pro to FORM summed up the value question bluntly, noting it was "by far a greater bang for buck" than paying "$300 + $10/month" for the competing subscription model.

Holoswim 3 Pro Review

Build quality

Build quality feels solid overall—the frame, strap, and buckle system show no obvious weak points after regular use, and there's no noticeable flex or creaking that would raise durability concerns.

In my experience, the lens and display areas have held up well too, with no dead pixels or other problems after several weeks of use in the sea and chlorinated pool. It's always possible to scratch the lenses if you're careless; we always used the black case that the goggles arrived in.

The eye seals have remained effective, and the anti-fog coating continues to work well.

Pricing

The pricing on the Holoswim 3 Pro has fluctuated a fair bit since launch, with HoloSport's own site listing a regular price around $270–$320. They run frequent promotions that bring the cost down into the $139–$229 range depending on the sale. It's worth checking current pricing directly before buying.

HOWEVER, if you use this link to the Holoswim website, you can get a 10% discount by using the discount code HOLOSWIM10.

Summary

So, is the Holoswim 3 Pro worth it?

Definitely "yes" if:

you're a swimrunner who values open water compass and GPS capability
you're a pool swimmer who occasionally heads into open water
a triathlete who wants one pair of goggles that can handle both environments without relying on a phone or watch for GPS

The lack of any subscription fee is a genuine differentiator against FORM, and the built-in GPS and compass are features you simply won't find on most competing smart goggles.

The main caveats are the fit variability a few users (not us) have reported and the shorter battery life in GPS mode. If you're planning ultra-long open-water swims, you'll want to manage battery expectations.

For most swimmers and swimrunners, though, the Holoswim 3 Pro looks like a strong, well-priced step forward from HoloSport's earlier models.

Use this link to the Holoswim website and get a 10% discount by using the discount code HOLOSWIM10.

SollaWave Smart Swim Goggles

The world's first AI music smart swim goggles, these are designed to replace five separate pieces of swim gear with a single, streamlined device.

SollaWave smart swim goggle by HoloSport underwater shot

The SollaWave combines racing-style swim goggles, integrated underwater headphones, waterproof earplugs, an AI-powered swim tracker, and built-in anti-fog protection into one compact package. Read our review for details, OR order direct from the HoloSport website, and remember to use our discount code - HOLOSWIM10 - to get your 10% off!

(As HoloSport affiliates we may earn a small commission on purchases)

www.swimrun-advice.com works with the following Swimrun companies:

Richard Mitchell, BDS, and Mogsy Ford are swimrun competitors and endurance athletes who write from direct racing experience. We have competed in swimrun since 2016, and bring added perspective from competitive running (5K to marathon) and open-water swim racing. This website has been mentioned by The Guardian newspaper. As married teammates, we train together, and build holidays around races. Read more at the 'About Us' page.